What to Do When You Can't Remember Your Tablet's Password

7 things to try when you need to get into your tablet but forgot the password

By
Jon Martindale
Headshot of Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Writer
    Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal.
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    Updated on September 30, 2024

    Your password does a great job of protecting your tablet and the data it holds, but if you forget it, it can stop you from accessing it. Here are some steps to take to try to get back in.

    Causes of Forgetting Your Tablet Password

    Maybe you lost access to your password manager or can't find the piece of paper your password is written on. It happens to the best of us, but there are a few things you can do to try to get it back.

    These tips and tricks should work on most Android tablets, including Samsung, Google, and Huawei. Where necessary, specific steps have been provided for individual tablet brands.

    Unlock a Tablet When the Password has been Forgotten

    Before we dive into troubleshooting, try hard to remember the password. While you shouldn't reuse any passwords, do try a couple of passwords you have routinely used in the past. If those don't work, follow the steps below in order.

    1. Are you using Android Smart Lock? If so, travel to the trusted location, show the trusted face, or bring the Android tablet in contact with a trusted device to unlock it. Once you have, change the password to one you can remember.

    2. If your tablet is a Samsung device, you can use Samsung's Find My Mobile service to reset the login credentials from there. You will need to know your Samsung account details to access it, though.

    3. If you have biometric login enabled on your device, use that to log in to the Android tablet and then change the password to something you can remember.

      If you can't, then make a full backup of your tablet and then perform a factory reset.

    4. Some older Android devices have a password recovery function built into them. To access it, input the wrong password five times and, when prompted, select Forgot Password and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.

      You will need your Google Account information to complete this step.

    5. If you're using a custom login screen from a third-party app, you may be able to bypass it using Android Recovery Mode. You can access that by pressing and holding the volume down button and then pressing and holding the power button. Release the buttons when the Android logo appears on the screen, then select Recovery Mode from the list of options and press the power button.

    6. If you still can't find a way to remember or reset the correct password, your only option is to reset your Android device using Google's Find My Device service.

    Consider using a password manager to keep track of your passwords. There are simply too many passwords required nowadays to commit to memory, so a password manager is your best bet. Don't worry, password managers are safe.

    FAQ

    • How do I get into an iPad if I can't remember the password?

      If you don't have the passcode for your iPad, and you haven't set up Touch ID or Face ID, you won't be able to open the tablet. Go to iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID/Apple Account, and then go to Find iPhone > All Devices > select your iPad > Erase. Once the iPad restarts, you can restore it from a backup.

    • How do I remove the password on a tablet?

      You should secure your tablet with a password to keep your data safe. But you can remove it in Settings. For an Android tablet, go to Settings > Security > Lock Screen and turn off the option. On an iPad, go to Settings > Face/Touch ID & Passcode. In either case, you'll need to enter the existing security method to make changes or turn off the feature.

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