Still Using Pattern Locks with Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G? 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 So, why have these easy pattern locks become outdated, and why do people still continue to use them?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.

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 Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G 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 Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G 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 Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G 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 Lock Apps on Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G to Protect Your Individual Information

If you are not a fan of having to go through the process of getting through a pattern or password every time you want to use your phone, the good news is that you don’t have to. There are really just a few Apps on your Android device that have sensitive information you don’t want others getting access to. It would really be great if you could lock those apps individually as opposed to locking the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G device as a whole.

Well, in light of helping you out, this article will address just how you can lock Apps on your device and not have to type in a code every time you want to use the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G device.

Part 1. Why you need to Lock Apps on Android?

Before we get down to the business of locking some of your Apps, let’s look at some of the reasons why you would want to lock certain apps.

• You may simply want better access on your device. Locking certain apps will allow you to easily access the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G device and use it without having to remember passwords and patterns.
• If you are a person who is not good at remembering passwords or patterns, simply locking certain apps will help you not get locked out of your entire device which can cause a lot of problems.
• If your device is used by more than one person, locking certain apps will keep the other users out of information you would rather they didn’t access.
• If you have children, you can eliminate the many accidental in-app purchases by locking the apps your children shouldn’t be on.
• Locking apps is also a good way to keep children from content they shouldn’t be accessing.

Part 2. How to Lock Apps in Android

There is always a good reason to Lock Apps on your device and we have two easy and effective methods you can use to do this. Choose the one that you are most comfortable with.

Method One: Using Smart App Protector

Smart App Protector is a freeware that allows you to lock specified applications.

Step 1: Download and Install Smart App Protector from the Google Play Store and Launch it. You may be required to install a helper application for Smart App Protector. This helper will ensure that the many App services running on your device will not be killed by third party apps.

Step 2: The default password 7777 but you can change this in the Password & Pattern Settings.

Step 3: The next step is to add apps to the Smart App Protector. Open the Running Tab on Smart Protector and tap on the “Add” button.

Step 3: Next, select the apps you would like to protect from the pop up list. Tap on the “Add” button once you have chosen your Apps.

Step 4: Now close the app and the Apps chosen will now be password protected.

Method 2: Using Hexlock

Step 1: Download Hexlock from the Google Play Store. Once it is installed, open it. You will be required to enter a pattern or PIN. This is the lock code that you will use every time you open the app.

Step 2: Once the PIN or Password is set, you are now ready to lock apps. You can create multiple lists of Apps to be locked ba_x_sed on your different needs. As an example, we have chosen the Work panel. Tap on “Start Locking Apps” to start.

Step 3: You will see a list of Apps to choose from.  Choose the Apps you wish to lock and then Tap the down arrow in the upper left when you are done.

You can then Swipe to the left to move to other lists such as “Home” and proceed to lock apps in this group as well.

Part 3. 6 Private Apps that you should lock on your Android

There are certain apps that may require to be locked more than others. Of course the choice of which apps you should lock will depend on your own uses and preferences. The following are some of the apps you would like to lock for one reason or another.

1. The Messaging App

This is the application that allows you to send and receive messages. You may want to lock this app if you use your device to send messages of a sensitive nature that you would rather keep private. You may also want to lock this app if your device is used by more than one person and you don’t want other users reading your messages.

2. Email App

Most people use individual email applications such as Yahoo Mail App or Gmail. This is another critical one if you are going to protect your work emails. You may want to lock the email app if your work emails are sensitive in nature and contain information that is not for all individuals.

3. Google Play Services

This is the application that allows you to download and install applications to your device. You may want to lock this one if you are trying to prevent other users from downloading and installing further apps to your device. This is especially valuable if your device is utilized by children.

4. Gallery App

The Gallery app displays all the images on your device. The main reason you may want to lock the Gallery app may be because you have sensitive images that are not suitable for all viewers. Again this is ideal if children make use of your device and you have images that you would rather they didn’t see.

5. Music Pla_x_yer App

This is the Application that you use to play the music on your device. You may want to lock it if you don’t want anyone else making changes to your saved audio files and playlists or don’t want someone listening to your audio files.

6. File Manager App

This is the App that displays all of the files that are saved on your device. It is the ultimate app to lock if you have sensitive information on your device that you would rather not share. Locking this app will ensure that all of the files on your device will remain safe from prying eyes.

Having the ability to lock your Apps is an easy way to keep information out of the limelight. It also allows you to take full control of your device. Try it, it might just be freeing as opposed to locking your entire device.

How Can We Unlock Our Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G Phone Screen?

A phone lock acts as your Android phone’s shield against unauthorized users. Some users have new security features, such as fingerprint impression unlocks for an Android lock screen.

However, certain people like to create a PIN and password on their Google account as their Android screen lock. It tends to be distressing and tedious when you fail to remember the code of your Android phone. Surprisingly, being fully locked out of your device is awful. Also, it can be hard at first to unlock your Android.

