Pattern Locks Are Unsafe: Secure Your Oppo A1x 5G 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 Oppo A1x 5G 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 Oppo A1x 5G 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 Reset a Locked Oppo A1x 5G Phone

There might be some moment when you have accidentally locked your phone and have no way to recover the phone’s functionality without resetting. This moment is very much irritating to any of you. If your phone is locked, and you can’t run your phone due to forgetting the password, you don’t have to be dumbfounded. There are some ways by which you can recover your phone to its previous state. In this article, we will show you how to reset a locked phone.

Part 1: How to Hard Reset Locked Oppo A1x 5G Phone

The most common way of resetting an Android phone screen lock is by hard reset. You can hard reset your Android phone to unlock it. Remember, hard reset will erase all the data stored on your phone. So hard reset will unlock your phone, but you will not get your stored data back on it. So if you have no recent backup for your phone data, beware of that before going for a hard reset.

Here you can learn how to reset a locked phone from different brands, as different models or brands have unique methods of resetting.

Click here

1. How to reset a locked HTC phone?

Now we will show you how to unlock HTC phone by hard reset.

You will have to press and hold the volume down button along with the power button. Keep holding until you see Android images. Then release the buttons and then follow the volume down button to go for factory reset, afterward select the power button.

2. How to reset a Samsung phone that is locked?

Press and hold the volume up key, along with the power button and home key. You will see the Samsung logo onscreen. Go down to wipe data/factory reset by holding the volume down key. Now choose Yes. You could delete all the data on your phone by tapping on the volume down key. Your phone will start rebooting.

Click here

3. How to reset an LG phone that is locked?

To unlock your LG Android phone, you will have to press and hold the volume key and the power or lock key. You have to release the Lock or power key when you see the LG logo on the screen of your phone. Just after that, press and hold the power or lock key again. You can release all the buttons once you see a factory hard reset on the screen.

4. How to reset a locked Sony phone?

You have to confirm that your phone is switched off. Press and hold three keys altogether. The keys are Volume Up, Power, and Home keys. You have to release the buttons once you see the logo on the screen. Now follow volume down to scroll down. Power or Home key is used for selection. Choose factory reset or wipe data.

5. How to reset a locked Motorola phone?

Firstly, switch off your phone. Then press and hold the power key, home key, and volume up key. After a while, you will see the logo on the screen, just then release all the buttons. For scrolling, you can use the volume down key, and for selecting, you can use either home or power key. Now select factory reset or wipe data.

Whatever your model or brand is, keep in mind that hard reset will delete all your valuable data from your phone! So if you want to unlock your locked phone without losing data from it, then follow the next part.

Part 2: Reset Android Phone Screen Lock Without Password

In this part, we will discuss Wondershare Dr.Fone for unlocking your locked Android device. Here are some of the features of this great software -

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android)

Remove Android lock screen in 5 minutes

• Pattern, PIN, password, fingerprints & face screen lock can all be unlocked.
• Bypass Android FRP lock without a PIN or Google account.
• Unlock mainstream Android brands like Samsung, Huawei, LG, Xiaomi, etc.
• No tech knowledge required. Everyone can handle it.

3981454 people have downloaded it

Here is the step-by-step procedures for unlocking your Android phone - other Android phones can also be unlocked with this tool

Step 1. Go for “Screen Unlock”

The first thing that you will have to do is open Dr.Fone on your PC and then click on Screen Unlock that allows your device to remove the password from any of the 4 types of lock screens (PIN, Password, Pattern, and Fingerprints).

Step 2. Select the Oppo A1x 5G device from the list.

Step 3. Go for Specific Mode

Step 4. Remove Lock Screen without Password

Once the previous step is complete, you will see the lock screen removal process started. After completing the lock screen removal process, you could enter into your phone without needing any password.

safe & secure

Conclusion

Forgetting your password is a perplexing situation though you have the solution to unlock your Android phone, as hard reset does not give your data back, you should rely on the software called Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (Android) for smooth operation. So have the software and cheer up. I hope you will enjoy and forget about the hassle when you lost your password.

Lock Your Oppo A1x 5G 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 Oppo A1x 5G 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.

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