Lock Your Google Pixel 8 Pro Phone in Style: The Top 5 Gesture Lock Screen Apps

Ever wondered, if there was an easier and more interesting way to unlock and open your devices and apps without boring PINs/Passwords that you tend to forget? Worry not, gestures are here! Imagine the joy when you can unlock your phone by just waving your hand over it, or instead of getting access through confusing patterns or lengthy PINs, you can just get in by drawing an alphabet! So let’s go through some gesture lock screen apps for Android phones.

Gestures in Android

Gestures have become an iconic piece of the entire mobile operating system and experience, giving all Android users the joy of using our gestures for functions in our mobile phones We will be discussing 5 gesture lock screen apps, but let us first talk about the existence of gestures in Android.

• • Two-finger swipe down
• • Press and hold on notifications
• • Triple-tap to zoom in
• • Tap and hold on menus
• • Double-tap to wake
• • Press and hold Power Off Button

These gestures gave Android developers an idea of creating apps, to make use of new gestures for not only in-phone functionality but also for the most basic smartphone function of locking and unlocking.

Why do we need these gesture apps? –Would you not want to control your phone’s notification bar by just waving your hand over the screen, when it’s not reachable? These apps are not only fun but also useful and efficient. So, now let us discuss 5 Android gesture lock screen apps.

1) Gesture Lock Screen

A top-rated app in the Google Play Store, for gestures, the Gesture Lock Screen is a wonderful gesture app that locks and unlocks Android lock screens. Rated 4/5 stars in the Google Play Store, this app was developed by Q Locker.

Gesture Lock Screen is an all-in-one gesture app that locks the screen as well as provides you with other good features. The app allows you to draw anything or gesture to unlock your phone; you can draw letter, signatures, various shapes, whatever you want to unlock your device! This app gives you the convenience to unlock your phone through fingerprints, gestures, and recover passwords as well.  

• Gesture – you can easily add/change gestures, it can be a single or a multiple stroke gesture as well. For maximum accuracy, this app features gesture sensitivity. If you want a unique lock screen, this app is ideal!

• Customization – This app is highly customizable, so let your creative tech ideas fly! App notifications are available for Android 4.3 and above. Unread notifications will appear on the lock screen, and you can easily hide any confidential notifications.

With over 40,000 5/5 ratings and 5,00,000-10,00,000 installs, this app proves to be the top gesture app for locking your phone.

Download this app from here - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=qlocker.gesture&hl=en

2) Magic Unlock

Magic Unlock app, developed by zonep.ro, is designed with the main aim of responding to hand movement. The future is here!The app detects the movements of your hand, preferably horizontal or vertical, through the phone’s proximity sensor and then opts to unlock the screen. Technology, I tell you!

Firstly, the lock screen security needs to be turned off. You can do this by going to Settings on your phone, then click on Security, then “Screen Lock” and change the lock type to swipe or slide. Now, fire up this app and turn on the magic unlock option. Tada! Now you are all set to unlock your device via air gesture.

The app was released early 2017, but Magic Unlock has already received 50,000-100,000 installs and has a 4.2/5 rating in the Play Store, giving you all the more reason to install it. The app requires Android 4.1 and above.

Download the app from here - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.binarybuilding.magicunlock&hl=en

Click here

3) Gesture Magic

Another app that uses gesture to lock/unlock the screen is the Gesture Magic app, developed by Apps2all. Compatible with most Android devices, this app is very easy for you to use.

The app already suggests you with predetermined gestures to unlock the screen and open the specific apps. How convenient!

Features – Don’t we all love apps that do not just stick to their main purpose but also come with extra features? This app allows you to launch apps, make calls, send text messages, and quickly access all applications with ease, everything with the help of gestures!  This app needs to use the Google Pixel 8 Pro device Administrator permission in order to work.

Launched on 17th August 2017, the app has already fetched 100,000-500,000 installs and has maintained a 4/5-star rating, proving why it’s worth using despite being a new-comer.

