Still Using Pattern Locks with Google Pixel 7a? Tips, Tricks and Helpful Advice

They have been along for a long, long time now – pattern locks – the easiest of all smartphone locks. You just swipe your finger across to create an easy pattern lock of your choosing and that’s it, it becomes your new screen lock. No more remembering tedious digits! So, why have these easy pattern locks become outdated, and why do people still continue to use them? Let’s take a dive and find out all about pattern locks.

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Part I: Things To Know About Pattern Locks

The first cellphone locks were 4-digit number locks. Then came 6-digit codes, and even alphanumeric ones. Pattern locks were all the rage a while ago. Though pattern locks continue to be used, they are not considered safe to use any longer. What is all that about? Here’s what you need to know about pattern locks, whether you are a seasoned pattern lock user or not.

I.I: What Are Pattern Locks?

Believe it or not, technology has advanced at such a rapid pace in the last two decades that you’d be forgiven if you don’t know what a pattern lock is, especially if you have only ever used iPhones, or Android phones in just the last few years.

Pattern locks are patterns you create on your smartphone and designate as a smartphone lock/ screen lock. There is a 9-point keypad of sorts, and you start swiping your finger from any point to any point for any which way you feel like. Android 13 allows a minimum of 4 points registered. They are easy to create, and easy to use, hence called easy pattern locks.

Pattern locks have only ever been offered on Android devices and were commonplace a few years ago until they were deemed not secure enough for use by modern standards because they were easy to figure out by malicious actors.

I.II: Popularity and Usage

Pattern lock is a feature unique to Android and has been so since the start. Naturally, it is one of the preferred ways users have come to unlock their Android devices over the years. Even though modern Android smartphones come with fingerprint recognition and face recognition technologies, there exists a large subset of users still addicted to and acclimatized with the pattern lock feature, opting over fingerprint and face recognition.

There has been, however, research conducted into the safety and security offered by pattern lock in Android.

I.III: Advantages and Drawbacks

Modern smartphones very nearly contain the entirety of our lives; photo memories, video memories, important documents both financial and personal in nature, banking apps, ID and ATM/ credit cards in the “wallet” apps, and whatnot. A smartphone falling into the wrong hands could very nearly be used to devastate the rightful owner, both financially and otherwise. And this is not a claim out of thin air; spyware/ malware/ phishing attacks are on the rise around the world. Locking the smartphone, once considered optional and an unnecessary hassle, is now an absolute must.

Advantages of Pattern Locks

There is no denying that using an easy pattern lock to lock their smartphone seems enough for most users. Swiping your finger across your smartphone to unlock it feels not only cool and futuristic but safer and more secure than remembering and punching in digits. And, for the most part, it is true, given that 4-digit PINs can only have 10,000 unique combinations!

Disadvantages of Pattern Locks

While very easy to use, security researchers and experts have come to agree that the feature is not in the least safe to use, and that is because of how people use the pattern lock feature (discussed in detail below in part II). Some go so far as to say that most pattern locks can be breached in just 5 attempts or less. Imagine that!

What is more, research has found that humans have an uncanny ability to correctly guess a pattern lock simply by viewing the unlocking! The test comprised showing the test subjects videos of users unlocking their phones from different angles and varying distances, and it was found that around 64% of test subjects were able to correctly guess a 6-point pattern lock in one viewing only, and 80% could correctly guess the pattern after just two viewings. By contrast, only 11% were able to correctly deduce a 6-digit PIN after one viewing, and only 27% after viewing twice. This goes to show just how insecure pattern locks are!

Part II: How People Use Pattern Locks

We might wonder how anyone would be able to guess the correct pattern of our device, but believe it or not, it is possible, eerily easily at that! We are all the same humans, after all! You know how people usually set PINs that could be significant dates in their lives? How they get car registration numbers that mean something to them? The same ‘logic’ applies to their setting pattern locks.

At DEFCON 23, Marte Loge, an M.Sc. Computer Science student, presented something that stunned people around the world. She said, “Tell me who you are, and I will tell you your lock pattern.” What followed was an expert presentation outlining and detailing user behaviors around pattern locks.

These are some commonly created pattern locks by people:

• - shapes of alphabets,
• - shapes of numerals,
• - any other easy-to-make, simple shape.

Marte Loge presented the image below, showing how people naturally gravitate towards creating simple shape patterns, in her research.

To further help you see how easy it might be for anyone to guess your pattern, Marte Loge also presented some statistics.

