The lock screen is an important feature in Android, and keeping it secure is important for all Android users. It’s actually gotten easier with Lollipop and above, as many of the customization features have either been removed or placed elsewhere.
For example, lock screen widgets have given up the ghost, and Face Unlock is now a Smart Lock setting called “Trusted Face.” That makes the lock screen security menu a breeze to navigate.
The first thing you’ll want to do is get into the Settings menu. You can do this by either pulling down the notification shade and selecting the cog icon (stock Android devices require the shade to be pulled twice before the settings icon will show up), or just tapping the Settings icon in the app lock drawer.
Once in the Settings menu, scroll down to the “Personal” section and tap the “Security” entry.
The first option in this menu should be “Screen lock,” which is the one we’re looking for here. Go ahead and give that a tap.
This will present a handful of options:
l None: No lock screen security at all.
l Swipe: Not really secure at all, this option unlocks the device just by swiping on the lock screen.
l Pattern: Unlocks the device by using a specific swipe pattern along a series of nine dots.
l PIN: Personal Identification Number. You know, like the one you have for your debit card. But don’t use the same one, please.
l Password: Not your Google password, mind you, but one specific to the lock screen. This is the most cumbersome way to unlock your device.
l Tap the one you want to use and go through the prompts to set it up.
Which one you choose is up to you—each one has its pros and cons. For example, Pattern and PIN options can easily be found by checking the finger smudges or streaks on the display (unless you’re a serial screen cleaner), where a password is much more difficult to visually crack. On the other hand, a PIN is theoretically more robust than a password, unless you’re using a jumble of letters and numbers for said password. Really, it’s a crapshoot—but any security is better than no security.
Setting up a secured lock screen is an annoying necessity to most users, because it takes longer to unlock your device. Fortunately, newer versions of Android have “Smart Lock,” which makes much easier work of unlocking your device when you’re at home, in the car, or anywhere else when you can be sure that it’s actually you doing the unlocking.
Are you considering switching cell phone carriers? First, you need to unlock your iPhone or Android smartphone. This guide will help you better understand just what is a locked phone and why do carriers lock them. This guide will also help explain how the unlocking process ultimately gives your device the freedom it deserves. We’ve compiled easy, step-by-step instructions on how to unlock your iPhone or Android smartphone. Click here for the step-by-step instructions.
Why is my smartphone locked anyway?
Let’s start by understanding just what is a locked phone to begin with. High-end smartphones, like the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4 are very expensive — $599-799, depending on make and model. Traditionally, carriers subsidize the purchase price in exchange for, on average, a two-year contract. As a result you end up paying closer to $199 for your phone. If you want to purchase one of these devices without a contract or “SIM free,” as they call it, you’ll need to pay the full $599-799 upfront.
The binding contract ensures that the carrier is able to recoup its subsidy over the course of the contract. If you break the contract early for any reason, they charge you an ETF (early termination fee) to ensure they get their money back.
So why should I unlock my smartphone?
GSM devices (phones with SIM card slots), once unlocked, can be used on any compatible carrier around the world that provides GSM service. It’s literally as easy as popping out your current SIM card and putting the SIM card of your choice in the phone.
For example, in the U.S., AT&T customers who are eligible to unlock can do so with most smartphones and easily switch to T-Mobile without changing phones. Since both carriers use GSM technology, consumers can just switching out the SIM card.
Also worth noting, you will get more cash for your unlocked phone compared to a phone locked to your carrier when you trade it in. An unlocked phone can be used – and sold – anywhere around the world, which increases the amount of money people are willing to pay for your used phone. If you have a locked AT&T iPhone, however, the new buyer will also have to be on AT&T or the phone will need to be unlocked by the new owner. Unlocking a device, if you’re not the original contract owner, is impossible in some cases and can cost up to $150 today through a third party in other cases, and this dramatically decreases the price a new buyer is willing to pay you for that old phone.
At Gazelle, we pay much more for an unlocked AT&T phone than a locked phone:
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