Download this app from here - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gesture.action&hl=en

4) Gesture Lock Screen

Developed by Prank App, Gesture Lock Screen is a wonderful app that allows to securing your Android phone with letters, signatures or a pull-down gesture. This is an intelligent gesture screen-lock app that detects and adjusts to the letters that are created every time and stored as lock screen passwords. You can be creative with this app as well; hearts, circles, triangles, squares, make any shape, letter, number and save it as the gesture lock.

Gesture Lock Screen is designed to allow you to launch any personal application through your personalized gesture, so you do not have to worry about anyone meddling with the contents of your phone. The app comes with the following range of features:

• Create any kind of password – letters, shapes, numbers, signatures, etc.

• App notifications appear on the lock screen itself - unread texts, calls, app notifications, etc.

• Double tap the notification, draw the gesture to unlock and open the app – privacy, finally!

• Supports both single as well as multiple stroke gesture.

With a 4.4/5-star rating in the Play Store, and with 5,000-10,000 downloads in a span of 2 months of its launch. The app works on Android 4.1 and above.

Download it from - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vasu.gesturescreenlock&hl=en

5) Gestos – Gestures

Developed by Imaxinacion, Gestos-Gestures is an amazing gesture screen-lock app, designed with the main aim of providing you with fluency and speed as you perform actions on your device. This app aims to give you the facility of accessing various functions by drawing an easy gesture on the lock screen.

Gestos allows you to – call contacts, enable or disable settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, etc, run various system options, lock or unlock your device, and access websites as well.

Talking about configuration, Gestos is a well-designed app that can be activated by just a double-touch on your home screen. Its sensitivity can be adjusted according to what you prefer, a permanent notification toggle floating button is available as well!

Maintaining a 4.1/5-star rating in the Play Store, Gestos has had 100,000-500,000 installs.

Download it from here - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imaxinacion.gestos&hl=en

As Android reaches new heights every year, gestures are getting more and more enhanced, as their functionalities increase as well. Gestures have always been an exciting feature in Android phones and a convenient one as well. They are practical and fun to use, and the apps mentioned above are some of the best gesture-lock apps amongst the vast number of such apps in the Google Play Store. If you want to make your tasks easier by using gestures on your phone, feel free to try some of the mentioned apps here.

Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Google Pixel 8 Pro Phone Now with These Tips

Pattern locks have been available for about as long as people can remember, and they have been hugely popular with people thanks to how easy it is to simply swipe your screen and unlock your smartphone, as against, say, keying in the 4-digit PIN/ 6-digit PIN. However, pattern locks are easy to crack, and today, we bring you all you want to know about pattern locks and how to create a hard pattern lock. Further to this, we also tell you how to move beyond pattern locks and what to do in case you forgot the hard pattern lock you just set and are unable to unlock your smartphone.

Part 1: What You Need to Know About Pattern Locks

Pattern lock is an Android-only feature that makes it easy for users to have a modicum of security on their smartphones. Most users do not prefer using and remembering a PIN to unlock the smartphone. Creating a pattern makes it easier, somehow.

There is a 9-point grid on which you swipe your finger from point to point, in any direction, and when you take your finger off, that pattern you swiped becomes the key to unlock your smartphone.

Pattern locks were exceedingly common only a few years ago, and they are not recommended for use any longer due to concerns (mentioned later in the article).

1.1: Popularity and Usage

Old habits die hard, or so they say, right? That’s because it is true. We are creatures of habit, and pattern locks have been around for a long, long time. We are accustomed to pattern locks. So, even with even easier technologies such as fingerprint recognition and face recognition, we tend to gravitate towards the familiar old pattern lock.

The only thing is, there is a reason why pattern locks are no longer the preferred option to use for unlocking your smartphones. As it happens, that reason is security, and it can be very easy for humans to take a swipe (pardon the pun) at your pattern lock. And guess what? The research conducted suggests that they would get it right with an unsettling accuracy.

