[GUIDE][HOW-TO]Crack android pattern lock!

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Dislcaimer: this is for educational purposes only,you shall not use this on other people phones without permission under any circumstances,and am not responsable to any misuse of this hack

ok so not long ago i had a problem with a locked android device with a pattern and i managed to unlock it using adb,so here's how in case you were stuck one day with a locked device.

the device needs to have usb debugging enabled in case usb debugging isn't enabled and you have cwm you can run the same instructions from cwm,root is not required (though it will be so better if the device was rooted)

this was tested on:gingerbread,ice cream sandwich and jelly bean.

both method are through adb.

method 1:

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

-AND/OR-

method 2:

adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key

and that's a video showing how method 2 is done (thanks to melvinchng) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVJ7T...layer_embedded

you can try both of them,here is how i managed to remove the lock:
1- run the first method.
2-reboot
3-run the second method
4-reboot

NOTES:
-in the first method each line is a seperate command so click enter after typing each line.
-in the second method type all the command and then press enter.
-after running both methods and rebooting you may see the pattern lock,that doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't work,just try any random pattern and it may unlock then remove the pattern from settings.
-this may and may not work,it may work on some devices and don't on others,so all you can do is trying it but i can't assure it will work.
a small donation would be much appreciated thank (check my signature)

But What if i remember the password well enough, but didnt have data enabled the moment it got locked?

Explained elaborately here>>>http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...php?p=29963687

It will unlock either (Loook at the time of message above - I am time traveler )

i have better method than bot the above ones


look for smudges on the phone

Do the files need to be restored or are they just the user data for the pattern locks?

This is really great...
i wonder how do you discover this
you must be a hacker

Or you could boot into recovery backup data
wipe factory reset and reboot
Could try restoring data but most likely restore pattern lock
Or simply enter your gmail address as requested

2nd option...
if you have Custom recovery
use AROMA File Explorer and you can do the same thing through the recovery
or adb through the recovery

FWIW, on CM10 neither method works as non-root. Yay CyanogenMod.

Method #1 FAIL:
1|shell@android:/data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases $ ll
opendir failed, Permission denied
255|shell@android:/data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases $ sqlite3 settings.db
Error: unable to open database "settings.db": unable to open database file

Method #2 FAIL:
shell@android:/data $ ll /data/system/gesture.key
-rw------- system system 20 2012-08-11 04:51 gesture.key
shell@android:/data $ rm /data/system/gesture.key
rm failed for /data/system/gesture.key, Permission denied

(I use faceunlock + pattern (mostly to keep my kid outta my phone), but if I actually cared more about security I'd encrypt my phone and use a passphrase instead)

This is a useful guide, thanks, I will try it