• - 77% of people started their patterns in one of the 4 corners.
• - 44% of Loge’s subjects started their pattern with the first dot, the top-left one. The next number was 15% for the top-right and 14% for the bottom-left.
• - These percentages did not vary much depending on left-handedness or right-handedness.
• - On average, irrespective of gender, people set 5-point patterns, with 4-point patterns being the most common. This means that the number of combinations on average was 7152 for 5-point patterns and a bogglingly low 1624 for 4-point patterns.

The above data makes it amply clear how using an easy pattern lock is actually worse than using a 4-digit PIN, simply because how people are usually using the pattern lock feature.

Part III: Tips For Using More Secure Pattern Locks

Now, we know how hard it is to break habits cemented over years of use, so in case you must at all costs use a pattern lock only, the least you can do is try and change your easy pattern lock to a better, more secure hard pattern lock.

III.I: How to Create More Secure Patterns

Here are some tips to help you create a better, more secure pattern lock for your smartphone.

• - Avoid using any of the corners to start the pattern.
• - Never use your first initial as a pattern.
• - Never use a digit shape as a pattern.
• - You can pass through the same pattern lines multiple times over. This makes it more difficult for someone to guess your pattern correctly.
• - Use all 9 points on the grid while setting the pattern lock! That simple act takes the possible pattern combinations to over 140,000, significantly more than 10,000 for 4-digit PINs, and vastly superior to paltry 1624 for a 4-point easy pattern lock!

III.II: Forgot Your Pattern? Unlock Your Google Pixel 7a Without Pattern Lock With Dr.Fone

Supercharged with the information above, you went ahead and changed your easy pattern lock to a hard-to-guess pattern lock. Only problem is, your brain is habituated to that old pattern, and you’ve suddenly forgotten what the new pattern was! Well, worry not; Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) will help you unlock your phone without pattern lock !

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

The Best Tool to Unlock Your Google Pixel 7a without Pattern Locks!

• 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.

4,008,669 people have downloaded it

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

Step 1: Go to Toolbox > Screen Unlock and click Android.

Step 2: Click Unlock Android Screen.

Step 3: You will see a list of supported manufacturers on the next screen. Select yours.

Step 4: Now, follow the onscreen guide to prepare your device for screen unlocking.

After completing the process, when the Next button becomes available, click it.

Your device will be successfully unlocked.

Note that this method wipes all data on the Google Pixel 7a device. There is no way around it. You may be able to unlock select older Samsung devices without data loss. Check this list for those devices.

Closing Words

Pattern locks are outdated and not safe to use an easy pattern lock – there are no two ways about it. As such, our recommendation is to start using a 6-digit PIN along with biometric or face recognition. However, we do understand that sometimes, you simply cannot use biometrics or face recognition. For those instances, we recommend that you use this guide and create a more secure pattern lock for your device. In case you forgot your pattern, there is always Wondershare Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock (Android) to save the day.

How to Remove a Previously Synced Google Account from Your Google Pixel 7a

The setting up process of a new Android phone requires you to add a Google account that saves all activities and data of the phone like search history, details of online shipping, play store purchases, and more. Once the account is set, it cannot be changed till you delete everything from your phone. Moreover, with the introduction of FRP lock, even a factory reset will not remove the synced Google account.

So, now what if you want to sell your phone or have purchased a second-hand device that is still associated with the previous owner’s Google account? No, worries as there are workarounds available that will help you remove your previously synced google account from your Android device.

Keep reading to know more in detail about how to bypass previously synced google accounts.

Heres a full guide on how to remove google account from android, click to know more!

Part 1: Remove Previously Synced Google Account from Android Phone Without Phone Reset

In this part, we will discuss the methods that can be used for removing the previously synced account from your Android phone without a phone reset.

Method 1: Removing Google Account using the Android Settings Menu

If you just plan to reset your phone, maybe because of the lag caused by the phone cache, and you know the inconvenience of Google FRP as a protection mechanism, then you can remove Google FRP through the Settings menu.

The steps for this method are listed below.

• Step 1: On your Android phone go to the Settings option and choose Accounts & Backup.
• Step 2: Select the Manage Accounts option now and the list of the associated Google Devices will appear.
• Step 3: Choose and click on the Google Account that you want to remove and a pop-up message will appear to inform you that all the account data will be deleted with this action.

To confirm the removal of the account, click on the Remove account button.

Method 2: Remove the Google account from the Android phone using the computer

There is another method using which you can remotely remove the Google account associated with your phone. The steps for the method are listed below.