1.2: Advantages and Drawbacks

With on-the-go lifestyles, our smartphones have become indispensable and contain some of the most sensitive aspects of our lives – IDs, credit and debit cards in digital wallets, photo and video memories, business documents – you name it, the smartphones have it, on the go. This has opened our lives up to the public at large, and if someone steals our smartphone or, best case, finds it, the only barrier preventing them from being privy to all that wealth of our sensitive information is that screen lock – the pattern lock that we set on our smartphones. That’s it – the single pattern lock stands between malicious actors and our data. You might be beginning to realize just how crazy this is.

Advantages of Pattern Locks

There are two advantages to using pattern locks. One, they are better than nothing. Two, they are easy to use. And that’s about it. There is no third advantage to pattern locks. We might think we set a hard pattern lock that nobody could guess, but, as research proves, we might be thinking too low of human prowess.

Disadvantages of Pattern Locks

Security, or rather, the lack of it, is the lone disadvantage of using a pattern lock. What good is a pattern lock that can be easily deciphered? Sure, they are easy to use, and they are better than not having anything, but would you really want to protect your life’s data with something that could be, as researchers found out, breached in under 5 attempts? We don’t think you do!

The research found that 64% of test subjects who were shown videos of people unlocking their phones could correctly guess a 6-point pattern lock, that too after viewing the video only once! That number shot up to 80% if they were allowed to see the video again. That is simply astounding and a nightmare for security. When it comes to PINs, only 11% could guess a 6-digit PIN after viewing the unlocking video once, and that number shot up to 27% when they could see the video two times.

Part 2: How To Create a Hard Pattern Lock (Including Remembering Complex Patterns)

Now, if you must continue using a pattern lock, let’s help you know how to create a hard pattern lock that would not be as easy to decipher as easy pattern locks. For that, you should know how people use pattern locks, the kind of pattern locks they create, and the ones that are the most commonly used pattern locks. That way, you can avoid those fallacies and create a hard pattern lock for your smartphone.

2.1: The Pattern Locks People Use Most Commonly

Marte Loge, an M.Sc. Computer Science student, gave a presentation on pattern locks at DEFCON 23 and made a bold claim. She said, “Tell me who you are, and I will tell you your lock pattern.”

She presented the following statistics to support her claim:

• - In her research, she found that 77% of people started with one of the 4 corners when creating a pattern lock.
• - 44% of people started with the top-left dot and 15% with the top-right, while the bottom-left was preferred by 14% of her test subjects.
• - People set 5-point pattern locks on average, and most users were content with a 4-point pattern.

These are some of the most common pattern locks people create:

• - patterns in the shapes of alphabets,
• - patterns in the shapes of numerals,
• - patterns in any other simple shape, such as square, triangle, star, etc.

To understand how this is a security nightmare, the possible combinations for a 4-point pattern are a measly 1624, whereas by adding just 1 more point to the pattern and creating a 5-point pattern, the number of possible combinations becomes 7152, an increase of 5528 combinations. In stark contrast, creating a 9-point pattern would give you over 140,000 possible combinations!

2.2: How to Create a Hard Pattern Lock

Knowing what most people do when creating a pattern lock, it becomes easy to avoid those mistakes and instead create a hard pattern lock for oneself.

• - Do not start creating a pattern lock from any of the 4 corners of the grid.
• - Never use your first initial as your pattern lock.
• - Never use the shape of a numeral as your pattern lock.
• - Use all 9 points on the grid to create your pattern lock, and contrary to popular belief, you can go over the connecting lines several times, creating a hard pattern lock that would not be as easy for people to decipher!

Part 3: Going Beyond Pattern Locks

You might think that now that you have set a hard pattern lock, you are good to go. Hardly. Technology has evolved, so have methods to break into your device.

Step 1: Set a 6-digit PIN

The minimum you should do today is set a 6-digit PIN to unlock your phone. Consider this a necessary investment into the safety of your data residing on your smartphone.

