Samsung Galaxy J5/J5 Prime – Forgot PIN Password – What to Do

Alphr Read more April 3, 2019

Forgetting your PIN code is not uncommon. People have been doing that long before smartphones were even developed. But the real question is – do you need a PIN code these days?

Samsung Galaxy J5/J5 Prime - Forgot PIN Password - What to Do

Many smartphone users prefer the fingerprint unlock and the pattern unlock features. These are more convenient to use, and they look cooler. But what if your phone doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner? This is the case for earlier Galaxy J5 models.

A PIN code is a lot harder to break than a pattern, as patterns can be deduced by nosy observers. Besides, using more than one security measure is always better.

But what can you do if you’ve forgotten your PIN password? There are two methods you can use to unlock your phone.

Factory Reset

First you’ll want to remove the phone’s battery to turn it completely off. Pull off the back plate, remove the battery, and put it back in.

Press and hold the Volume up and Home buttons
Press and hold the Power button
Wait for the Samsung logo to appear and release the Power button
Release all buttons when the Android logo appears
Select “wipe data/factory reset”
Press Power button to initiate and confirm

Using this option is the easiest way to unlock your phone. You can use it if you forgot your PIN or your unlock pattern.

However, factory resets are inconvenient. If you haven’t used this method before, you should know that it deletes all your data and returns your phone to the way it was when it was brand new.

Preparing in Advance with Find My Mobile

If you don’t want to lose valuable data with a factory reset, you can use the Find My Mobile Samsung app to access your phone remotely. But for this to work, you first have to enable it and customize it, as it is not enabled by default.

How to Enable Find My Mobile:

Tap Apps
Tap Settings
Locate and access Lock screen and security
Select Find My Mobile
Enable Remote controls
Enable Google location service
Enable Send last location

Once this option is turned, you can use your computer to log onto the Find My Mobile website. Using your Samsung account credentials, you can gain remote access to your phone without having to input the device’s PIN password.

This method can also be used to track a stolen phone or remotely remove sensitive information before anyone else can access it.

A Final Thought

If you can avoid using the factory reset method, do so by all means. Don’t waste any time setting up your Samsung account, and enable the Find My Mobile feature as soon as possible. Make the necessary customizations to allow yourself remote access.

There’s no reason to miss out on all the perks of screen locking just because you dislike the thought of remembering yet another password. But you can avoid a great deal of annoyance you write your PIN code down in a safe place.