Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Infinix Smart 8 Plus 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 Infinix Smart 8 Plus 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 Infinix Smart 8 Plus 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.

6 Solutions to Unlock Infinix Phones If You Forgot Password, PIN, Pattern

Too many times, we forget the passcode of our smartphones, only to regret it later. Don’t worry if you are facing the same issue. It happens to all of us at times. Fortunately, there are many ways to unlock an Android device even when you have forgotten its password/pin/pattern lock. This guide will teach you how to unlock Infinix phones if you forgot the password in five different ways. Read on and choose your preferred option if you forgot the password on your Infinix phone and move past every setback you face.

Solution 1: Unlock Infinix Phone using Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (5 mins solution)

Among all the solutions we are going to introduce in this article, this is the easiest one. Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) can help you remove the lock screen of some Infinix and Samsung devices without any data loss. After the lock screen is removed, the phone will work like it’s never been locked before, and all your data are there. Besides, you can use this tool to bypass the passcode on other Android phones, such as Huawei, Lenovo, Oneplus, etc. The only defect of Dr.Fone is that it will erase all the data beyond Samsung and Infinix after unlocking.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Get into the Locked Infinix Phone within Minutes

• Available for most Infinix series, like LG/LG2/LG3/G4, etc.
• Except for Infinix phones, it unlocks 20,000+ models of Android phones & tablets.
• Everybody can handle it without any technical background.
• Offer customized removal solutions to promise good success rate.

4,008,669 people have downloaded it

How to unlock an Infinix phone with Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)?

Step 1. Launch Dr.Fone.

Download Dr.Fone from the download buttons above. Install and launch it on your computer. Then select the “Screen Unlock“ function.

Step 2. Connect your phone.

Connect your Infinix phone to the computer using a USB cable. Click on Unlock Android Screen on Dr.Fone.

Step 3. Select the phone model.

Currently, Dr.Fone supports removing lock screens on some Infinix and Samsung devices without data loss. Select the correct phone model information from the dropdown list.

Step 4. Boot the phone in download mode.

• Disconnect your Infinix phone and power it off.
• Press the Power Up button. While you are holding the Power Up button, plug in the USB cable.
• Keep pressing the Power Up button until the Download Mode appears.

Step 5. Remove the lock screen.

After your phone boot in download mode, click on Remove to start to remove the lock screen. This process only takes a few minutes. Then your phone will restart in normal mode without any lock screen.

For more detailed steps, please go to our guide on unlocking Android phones with/without data loss .

Solution 2: Unlock the Infinix Phone Using Android Device Manager (Need a Google account)

This is probably the most convenient solution to set up a new lock for your Infinix device. With Android Device Manager, you can locate your device, ring it, erase its data, and even change its lock remotely. All you got to do is log in to the Infinix Smart 8 Plus device Manager account using the credentials of your Google Account. Needless to say, your Infinix phone should be linked to your Google Account. Learn how to unlock the Infinix phone if forgot your password using Android Device Manager.

• Step 1. Start by logging in to Android Device Manager by entering the credentials of your respective Google Account that is configured with your phone.

• Step 2. Select your device’s icon to get access to various features like ring, lock, erase, and more. Out of all the provided options, click on “lock” to change the security lock of your device.

• Step 3. Now, a new pop-up window will open. Here, provide the new password for your device, confirm it, and click on the “lock” button again to save these changes.

That’s it! Your phone will reset its password, and you would be able to move past any problem related to forgetting the password on the Infinix phone using Android Device Manager unlock .

Solution 3: Unlock the Infinix Phone Using Google Login (only Android 4.4 and below)

If your Infinix device runs on Android 4.4 and previous versions, then you can easily move past the password/pattern lock without any trouble. The provision is not available on devices, which run on newer versions of Android. Nevertheless, for all the Infinix Smart 8 Plus devices running on older versions than Android 4.4, this is undoubtedly the easiest way to set a new passcode. Follow these steps to learn how to unlock your Infinix phone if you forgot your password using your Google credentials.

• Step 1. Try bypassing the pattern lock at least 5 times. After all the failed attempts, you will get the option to either make an emergency call or choose the option of “Forget pattern”.

• Step 2. Select the “Forget pattern” option and provide the correct credentials of your Google account to unlock your phone.

