On android phones you can activate a feature called pattern lock. This feature can be compared to a windows computer asking for password after the screen saver kicked in; only instead of a password you use a pattern. You get a screen with 9 dots and you draw a pattern of your choice with 4 of them. If you forget your pattern (or have kids that likes to play with phones) you will after 3 faulty attempts be unable to use the pattern to unlock it. Instead you are asked for your Google account and password (that is setup with the phone of course). This is where the problem starts. For many, many users providing the username and password won’t change a thing. for some people changing the password via a computer has worked but that is uncommon. Have no fear; there are solutions to almost everything.
Unlock android phones
1. Try entering null as password. (Together with your Google username)
2. Try entering your username without @gmail.com
3. Combine 1 and 2
4. Call yourself from another phone, answer, without hanging up press the home button, then menu button, settings, try to disable pattern-lock
5. Call yourself from another phone, answer, hang-up, directly after hanging up start pressing your buttons like a madman for <30-60 seconds ending with your home button (might take a while to get the timing right). go into settings and disable pattern-lock.
6. Try the normal recovers password routine from gmail.com and start over from 1.
7. Perform a factory reset. you will lose all not-synced data (sd card will be left untouched).1-6 are possible workarounds, these doesn't work for everyone but can be worth a try to avoid factory reset.6.is what should work but hardly never does. 7-The factory reset always work.
End update
In this case the solution is to make a factory reset (sometimes referred to as hard reset or wipe). This will erase all data on your phone (not on your sd-card). Your contacts and mails should be in sync with the Google servers, no problem there then. Downloaded applications needs to be installed again but there is a list of your previous downloads in the android market->my downloads. Other things though are lost if you haven’t backed them up manually with a 3-rd party application. Example on things you will lose: call logs, text messages, application settings.
This is the 3 step solution. Factory reset your phone (links to android device manuals can be found below, it differs between devices) Setup your phone just like you did the first time you unpacked it (use the same Google account if you want your old contacts back) Restore any manual back-ups and install your previous applications from the my downloads list. How do I factory reset? HTC leads the way and put this information in their manuals.
Samsung Galaxy [Note old galaxy i7500, Galaxyes further down]
1 Turn Off your Galaxy. 2 Hold Volume Dn+Call+Power button. 3 After boot, press the Menu button to start recovering.
Sony Ericson x10 -mini, pro etcetera
Go to: www.sonyericsson.com
Click the support tab and then download software
Download the update service application. Run the application as administrator, choose your model and follow the instructions.
Micromax a25,a54,a57,a60&a89 (confirmed)
Press and hold volume up + home button and power on/off shows the android logo
Press home button one time
Entering android system recovery mode…
Use “Volume” key to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.
Karbon android a2
Turn off your phone
Push and hold [volume up]+[volume down]+[power]
Follow the instructions to get into recovery mode and then choose factory reset.
lg nexus 4
Make sure your device is turned off, pull the battery if needed
Push and hold: "volume down" + "power"
Push "volume down" twice and then select with "power" taking you to the recovery menu.
Follow the instructions in the recovery menu and make your way to wipe data/factory reset.
Sprint (Samsung) epic 4g and Samsung galaxys
With your phone turned off. pull the battery out and reinsert it if needed.
Press and hold "volume down" button
Press and release the "power" button (while still holding "volume down"
Your phone should now boot to a menu where you can choose fastboot, recovery, clear storage, or simlock
Select clear storage by pressing the "volume down" button
Press the "power" button
Confirm your decision with "volume up" (cancel with "volume down")
Motorola [Nextel] i1 – now confirmed working.
Make sure your device is turned off, pull the battery if needed
Push and hold: "volume up" + "volume down"+"call"+"center button.
Press ‘Power’
Motorola Droid [a.k.a milestone]
Turn droid off. If won’t turn off, take the battery out, then place it back in. Open the keyboard and press the ‘X’ key while pressing and holding the ‘Power’. The device will power ON. Keep holding the buttons down until a yellow triangle appears. Press the camera & volume up buttons simultaneously to get to the menu. Use direction pad to the right of the keyboard to select the ‘format’ option.
Nexus one: Turn the phone off. If it is frozen in the ON state, pull the battery. Press & hold both Home and Back buttons together. While continuing to hold these buttons, press the Power button. Release Home & Back. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the hard reset.
T-Mobile. If you want to do a hard reset but can't do it through the menu, please use the update from t-mobile UK website.