• Step 1: Using another device or a PC, sign in to your Google account that was previously synced on this device and choose the Security option.
• Step 2: Next scroll down and then tap on the Your devices option and choose to Manage devices.
• Step 3: You will now see the list of devices linked to your Google account. Next, tap on Find a lost or stolen phone and then select the Remove option present next to Account access.
• Step 4: You will be again asked if you want to delete the account. Select the Remove option.
• Step 5: The account will be removed successfully and the confirmation message will appear.

Note: This method will actually sign out you from the Google account and will not delete it permanently. To again get access to the account, a notification will appear on your phone to enter the password.

Part 2: How to Disable Factory Reset Protection to Bypass Google Account Verification After Factory Reset

The Factory Reset Protection (FRP) is a security feature for the Android device that allows factory reset only after the associated Google ID and password are entered correctly. With multiple accounts and passwords to remember there is quite a possibility that you may forget your Android phone Google account details and here the need to bypass Google account verification arises.

Though there are multiple tools available we recommend Dr. Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) as the best and the most reliable option. Using this excellent Windows and Mac-based software, FRP lock on all popular Android devices including Samsung, LG, HTC, and others. The tool is simple to use and requires no technology. There is also an option where you can unlock your device if you do not know the OS version.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Get into Locked Phones within Minutes

• 4 screen lock types are available: pattern, PIN, password & fingerprints.
• Easily remove the lock screen; No need to root your device.
• Everybody can handle it without any technical background.
• Provide specific removal solutions to promise good success rate

4,008,669 people have downloaded it

Steps to remove FRP lock using Dr. Fone-Screen Unlock (Android)

Step 1: Download, install and run the software on your system, and from the main interface choose the Screen Unlock option. Make sure that your phone is connected to WiFi.

Step 2: Next, choose Unlock Android Screen/FRP and then select the Remove Google FRP Lock option.

Step 3: Next, choose the OS version of your device from the given options, and then using a USB cable, connect your phone to your system.

Step 4: After the Google Pixel 7a device is connected, the Google Pixel 7a device information will appear on the software for you to confirm and the notification for the same will be sent to your Android phone.

Step 5: Now follow the notifications for removing the FRP lock and in the browser enter drfonetoolkit.com.

Step 6: Next, click on the Android 6/9/10 button, choose Open Settings and select the PIN option to set a PIN to be used in the further steps.

Step 7: Keep following the steps as they appear till you reach the Google Account Sign-In page. Here click on the Skip option that will successfully remove and bypass the Google Account.

The above given are the brief steps for the FRP bypass process. To learn about the entire process in detail, check Dr.Fone-Screen Unlock (Android) guide .

Part 3: Hire a Remote FRP Removal Service to Bypass ZTE/Motorola After Factory Reset

To bypass the FRP lock on your ZTE, Motorola, and Samsung device, there is also an online service called UnlockJunky.com that claims to remove the FRP lock and previously linked account on your Android device within 5-15 minutes. This is a paid service that also claims that if they are unable to remove the lock, they will refund the amount to their customers.

So, if you cannot sign in with a Google account that was previously synced, you can give this, method a try.

Step 1: Open the official service page Unlockjunky on your browser.

Step 2: Next, choose the Google Pixel 7a device’s brand, model, and unlock type from their respective drop-down menus. Click on Unlock Now button after entering the details.

Step 3: Now you need to initiate the order by providing the details asked and completing the payment.

Step 4: Next, the software needs to be downloaded and installed on your system, and using a USB cable, connect your phone to your computer.

Step 5: Connect with one of the support provider members through the live chat and they will help you remove the FRP lock on your Android phone.

With the steps above, you can remove the account previously synced on this device.

Limitations of using the Unlockjunky method:

• This is a paid service.
• Works only with Motorola, ZTE, and Samsung devices.
• There is no surety that the service will work for removing the FRP lock on your devices.
• If you have to remove the FRP lock from multiple devices, a separate payment for each device has to be done.

Conclusion

Above we have listed several ways to remove a previously synced Google account on your Android device. The best of all the listed solutions is Dr. Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) as it supports bypassing FRP lock on multiple Android devices in a hassle-free manner. Once the license is purchased, you can unlock as many numbers of devices as you want without any worries.