Solution 4: Unlock the Infinix Phone Using Custom Recovery (SD card needed)

If your phone has a removable SD card, you can also try this technique to disable the pattern/password on your device. Though, you need to have some custom recovery installed on your device for this method. You can always go for TWRP (Team Win Recovery Project) and flash it on your device.

TWRP: https://twrp.me/

Also, since you can’t move anything to your device when it is locked, you need to do the same using its SD card. After ensuring that you have met all the basic prerequisites, follow these steps and learn how to unlock the Infinix phone’s forgotten password using a custom recovery.

• Step 1. Download a Pattern Password Disable application and save its ZIP file on your computer. Now, insert your SD card into your system and move the recently downloaded file to it.

• Step 2. Reboot your phone into recovery mode. For instance, the TWRP recovery mode can be turned on by simultaneously pressing the Power, Home, and Volume Up button. You would get different options on your screen after entering the custom recovery mode. Tap on “Install” and browse the Pattern Password Disable application file.

• Step 3. Install the above-mentioned application and wait for a few minutes. Afterward, restart your Infinix phone. Ideally, your phone will be restarted without any lock screen. If you get a lock screen, you can bypass it by entering any random digits.

Solution 5: Factory Reset Infinix Phone in Recovery Mode (erases all phone data)

If none of the above-mentioned alternatives work, then you can also try to factory reset your device. This will erase every kind of data from your device and make it look brand new by resetting it. Though, you can easily resolve the forgot password on the Infinix phone with it. Therefore, before proceeding, you need to be familiar with all the repercussions of performing a factory reset. All you got to do is follow these steps.

• Step 1. Put your Infinix phone on its recovery mode with correct key combinations. To do this, firstly, turn your device off and let it rest for a few seconds. Now, press the Power and Volume Down key at the same time. Keep pressing them until you see LG’s logo on the screen. Release the buttons for a few seconds and press them again at the same time. Again, keep pressing the buttons until you see the recovery mode menu. This technique works with most Infinix devices, but it can differ slightly from one model to another.

• Step 2. Choose “Wipe Data/Factory Reset.” You can use the Volume up and down key to navigate the options and the power/home key to select anything. Use these keys and select the “Wipe Data/Factory Reset” option. You might get another pop-up asking to delete all user data. Just agree it reset your device. Sit back and relax as your device will perform a hard reset.

• Step 3. Select the “Reboot system now” option to restart it. Your phone will be restarted without any lock screen.

After following these steps, you can easily overcome how to unlock the Infinix phone forgot password issue.

Solution 6: Unlock Infinix Phone Using ADB Command (need USB debugging enabled)

This might be a little complicated initially, but if you don’t want to follow either of the above-mentioned techniques to unlock your device, you can go with this alternative. Before proceeding, make sure that you have ADB (Android Debug Bridge) installed on your computer. If you don’t have it, then you can download Android SDK right here .

Additionally, it would help if you turned on the USB Debugging feature on your phone before you forgot the password. If USB debugging is not turned on before, then this method will not work for you.

After making your device ready and downloading all the essential software on your computer, follow these steps to learn how to unlock your Infinix phone if you forgot the password.

• Step 1. Connect your device to the computer with a USB cable and open the command prompt when it is successfully connected. If you get a pop-up message regarding USB Debugging permission on your device, simply agree to it and continue.

• Step 2. Now, please provide the following code on the command prompt and reboot your device when it is processed. If you want, you can also tweak the code a little and provide a new lock pin.

• ADB shell

• cd /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases

• _sqlite3 settings._db

• update system set value=0 where name=’lock_pattern_autolock’;

• update system set value=0 where name=’lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently’;

• .quit

• Step 3. If the above code doesn’t work, try providing the code “ADB _shell rm /data/system/gesture. the key_” to it and follow the same drill.

• Step 4. After restarting your device, if you still get a lock screen, then give a random password to bypass it.

Conclusion

You can choose a preferred option and rectify the issue whenever you forgot the password on the Infinix phone . Make sure that you meet all the requirements and go through the respective tutorial to attain fruitful results.

Full Tutorial to Bypass Your Infinix Smart 8 Plus Face Lock?

