Forgot pin to S20

[KrashKiten]

I'm wondering if there is a way to unlock my old S20 from my S24 Ultra. For the love of all things I cannot remember my lock screen pin to my S20 and I need to get in it for something. It's been almost a year since I've needed to log into it. I've tried smart things and unfortunately my S20 isn't on my list of devices. I'm not even sure if I have find my phone turned on it either as that doesn't work either. And I've attempted the password so many times I'm on a 30 min wait to try again. I sorta remember the pin to a certain extent but no luck yet lol also the screen thus far hasn't offered me the forgot pin option which sucks. Any suggestions? 

[realaud]

Why would you not use the same pin from phone to phone? Makes life easier.

[KrashKiten]

Lol what makes life easier is biometrics on my S24 and S20. My S24 has a new pin because of various reasons. Why would I keep using my old pin I had on my S20 I used for 4 years before upgrading to the S24. And one more why for you, why comment with something irrelevant and unhelpful. Because I'm the only one in phone history to forget a lock pin? Why not go help out somebody else with your unhelpful comments.

[realaud]

Yes, biometrics does make life easier, but one should always have a backup pin or password.  Stuff happens.  The question is not why you would reuse the same but why not?  Especially if you are likely to forget it if you are saving a phone as a backup device.  I don't know when the new security measures started, but you can no longer remote unlock or reset your pin if you forgot it. This may or may not apply to the S20, but it certainly applies to any phone after that. If you forgot the pin on your device, you have to factory reset the phone, which would defeat your purpose of trying to retrieve something from it.  If the screen is offering you a forgot pin option, why not use it? Pins, passwords and biometrics exist exclusively on the device on which they were created. It's not my fault you can't remember a 4-digit combination that *you* created and had used for 4 years, nor is it my fault you don't have a backup of something you now need. The only way to get into your phone is to a) remember the pin, b) use the forgot password option or c) reset the phone.  If you reset the phone and a backup still exists for it in the cloud, you would be able to restore it. The backups disappear after a year of inactivity, however; so, it may not be there.  You can check first by going to the Samsung cloud choosing restore backup and seeing if you have a backup for the old device still hanging there. 

[RedOregon]

No.

[jt13890]

I am not sure how well this works in 2025, but on another device, open the Google app find device, select the phone, then set a pin in that option.

[Members_kxNKmhd]

I have the exact same problem. The lockscreen says I must use the password, not the PIN after restart. I remember the PIN, but not the password. "your password contains at least 4 characters including 1 letter" is what it says. No option for forgot password seems to be available.

If no one has a solution, how do I do a factory reset?

Thanks,

Bert

[MR333]

Hey Bert, did you try this? 

"If your phone or tablet is not recognizing your PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint, or face unlock, rebooting the device or entering Safe Mode can help solve the problem. Sometimes you may be prompted to try an alternate method, like your password. When your phone or tablet is reset using the Recovery menu, it will ask you for your Google account information. Simply enter it the same way you normally do.

But here's what to do if the situation is a bit complicated:

If you cannot remember any of your Google account information, you can send your device, along with proof of purchase, to an authorized Samsung Service Center.

Depending on the version of Android on your device, you may be prompted to enter your previous screen lock PIN or password to unlock your device.

If you have forgotten your password, you’ll be able to create a new password through the Google website. However, Google may require a 24-hour cool-down period before the new password will unlock your device.

If you have multiple Google accounts and don't know which account was set up with the device, you can visit the Google Device Manager and check to see if the phone or tablet is in the list of devices registered to the account."

[realaud]

What is the date on that article you are quoting?  That has not been true for some time now.  I repeat, there is no longer a way to remote unlock your phone.  It may be true for other brand phones, but certainly not for Samsung devices.

[MR333]

The person who responded first didn’t have to be such a **bleep**. What a wild thing to go off on a complete stranger about - & making it such a weirdly personal attack? Interesting way to use their free will. I'm sorry people like that exist.

Anyway, I have the same issue. I swear I used the same pattern on my new phone as I did my old one but... it seems my old phone disagrees. What's most bizarre is I did successfully get into the thing a few times not long after switching phones, but now I can't even if my life depended on it. As far as I can tell, there doesn't appear to be a lot of recourse for this (which is a huge flop on Samsungs behalf imo). The "remedies" they claim to have all appear to be "Catch 22's". Can't toggle wifi/bluetooth/airplane mode/anything on or off from the unlock screen - password is required even for those - so that leaves users unable to connect the device to, apparently, the one & only tangible way to gain access to their old device (via the "find my phone" app). Going through your Samsung Account is allegedly an option as well but cannot confirm since my old phone is magically no longer listed as a device on my account (I didn't remove it). Very, very frustrating and feels a bit negligent on Samsungs side. Humans will be humans.. Can't imagine this issue being some kind of unexpected "wild card" that none of the big tech brains saw coming. 

So, if you ever manage to find a way - I'd appreciate it a lot if you come on back here and let us know! I have some really important stuff on my old device that I genuinely can't sacrifice to the Factory Reset god's. And realistically, we shouldn't *have* to or be forced to.