Step 2: Use Fingerprint Recognition (or Face Recognition on Apple Devices)

All modern smartphones released over the last decade have come with fingerprint recognition. Using fingerprint recognition requires you to set a 6-digit PIN and then set a fingerprint to unlock your device. You can set additional fingerprints, too.

This way, your device is the most secure it can be today. In case your fingerprint is not recognized for any reason, the phone falls back on the 6-digit PIN that you can enter and unlock your phone.

While face recognition is available on both Android and Apple devices, it is truly secure only on Apple devices. This is why Apple iPhones released after the iPhone X in 2017 have come only with Face ID. They fall back on a minimum 6-digit PIN (called Passcode in Apple world) to unlock in case the face does not get recognized in the first attempt.

Part 4: How To Unlock Phone If Hard Pattern Lock Forgotten

Just in case you set a hard pattern lock and promptly forgot that abstruse pattern you just set, we have a tool for you to quickly unlock your phone in case of a forgotten hard pattern lock: Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Remove the Hard Pattern Lock on Your Google Pixel 8 Pro If You Forgot!

• Remove all Android screen locks (PIN/pattern/fingerprints/face ID) in minutes.
• Bypass the FRP lock of Samsung without a PIN or Google account.
• Everyone can handle the lock screen without any tech knowledge.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,671 people have downloaded it

Download the latest version of Dr.Fone from the Wondershare website and launch the app.

Step 1: Click Android under Toolbox > Screen Unlock.

Step 2: Click Unlock Android Screen.

Step 3: Select your device manufacturer.

Step 4: Prepare your device to unlock the screen.

When the greyed Next button becomes available, click it and wait for your device to be unlocked.

All data on the Google Pixel 8 Pro device is wiped under this method. Select Samsung phones may be unlocked without data loss. Check this list for devices that may be unlocked without data loss.

Closing Words

Whether it is an easy pattern lock or a hard pattern lock, the fact is that pattern locks are antiquated and a security nightmare. A minimum 6-digit PIN must be used, and using fingerprint recognition is the preferred way to go for Android devices. Using fingerprint recognition will require that users create a 6-digit PIN. On Apple devices launched after 2017, there is Face ID, Apple’s marketing term for face recognition. If you did indeed still set a hard pattern lock, only to promptly forget it, use Wondershare Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock (Android) to seamlessly unlock your phone right now.

The Top 5 Android Apps That Use Fingerprint Sensor to Lock Your Apps On Google Pixel 8 Pro

In addition to passwords and patterns, the fingerprint scanner is one of the hottest features on leading phones of today to lock apps with fingerprint Android. The Fingerprint scanner is the latest fashion in smartphones. You would have observed that with fingerprint scanner going middle-of-the-road, many of the new low-priced phones have also been furnished with this new feature. Although the foremost purpose of the fingerprint scanner is to lock or unlock Your Google Pixel 8 Pro, it can also be utilized to lock and unlock your mobile applications. But not all phones are equipped with this feature. The aforesaid feature is easy to use, quick and smart.

However, if your phone has an inbuilt fingerprint scanner but it does not countenance you to lock the individual apps in your mobile with the fingerprint scanner, you do not need to worry at all! There are some apps that can add this option on your phone. And we are here to suggest you the 5 best options to lock apps with the fingerprint on your Android phones out of the many apps available in the app store! Here we go:

1. AppLock

AppLock is rated as the best one of the apps for locking apps on your Android phone. Once you download this app you will notice that it can lock apps with fingerprint practically on your Android phone. It is also capable of locking photos and videos on your device. The app features are secured when you feel that someone is trying to stealthily look at the mobile while you are unlocking your Android phone. Apart from this, you will also get the option to replace the icon so that you are capable of hiding the app. Now the bonus –You can download and use this app absolutely free for locking the apps on your iPhone or Android apps using the fingerprint.

Features:

• Invisible pattern lock
• A virtual keyboard as security.
• Free application for all iPhone and Android users
• Interactive app features with flexible storage
• Minute versions are updated automatically.