Your android phone face unlock may be buggy, or the camera may be damaged. It can’t recognize your face. When you try multiple times in such cases, it will lock your device permanently. Are you stuck with a locked phone? And you’re still confused about what just happened. Face unlock may face problems such as

• Face unlock app may be buggy
• Your face unlock settings may be unstable
• Your phone camera or face unlock sensor may be damaged
• Someone else may have registered their face without your permission

Whatever the reason, they are equally big obstacles for you to use your phone as usual; trying to unlock your device can lead to a permanently locked phone. So how do you bypass face unlock?

Follow the guide below to bypass the face unlock settings and choose the best one for yourself.

How To Bypass Android Face Lock by Ourselves?

If you want to bypass face lock by yourself, then different methods can help you. These are all tested and work well.

1. A Picture Possibly Bypasses Face Lock

You can use your photo to manipulate the face lock app. Simply use your photo to unlock the phone, which should work fine. If your phone doesn’t recognize your face from a photo, try again.

If it still doesn’t recognize your face, try a different photo or even change the camera’s lighting settings or the angles to see if that helps.

Anyway, this method is still unstable because of many uncontrollable factors. If everything fails, consider the following methods to bypass the face lock.

2. Hard Reset your phone

To get around the Android lock screen, perform a factory reset. While resetting your phone allows you to set a new password, it also erases all data from your device. This method works like a charm, but it also requires more technical knowledge. To bypass screen lock via factory reset, follow these steps.

Step 1: Turn off your phone and hold the Power and Volume-down buttons simultaneously until the recovery mode screen appears. There are minor variations depending on the brand and model.

Step 2: Select the Wipe data/Factory Reset option using the volume buttons. To confirm the option, press the Power button.

Step 3: Choose Yes > Delete All User Data, then press the power button to continue. When the process is complete, turn on your phone.

So, before facing such awkward cases, like data loss, we suggest you have a backup habit of keeping your data safe.

3. Google Find My Device

Google Find My Device is a service that lets you remotely lock, track, and wipe data from stolen or lost phones. With a Google account and the password, it won’t be complicated to remove any locks on your phone. You can bypass the Android lock screen by following the steps below:

Step 1: Navigate to Find My Device and sign in with your Google account.

Step 2: Your phone receives a notification.

Step 3: Select Erase Device, confirm, and click Erase as a warning pops up on the screen.

Step 4: The factory reset process on your phone begins. When it’s finished, choose My Google Account instead of using your phone as if it were brand new.

Just like the hard reset, after using Google Find My Device, all your data and settings will be erased. Please make everything well prepared before you decide to unlock your device.

Easiest Way to Unlock Your Android Face Recognition Using Dr.Fone-Screen unlock

The methods mentioned above may be hard for you, and you don’t know any technical skills. If you are looking for an easy tool that can face unlocking for you, then Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock is all you need.

Dr.Fone by Wondershare has many useful tools, and Screen Unlock is one of them. It is the easiest and safest method to bypass the Android face lock. It is safe, secure, and easy to use.

The following guide explains how to use Dr.Fone-Screen unlock to bypass the Android face lock.

Step 1: Install and open Dr.Fone on your computer

Step 2: Run Dr.Fone on your PC and select “Screen Unlock” from the tools

Step 3: Select Unlock Android Screen

Please select” Unlock Android Screen” for the rest process.

Step 4: Select device model

Please click the button fitting your phone.

When arriving at this page, we have a lot of options to unlock your device screen for most phone brands, like Samsung, Nokia, LG, OPPO, etc.

Step 5: Enter into Recovery Mode

Here are examples of Samsung phones via its Recovery Mode to unlock your Android device screen.

(Recovery Mode When the Samsung phone with Bixby)

(Recovery Mode When the Samsung phone without Bixby)

(Recovery Mode When the Samsung phone with Home button)

Step 6: Instructions to Wipe Cache Partition

This step in Recovery Mode is the most important to unlock your screen. Please click the buttons as instruction.

Now you can see your device is unlocked successfully

Conclusion

There are various methods to bypass Android face lock, but Dr.Fone-Screen Unlock is the easiest and safest method. Dr.Fone offers Screen Unlock and many other handy tools to help you recover, remove and unlock your Android phone without geeky knowledge. Dr.Fone-Screen Unlock is a step-by-step process, and you do not need to do anything; Dr.Fone will do all you want to do on your phone!