Database Users

[Q] Locked Out by Android Device Manager (help!)

I don't know if anyone is going to believe this. I decided to test Android Device Manager's lock feature. Worked fine on my tablet. Did not work right on my phone. Now I am locked out of my phone. It would not accept the PIN I selected. I tried sending different PINs and it won't accept any of them! When I change the "message," it does change but the PIN doesn't work.
1) Is there any way to fix this???
2) If not, ugh, if I send an ERASE command, will I be able to get back into the phone?
Help!!
Thanks!
Paul
(I don't know how to prove this isn't a stolen phone - I have full access to it via Device Manager in my google account)

Talked to AT&T. I was screwed. FYI for anyone else... The Android Device Manager Lock may not work right on the AT&T Galaxy S4.

The entire point of locking a phone through ADM is to render it useless for anyone that has stolen it or "found and tried to use it" if it was lost. It's not intended as a tool to be used day to day or for any other reason than loss or theft. As such, I don't see why there would be a need to re-activate the phone after locking it through ADM.
However, if it simply won't let you unlock the lock screen, why not use ODIN to re-flash the firmware and start fresh with an unlocked lock screen?

scott14719 said:
The entire point of locking a phone through ADM is to render it useless for anyone that has stolen it or "found and tried to use it" if it was lost.
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I should have posted more details. Actually, you can factory reset the phone and it comes out of it fine, albeit factory reset. It doesn't make the phone useless. It just protects the data on your phone with the standard PIN lock screen. It's certainly no kill switch.
To add more info to this - it literally changes the lock screen setting to PIN lock. So, for example, on my tablet, I had a pattern lock. Even after I unlocked it with the ADM PIN I sent, the next time it locked, it was the same PIN lock. I had to go back and change it to the pattern lock.
This is unlike the 3rd party solutions I have used in the past (e.g. Lookout, AVG) which overlay their own lock onto the phone one time only. Once you unlock through their PIN system, the device reverts to whatever locking method you had been using (or none).
This is just what I learned from the experience. Maybe people knew this but it was interesting to me.

PaulQ602 said:
I should have posted more details. Actually, you can factory reset the phone and it comes out of it fine, albeit factory reset. It doesn't make the phone useless. It just protects the data on your phone with the standard PIN lock screen. It's certainly no kill switch.
To add more info to this - it literally changes the lock screen setting to PIN lock. So, for example, on my tablet, I had a pattern lock. Even after I unlocked it with the ADM PIN I sent, the next time it locked, it was the same PIN lock. I had to go back and change it to the pattern lock.
This is unlike the 3rd party solutions I have used in the past (e.g. Lookout, AVG) which overlay their own lock onto the phone one time only. Once you unlock through their PIN system, the device reverts to whatever locking method you had been using (or none).
This is just what I learned from the experience. Maybe people knew this but it was interesting to me.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the additional info. It's nice to know how it works or is supposed to work. Starting mid-2014, all cell phones sold in the US will be required to have a "kill switch" available. I wonder if it will operate in the same way. I guess time will tell. Again, thanks for the info.

I do wish people who don't read a persons message properly and are not informed on the subject wouldn't waste every ones time posting their drivel aye Scott!
You like so many others state the obvious, I did like your post Paul and thank you for taking the time to post
I have had issues with ADM and have found the application about as useful as Scott's drivel

Skipping Fingerprint Screen and going directly to asking for Backup Password

Hi guys.
I have really weird situation. So when I was setting up my Galaxy Note 4 I chose Fingerprint Scan to be my main authentication method. It prompted me to chose backup password in case Fingerprint scan cannot be read. Unfortunately I did NOT write down somewhere my backup password because I thought that the only case that will ever require me to use it would be losing my thumb finger. Since I was not planning to lose my thumb finger anytime soon I did not think about making sure to write down the backup password I chose....
Now where my problem comes. I have not used this phone for like 2-3 weeks because I use different phone as my primary one. Well guess what happened? After I booted my phone today it does NOT show the usual "Scan your Fingerprint" Screen and instead going directly to "Enter your backup password"
What could have happened?? Did the phone somehow think that somebody scanned wrong finger too many times and now the only way to unlock it is to enter the password? I guess it would be easy to just wipe the phone and start over but there are many pictures that I took on phone's internal memory and did not have a chance to transfer over to my computer... Anyone could PLEASE chime in and tell me how can I make it ask for Fingerprint instead of password?? I would really appreciate to hear what you guys think
Short version:
1. Had Fingerprint as main authentication method
2. Did not write down backup password anywhere
3. After not using the phone for couple weeks now its skipping Fingerprint screen and directly goes to asking for password
4. Any ideas?

