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

Lock Your Infinix Smart 8 HD 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

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 Infinix Smart 8 HD 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.

How To Easily Unlock Infinix Screen?

If you’ve ever had a Infinix phone, then you know that their screens are locked by default. It can be a pain if you want to access your messages or change your background image quickly. If you just set your Infinix password, screen lock code, pattern lock, or PIN last night or a few days ago, you are most likely to forget it.

The result is that you have locked out of your phone, and you have to reset your device’s password. But fortunately, there’s an easy way to unlock your Infinix screen without entering any passwords. You can have your phone up and running in a few simple steps without contacting customer service.

So don’t wait any longer - read on for instructions on how to unlock the Infinix phone pin code.

Let’s get started!

4 Easy Ways To Unlock Infinix Screen

Like most people, you probably lock your Infinix phone as soon as you turn it on. It’s a good way to keep your phone safe from prying eyes and accidental button presses. But what happens when you forget your phone’s passcode? Or worse, what if your phone gets locked by a malicious app?

There are a few different ways to unlock your Infinix phone. We’ll show you how to do it.

Method 1. Google Find My Device (Without Password/Pin/Pattern)

If you’re like me, you’ve probably tried a million different ways to unlock your Infinix phone, only to be frustrated by the results. Luckily, there’s an easy way to unlock your Infinix phone using Google’s Find My Device feature.

Google will use your location, phone information, and connection log to find your Nokia.

Follow these steps to unlock the Infinix lock screen password without losing data:

• Step 1: Sign into your Google account and navigate the Find My Device website.

• Step 2: Sign in with your Google account, which you used on your locked Infinix phone.
• Step 3: The Android Device Manager dashboard will show your locked Infinix with three options: Ring, Lock, and Erase.
• Step 4: Simply click on “Lock”.
• Step 5: Enter a password that is not your Google account password in the “New Password” field.
• Step 6: Type the new password in the “Confirm password” field. This password lock will replace the current lock screen.
• Step 7: You can leave the “Recovery message” field empty or type anything in it.
• Step 8: Enter another phone number in the “Phone number” field, although this is optional.
• Step 9: Choose “Lock” after entering your password and filling out the optional fields if you wish.
• Step 10: If the process is successful, you will receive the unlock code within a few seconds.
• Step 11: Navigate to the “Screen Settings” menu after unlocking your device.
• Step 12: Use a new password; you can use the temporary password if you want.

You can use it to unlock your Infinix if you have activated the Android Device Manager or Google Find My Device before your phone was locked.

A few conditions, however, must be met for this to work

• You must turn on your Infinix phone.
• Before locking your phone, you must activate Google Find My Device or Android Device Manager.
• You must have your Infinix GPS turned on to use it.
• You must be connected to WiFi on your device to log into your Google account.
• Your phone needs to be set to location.

Method 2. Unlock Infinix Lock Screen With Hard Reset

If you perform a hard reset on your Infinix lock screen, all data, and user information will be erased, including your screen lock, password, pattern lock, and PIN.

Follow the steps below if you want to know how to unlock the Infinix phone keypad with the hard reset, follow the steps below.

• Step 1: Turn off your Infinix phone.
• Step 2: Press the “Volume down” and “Power key” buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
• Step 3: Press the “Volume Up” and “Power” buttons for a few additional seconds once the screen darkens.
• Step 4: Release all buttons and keys if you did step 3 correctly. Once you release all buttons, you’ll see a dark screen with options.
• Step 5: Choose “Wipe data/factory reset” from the menu, using “Volume Up” to scroll up, “Volume Down” to scroll down, and “Power” to select.
• Step 6: From the Android Recovery screen, select the “Yes” option by pressing the “Volume Down” button and the “Power” key.
• Step 7: With the “Power” key, select “Reboot system now” from the next display.

Your Infinix is now password, pattern lock, screen lock, and PIN-free after a hard reset.

Method 3. Unlock With Answer Security Questions

You can reset the Infinix pattern lock using Google security questions without losing data.

Follow the steps below on how to unlock the Infinix phone pin code:

• Step 1: Power on your Nokia.
• Step 2: Press “Forgot pattern” several times until you see “Forgot password”.
• Step 3: Click on “Forgot pattern” to access the unlock screen.
• Step 4: Enter your Google account details or answer questions to unlock the screen. Select “Answer question”.
• Step 5: Enter your exact security answers and tap the “Unlock” button.
• Step 6: Choose “YES” from the “YES” or “NO” menu, and the password field will appear.
• Step 7: Change your password or PIN.
• Step 8: You will see your Infinix unlocked soon.

Method 4. Unlock the Keypad With a Security Code

You could reset your Infinix lock screen phone using the default security code, even if you haven’t set any security code. Here’s how to quickly unlock the Infinix lock screen security code.

• Step 1: Shut down your device.
• Step 2: Press these buttons in the following sequence on a classic phone.

Call button (green button) + Asterisk key (*) + Three (3)

• Step 3: Your screen displays a Formatting message when you press these keys.
• Step 4: Wait for the formatting to complete before releasing the keys.

o 12345.

Conclusion

If you have a classic-style keypad phone or an Android device, unlocking a locked Infinix phone keypad is not easy. However, we believe that every problem has a solution. You can unlock Infinix Android phones using any of the methods listed above.

Tips: Wondershare Dr.Fone is a tool that helps you keep your important data safe. It can back up all the important information on your Infinix phone, like photos, music, videos, contacts, and more and is compatible with over 8000 Android devices. The backup process is easy and only takes a few clicks. You can also restore your backup to any device you want, and choose which data you want to restore. This is a great way to make sure you never lose your important Infinix data!