Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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.

How to Unlock Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra device, or if you wish to have other controls like installing applications which are incompatible, to have the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device bootloader unlocked. But going through with the process of unlocking bootloader and rooting the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device will not help and rather might break the warranty of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra device speed and battery life and also help in making complete backups of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra Bootloader

Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the flagship device of HTC by all means. With a world of features and offerings, Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra device is fully charged or atleast 80% mark. Make sure you have the fastboot drivers for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra device in bootloader mode. Disconnect the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device from the PC and turn the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device off completely. Press the volume down button along with the power button to switch the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device on in bootloader mode.

Step 5: Use the volume keys of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device to select Fastboot option along with pressing power button to confirm, after the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device is in bootloader mode. Now, connect the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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. Xiaomi 13 Ultra will show up in the command prompt.

Note: The drivers have to be installed correctly to see the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device in the command prompt. So, if the Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra , one message will appear asking if you want to unlock the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device bootloader.

Use volume keys to select and power button to confirm. Once this is done, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra device will restart once and it’s done. The device is now bootloader unlocked.

6 Solutions to Unlock Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi phones if you forgot the password in five different ways. Read on and choose your preferred option if you forgot the password on your Xiaomi phone and move past every setback you face.

Solution 1: Unlock Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi after unlocking.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Get into the Locked Xiaomi Phone within Minutes

• Available for most Xiaomi series, like LG/LG2/LG3/G4, etc.
• Except for Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi Phone Using Android Device Manager (Need a Google account)

This is probably the most convenient solution to set up a new lock for your Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra device Manager account using the credentials of your Google Account. Needless to say, your Xiaomi phone should be linked to your Google Account. Learn how to unlock the Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi phone using Android Device Manager unlock .

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

If your Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 13 Ultra 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi phone forgot password issue.

Solution 6: Unlock Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi 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 Xiaomi phone . Make sure that you meet all the requirements and go through the respective tutorial to attain fruitful results.