Anyway, no one can escape such a situation. Yet, sit back and relax! We know several techniques on the best way to unlock your phone and set a screen lock. You can attempt software like Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock for Android to assist you with unlocking your phone in a couple of steps. Besides this, there are various other ways.

Part 1: What Is Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G Phone Lock System?

There are three types of standard lock types available for Android. You can set a PIN/password, fingerprint, or a pattern as your phone lock. All have their pros and cons. However, everyone should select the ideal one based on their liking and ease of use.

Once you decide on the phone lock type, you can enable or disable them from the Security tab in your Android phone’s settings. After you set a screen lock, your Android will require it every time you try to open your device.

Here you will see how to set up a screen lock on your Android device:

Part 2: Quickly Unlock Your Screen By Dr.Fone

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock

For a quick, easy, and hassle-free unlocking experience, we suggest you download Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock. Dr.Fone not only unlocks your phone but keeps your data secured during the process. It has a simple interface, and even an amateur can use it to unlock their device.

So, look no further if you want to remove your Android screen lock in just a few clicks. Install Dr.Fone and enjoy using your device again.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

The Best Tool to unlock Android Phone Screen!

• 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 success rate.

4,008,672 people have downloaded it

Step 1. Open Dr.Fone on your PC and select the “Screen Unlock” tool.

Step 2. Select Unlock Android Screen

This is the page to start your unlock process with two options here, please select” Unlock Android Screen” to unlock your device screen.

Step 3. Select device model

For most Brands, it should be “100% Remove Screen Lock”. These two solutions unlock screens for almost all Android devices, for example, Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Lenovo, LG, etc.

In the supported device brands list, please find the right one for you.

Step 4. Enter into Recovery Mode

Before unlocking your device screen, the instructions below are here to help you to get into Recovery Mode. We take 3 Samsung phones as an example.

Get into Recovery Mode on Samsung phone with Bixby:

Get into Recovery Mode on Samsung phone without Bixby:

Get into Recovery Mode in Samsung phone with Home Button:

Step 5. Instructions to Wipe Cache Partition

During the steps in Recovery Mode, please don’t pick the wrong choices!

You’re now able to access your Android device again when the whole process is over. And you no longer need a password or pattern!

Part 3: Solutions to Unlock Android Screen

1. Google Find My Device

Step 1: Open the “Find my Device” webpage from a browser on your PC.

Step 2: Click “Erase my device,” which you will see on the left half of your screen. After affirming the Delete capability, your phone will boot into recovery and begin playing out a production line reset. It is difficult to stop or drop on your android gadget when you endorse this activity. Regardless of whether you shut down your Android phone - the reboot will continue on startup.

2. Recovery Mode

Depending on your phone, the steps for this process might vary a little. Most phones will allow you to reset by getting to the recovery mode. Follow the steps below to remove the Android screen lock:

Step 1: Turn on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G device and enter the boot menu. If you want to know how to do so, you can do a speed search on the internet.

Step 2: Access the safe mode, use the volume keys to navigate, and press the Power key to click.

Step 3: Search for the Wipe Data option and select it.

After that, your Android will start the process, which can require a few minutes. However, this process will erase all your user data.

3. Use ADB

This method is very confusing, so follow the steps cautiously on your Android phone to remove the phone lock. With your phone connected to your PC, and the cmd open, type the accompanying commands altogether:

• adb shell
• disc/data/data.com.android.providers.settings/databases
• sqlite3 settings.db
• update system set value=0 where name=’lock_pattern_autoblock’;
• update system set value=0 where name=’lockscreen.lockedoutpermanently’;
• .quit

After you’ve finished this, reboot your Android phone. If this doesn’t reset your lock screen, proceed to the following stage.

With your Android phone connected and the cmd opens, enter:

• abd shell rm/data/system/gesture.key

After entering, reboot your phone once more.

4. Boot into Safe Mode

Step 1: For most phones and your Android, you can do this by opening the power menu and holding the “Power Off.” A message will spring up on your screen, asking whether you might want to Reboot to Safe Mode. Press Ok.

Step 2: Clear data from your lock screen application, uninstall and reboot your phone to escape the Safe mode. When you do so, your Android screen lock will unlock.

5. Crash Lock Screen

This strategy to sidestep a locked screen is only a crisis workaround for the phones in this classification.

• Enter ten asterisks (*) through the dialer application.

• Copy and paste asterisks on the dialer until the “Paste” choice no longer appears.
• Get back to the lock screen and tap on the camera symbol.
• Go to the settings on your Android after pulling down the notifications bar. Now you will have the chance to enter the password, and you must continue the same thing here. Continue to paste until the Android lock screen crashes.

Conclusion

Passwords shield our phones from unapproved access, yet we get locked out unexpectedly on our phone lock. Failing to remember your PIN can be irritating. However, we can assist you in reaccessing your locked phone without a factory reset by using Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock. Dr.Fone is an expert in solving such problems in just a few minutes. So download this expert tool immediately for a quick solution.

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