URL for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.domobile.applock&hl=en

Google Rating: 4.4

2. App Locker: Fingerprint & Pin

The subsequent name on the list of best app locks using lock apps with the fingerprint on your Android phone is App Locker. Most of the functions and features of this app are similar to the app lock. This lock apps with fingerprint iPhone have a tricky feature though, want to know? This naughty app, along with the app lock facility (using PIN, password, or fingerprint sensor), can trigger a sham crash screen which will trick the impostors to think that your phone is crashed! Isn’t it interesting? One more thing to interest you – it is also free to download and use.

Features:

• You can lock your galleries, social media apps, message app using a pin.
• The Applock has a feature to take the picture of unknown users if they tried to open up your Android phone.
• You can set up a fake app pattern.
• Possibilities to lock according to time session.
• The lock engine is updated instantly.

URL for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamemalt.applocker&hl=en

Google Rating: 4.5

3. FingerSecurity

The next on the list is FingerSecurity - one of the feature-rich lock apps with fingerprint Android available for free download for your Android phones. You can lock practically any application with the help of FingerSecurity. In addition, it also has the knack to unlock multiple apps on a single go. If you are among those few people who have many locked apps, you are going to like this a lot! But one thing that you cannot negate is that despite the app being locked, the intruders may get a chance to view what is inside through the notifications. But Fingersecurity has an answer to this also – it has added a new notification locking feature!

Features:

• The widgets are equipped with enabling and disable services.
• Settings for the apps are customized.
• Apps are designed to prevent uninstalling.
• Fingerprints are hidden using UI.
• Protection for newly installed apps.

URL for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rickclephas.fingersecurity&hl=en

Google Rating: 4.2

4. Norton Applock

Whenever we have heard the word anti-virus, the first name that comes to our mind is Norton. Norton is a big shot in the field of antivirus apps. Now they have also come up with free lock apps with fingerprint Android. It involves a four digits PIN or password or pattern as its lock system. It also supports icons and photos in conjunction with the apps. The app suggests you with the sanctions list which tells you which apps should be locked. Again the bonus – this is free for download on any Android devices.

Features:

• Gizmo for users who expect a more noninterventionist.
• Take the photo of illegitimate intruders.
• Solid lock apps with fingerprint iPhone.

URL for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.symantec.applock&hl=en

Google Rating: 4.6

Click here

5. Perfect Applock

Perfect App Lock is yet another great lock apps with the fingerprint for Android from the basket of app locks. Like other app locks, this one also features the basics. In addition, it has special features including support for locking Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other buckles. It is a tough one to intrude. It tricks the bye passers-by throwing out fake errors and messages to confuse the intruders. This rather makes the thief think that there is a different issue with the phone excluding the app lock. This lock app with fingerprint Android is also available for free. The free and the paid versions offer the exact same features, except that the paid version is free from advertisements.

Features:

• Multi-windows applications are visualized.
• The sensor will support whenever you unlock apps.
• Free updating and monetizing are available.
• No limitations are applicable.

URL for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.morrison.applocklite&hl=en

Google Rating: 4.5

Apart from the aforesaid apps, there are many lock apps with fingerprint locking method for Android phones; however, these have been selected purely based on user ratings. If you are using the iPhone, you can have some app locks based on fingerprint sensors like 1Password, Scanner Pro, LastPass, or Mint to lock apps with the fingerprint on your iPhone.

Do you know of any other apps which can offer similar or even better features?

Do share them with us!!!

Now since we have told you about the best lock app with a fingerprint for Android that can be used to lock your apps and phone using fingerprint sensors, go ahead downloading one for your device. You can understand the pros and cons by yourself and enjoy the benefits of your downloaded app. You have got the list of five of the best fingerprint scanner apps which are available on the play store. If you have any suggestions you are most welcome to contact us.

Do not forget to share your experiences with the apps mentioned in our article. We are waiting for your response!!!

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