How to Unlock Google Pixel 7a Bootloader Easily

Do you want to unleash the true power of your smart phone? Do you wish to have complete control over your smart phone? If yes, well, here is the answer; unlock bootloader. For people who are already into the tricks of hacking and rooting smart phones, might be aware of this. But still, there are exciting new developments. Bootloader is a code existing in all operating systems which usually comes pre-locked. So, it is important, if you wish to have a custom ROM installed on the Google Pixel 7a device, or if you wish to have other controls like installing applications which are incompatible, to have the Google Pixel 7a device bootloader unlocked. But going through with the process of unlocking bootloader and rooting the Google Pixel 7a device will not help and rather might break the warranty of the Google Pixel 7a device. This definitely calls for a diligent watch on how to unlock HTC bootloader. So, it is imperative as a user to know the process of HTC bootloader unlock. This article serves you with some ways you could follow to unleash the true power of your HTC device. Here’s how you can do it.

Part 1: Why We Want to Unlock HTC Bootloader

For people with HTC device, unlocking bootloader would mean complete authority over the smart phone and you have all the power to control the HTC device by all means. Since, bootloader usually comes pre-locked, unlocking the bootloader is the initial step if you would like to have a custom ROM installed in your device. There are various advantages of HTC unlock starting from gaining rights of control to installing latest custom ROMs in the phone and installing incompatible applications. Moreover, HTC unlock bootloader could boost the Google Pixel 7a device speed and battery life and also help in making complete backups of the Google Pixel 7a device. You could also have controls to remove bloatware from the HTC device. So, all in all, while there could be certain side effects, if not done properly, there are various advantages of unlocking HTC bootloader. If the process is carried out properly, the Android device could be the perfect smart phone you would like to have.

Part 2: How to Unlock Google Pixel 7a Bootloader

Google Pixel 7a is the flagship device of HTC by all means. With a world of features and offerings, Google Pixel 7a truly is a beast. While the phone is very powerful without any modifications, the true potential is yet to be seen and that can only be done if the bootloader is unlocked. So, to have a complete control over the Google Pixel 7a device, it is important to unlock the bootloader and the process has to be carried out diligently. One of the initial things that needs to be ensured is that the Google Pixel 7a device is fully charged or atleast 80% mark. Make sure you have the fastboot drivers for the Google Pixel 7a device configured on the windows machine and the Android SDK. Here are some of the steps which can be followed to unlock bootloader.

Step 1: It is always very important to keep the phone data backed up and more so when you are planning to unlock the bootloader.

As one of the initial measures, backup the Google Pixel 7a device completely as bootloader unlocking process will wipe all the data off. So, backup all the data like photos, contacts, multimedia files, documents, etc.

Step 2: Go to htcdev.com/bootloader. Ensure that you are registered with HTC and once the sign up is done, log in to HTC dev.

Now, ensure that HTC Sync Manager is installed on the PC.

Step 3: From the bootloader page, select your device using the drop down option as shown in the picture below.

After selecting the Google Pixel 7a device, click on “Begin Unlock Bootloader”, and then confirm all the dialogue boxes which come your way on screen.

Step 4: Now, you will be presented with four steps to put the Google Pixel 7a device in bootloader mode. Disconnect the Google Pixel 7a device from the PC and turn the Google Pixel 7a device off completely. Press the volume down button along with the power button to switch the Google Pixel 7a device on in bootloader mode.

Step 5: Use the volume keys of the Google Pixel 7a device to select Fastboot option along with pressing power button to confirm, after the Google Pixel 7a device is in bootloader mode. Now, connect the Google Pixel 7a device to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 6: Go to Fastboot folder on the PC and holding down the shift key, click on any empty space followed by a click on “Open command window here”.

Step 7: In the command prompt window, type “fastboot devices” and press enter. Google Pixel 7a will show up in the command prompt.

Note: The drivers have to be installed correctly to see the Google Pixel 7a device in the command prompt. So, if the Google Pixel 7a device does not show up, reinstall HTC Sync Manager and try again after restarting the computer.

Step 8: On HTC Dev’s website third page, click on “proceed to Step 9”. Follow the steps listed and then click on submit. The unlock token code for the Google Pixel 7a device will be mailed by HTC. Download the token and name it “Unlock_code.bin” and place the token in the fastboot folder.

Step 9: Now, in the command prompt window, type the following:

fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

Step 10: On the Google Pixel 7a , one message will appear asking if you want to unlock the Google Pixel 7a device bootloader.

Use volume keys to select and power button to confirm. Once this is done, the Google Pixel 7a device will restart once and it’s done. The device is now bootloader unlocked.

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