Direction Lock - New way to unlock your phone (Hidden feature on the Galaxy S6)

With direction lock, you can unlock your phone by drawing a pattern on it...pretty cool I think
https://youtu.be/iIQUWxuLhOI

Considering I'll be coming from a G2, it's a far cry from knock on. I will miss knock on more than anything on my G2 I'm sure. It might break the boredom of just swipe to unlock, but leaves more room for error and will take longer.

natypes said:
Considering I'll be coming from a G2, it's a far cry from knock on. I will miss knock on more than anything on my G2 I'm sure. It might break the boredom of just swipe to unlock, but leaves more room for error and will take longer.
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Knock on was very cool, pressing the home button once with the fingerprint reader is cooler.

Well, I'm getting an S6, so I'm certainly willing to give it a shot.

After activating the direction lock feature I have run into a very serious issue. An OTA software update came in from AT&T after which the phone did a reboot. I cannot unlock the phone as it no longer recognizes the direction lock pattern and sadly, it is requiring that specific unlock method for the first unlock after reboot. Samsung tells me there is no way around this except a full master reset which the data loss would be devastating! I cannot locate any software that will pull the data via USB either as the model is an S6 Edge SM-G925A which is not offered via FonePaw, Phone Doctor or Mini Tool. Since the direction lock is located in the Accessibility menu the "unlocking" methods don't work either as the values are apparently in a different location. I seriously need some help with this issue. Losing all the critical data from my last backup to now is beyond stressing me out as it is vital as well as having some very sentimental items. If I could just find a way to either pull the data or explore the phone via third party software I would be one very happy man!! Please, if there is anyone that has an idea, I am willing to try just about anything to prevent a factory reset! Thank you very much in advance!! And yes, I have searched and read and searched and read..... over 5 hours worth of time spent online trying to get this solved... BTW, the phone does not have USB debugging enabled and is not rooted. Just stock Android 7.x

Search miraculous help Fingerprint and phone code not working (A real week of ****)

Hello everyone.
Well, as stated in the title I really had a week of ****. It started with the theft of my Samsung S7 edge.I am really disgusted
As I really like this phone and the price is interesting now and having a TWRP backup on a USB key I've bought another S7 edge thinking that I could easily reinstall my backup TWRP of my missing phone with all my very valuable data and programs. Unfortunately for now it's total failure. I could actually reinstall my backup but impossible to enter into the phone. I had put after the boot the security by fingerprint plus pin code for the phone and neither function. I am absolutely sure of my pin code, I always use the same but the phone answers me incorrect pin and my fingerprints are not recognized. :crying::crying::crying: I mean that the phone for the first reboot does not accept the fingerprint asks me the code and does not accept it. I tried to flash fingerprint wakeup to be able to use the fingerprint after the first boot but it is even worse the phone say that the fingerprint does not work and that I have to try again later. I specify that I tried the fingerprint with the phone I bought used before installing my backup and that it works properly. In your opinion, is there a way out of this inextricable situation? Is it possible to bypass the fingerprint? Or another solution to recover my data and my programs? Thank you to those who will take the time to read me and to those who will answer me if there are any :fingers-crossed:

Bypass pattern lock

I have forgot the pattern of my Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) but I wanna get some data off of it. The charging port is broken and I'm powering it from a 4.5V power supply from the battery pins. It isn't rooted or bootloader unlocked but I can access the bootloader. I don't have a samsung find my device account and any way to connect it to wifi (i replaced my router a few years ago). How can I unlock it without wiping it?

You could automate the swiping, except...
After about three failures it makes you wait a day.
It might even escalate from there.

Renate said:
You could automate the swiping, except...
After about three failures it makes you wait a day.
It might even escalate from there.
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So is there any other way or I can't do anything about it?

There may be some exploit. But the point is, they try to make these things secure and then you complain when they are.

martin0300 said:
So is there any other way or I can't do anything about it?
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you don't understand the problem. your pattern is mandatory to decrypt your data. without the pattern your data keeps encrypted. even if you would manage to bypass the pattern you weren't able to get access to your data.