Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your ZTE Axon 40 Lite 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 ZTE Axon 40 Lite 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 ZTE Axon 40 Lite 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.

Full Guide to Unlock Your ZTE Axon 40 Lite

Yesterday my kid was using YouTube on my ZTE Axon 40 Lite to help solve an assignment. However, it wouldn’t take the ZTE Axon 40 Lite pattern unlock when I tried opening the phone. Maybe the kid has accidentally changed the lock, but I don’t know what to do. Please help me.

This article is for you if you have been locked out of your ZTE phone. Many individuals fail to remember their password or change it accidentally. However, it is not a big deal now. We’ll talk about the best ZTE Axon 40 Lite password unlock tool today.

There are multiple ways to unlock your locked ZTE device. All the solutions mentioned here are effective and work 99% of the time. However, we suggest you use Dr.Fone. Dr.Fone is expert software to answer all your Android needs. It is safe, secure, and free of data loss.

Part 1: 3 Easy Ways to Remove Your ZTE Axon 40 Lite Lock

1. Google Find My Device

Google Find My Device is an inbuilt feature in ZTE phones to unlock your phone through Google accounts. You can utilize it to unlock the ZTE screen lock. However, you need to know that you will lose all your files on the ZTE phone after the ZTE Axon 40 Lite password unlocks. Therefore, make sure to back up your data before proceeding with the following steps:

• Ensure your locked ZTE phone is connected to your Google account and WiFi/Data. Then open the Find My Device site on a PC, and sign in with your phone’s Google account.
• Kindly select your device, and tap the “Erase Device” option.
• Type your Google account credentials once more. Then, click the “Erase” symbol to begin the unlocking system. That will remove the pattern lock from your OPPO, and you can open it without effort.

2. Answer Security Questions

This method is for you if you have set security questions while making your Google ID. By addressing those questions, you can unlock the ZTE Axon 40 Lite screen lock. In any case, this way is invalid on some old Android phones.

To unlock this way, you need to press the Forgot Password option. If you can’t see the “Forgot Pattern/Password button on your phone, follow these steps:

• Try unlocking your ZTE smartphone with some wrong patterns a few times. Then you will see the “Forgot Pattern” symbol on the screen and tap it.
• Select the “Answer question” option to get to your security questions. Then, at that point, answer each of them correctly.

• It will automatically unlock your device if you answer all questions accurately. Then, it will expect you to set another screen lock for your OPPO. Therefore, keep the new PIN to yourself.

3. Hard Reset

If you wouldn’t worry about losing your user data, you can attempt this unlock method for your ZTE Axon 40 Lite. You won’t require any account or applications. It requires you to have sufficient battery life. It is simple. So let’s see how it is done.

• Check whether the battery percentage is over half. Then power off your ZTE phone by holding the “Side/Power” key for around 10 seconds.
• Press and hold the “Volume Down” and “Side/Power” buttons till the ZTE logo appears on display. Then, at that point, your phone is in recovery mode.
• Utilize the volume keys to pick the “Wipe Data/Factory Reset” choice, and press the “Side/Power” button to select it. Then, at that point, pick “Yes” to go on. You can reboot your ZTE after the reset is finished, and the lock will be no more.

Part 2: The Efficient Tool for Your ZTE Axon 40 Lite Unlock

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) offers a wonderful tool that works to unlock ZTE devices rapidly. This lock screen remover tool can unlock your phone from every five locks: PIN, passcode, face lock, pattern, or fingerprint in only a couple of basic steps. It works with all the ZTE models hassle-free. So, download it right away for a safe unlocking experience. Here’s how you can use it:

Step 1. Start your hard reset from Dr.Fone

Make your ZTE Axon 40 Lite phone connected to the PC through a USB cable. Then, at that point, click “Screen Unlock” > “Android” on the program.

Step 2. Select Unlock Android Screen

When you arrive at this page, please choose the button “Unlock Android Screen”.

Step 3. Select device brand

We’ll offer you a phone brands list, almost all Android devices are here, for example, Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Lenovo, LG, etc. Then Select ZTE to continue.

Step 4. Unlock your ZTE Axon 40 Lite now

The following steps are the key to unlocking your ZTE device. Attention! The unlock process will also wipe your data!

Great! Now the unlocking progress is done, and you can use your phone without entering password.

Bonus Tips: The Importance of Backing Up Your Android Data Regularly

The data loss on your Android phone or tablet can be extremely unpleasant. Subsequently, it’s suggested that you back up your Android phone or tablet consistently. It will keep you from losing your data. As an expert application, Dr.Fone Backup and Restore (Android) can help back up a wide range of data and settings on Android. In the meantime, it lets you review and restore the backup documents to another phone. Here’s how:

• Open the Dr.Fone software on your computer, and connect your phone to the PC through a USB connector and click OK. Then select the “Back up device” option.

• Tap the Backup option to begin the process.

• The process will require some time.
• After it is done, you can see where the backup is stored by clicking on the “View BackupS” option.

Conclusion

All the best ZTE Axon 40 Lite password unlock tools are displayed above. They are helpful, dependable and safe to use. However, if you need the easiest tools, you must pick the Android Screen Unlock program. In this case, the Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) can unlock your ZTE phone without any issue. Therefore, we strongly suggest you use Dr.Fone for backup and unlock your device.

Full Tutorial to Bypass Your ZTE Axon 40 Lite 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.

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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!