Android has a really nice security procedure that forces the user to enter his/her Gmail (Google account) username and password to unlock the handset, after several incorrect pattern entries have been recorded. Quite obviously this procedure has been put in place to prevent someone from brute forcing the unlock pattern. Unfortunately, the system is not as secure as it appears to be.
In some cases, possibly due to corruption of the stored data file, Android is known to reject the login information provided, even if it is correct. That’s what happened to me a short while back. Normally, the only way out would be to re-flash (reinstall the operating system) the device or to perform a factory reset. However, after doing a bit of digging I came across a surprisingly simple solution. The trick is to enter “null” (without quotes) as the password. In other words:
Userid = <enter your email id>
Password = null
The trick described above might not work for everyone. In that case you can try your luck with a firmware update/factory reset. Sony Ericsson users can download the Update Service application from here. If you have a HTC, Samsung or a Motorola handset, check out einartysen’s blog.
I am not sure if the problem is restricted to the Xperia X10 or not. Whatever be the case, the respective parties should fix this issue as soon as possible. Having “null” as password pretty much makes the entire security process redundant.
Thks for ur post, i was in the EXACT position and wonder WTH i cannot log back in after my kids played with my phone and used up all the tries and my gmail log in dont work
thk god for u, for internet, and for google search 🙂
I am glad that you found this article useful.
Just wanted to say thanks for the credit and link. Not everyone is as polite as you and mention where they get things from 🙂
Kudos, and nice blog you got going!
/ET
Thanks for taking the time to drop by.
Thanks for you post! This worked!!
If this works for most people, I am quite shocked at how insure the droid is! I am sure in the future they will probably patch this right? Then we would have to find another way….
Till then,
Jean
thanks for your post,
but my sonnyericsson xperia x10 mini pro is still given me problem
the parttern is lock after trying for sometime
and asking me to enter my security question answer even though it is correct the phone is still rejecting it, can you please help me out.
How if this trick doesn’t work for my phone? Do you have any other suggestion to unlock the system?
I have the Xperia 10 and have locked myself out with “too many pattern attempts”. As above it is asking for a googlemail email etc. I have forgotten this as I never use it. Typing null hasnt worked. Any ideas how to unlock my phone please?
Your are not affected by this bug and need to enter the right credentials. You can use gmail (or any other sevice’s) forgot password option to recover your password. The other option is to reinstall the firmware (will cause data loss).
I have the opera 10,
And vie locket myself out ” to many pattern attems”.
I did a account once but I can’t remember my email cuz i never use it
And I can’t remember my password either
What can I do? Could you please help me,
I dont really mind if I lose my memory the only think I want is my phone to work again,
What can I do? Please help me
THNX 4 THE POST,IT WORKED!
Xperia is full of troubles when we try to unlock it. Most of the, it corrupts the main software and cell gets useless.
It seems helped lots of people there. Great tip.
Thank you so much for this blog! My daughter locked my phone and I urgently needed to get directions. Needless to say it still works for the sony ericsson xperia and I upgraded my software today.
i cant possibly thank you enough, X10, it worked. thank you
both of them don’t work my x10 still lock any thing else to unlock it because my x10 didn’t setup the gmail thing so i can’t unlock it
I think re-flashing the device is the only option left.
The null password didn’t work for me either. What did you have to do to get back into your phone. Please HELP!!!! Happy Thanksgiving.
I have the xpera 10,
And I’ve locket myself out ” to many pattern attems”.
I did a account once but I can’t remember my email cuz i never use it
And I can’t remember my password either
What can I do? Could you please help me,
I dont really mind if I lose my memory the only think I want is my phone to work again,
What can I do? Please help me
I am trying to update my xperia, but it’s saying i need to connect my phone when it’s already connected, and it’s also saying i need to press something on the phone for the computer to actually detect it but obviously i can’t as my phone it locked. Any suggestions on how i can continue? PLEASE HELP!
You need to boot your mode in flash mode. Before doing this ensure that you have more than 60% battery.
i) When prompted by the SEUS, turn off your phone.
ii) Remove the battery for 5 seconds and then re-insert it.
iii) Without turning on the phone, insert the USB cable.
iv) As soon as you do that, press the back button (the rightmost one) and keep it pressed until you see a green LED light or SEUS starts installing the firmware. This is the SEMC or flash mode.
It is not working for me 🙁
Please somebody help to unlock my phone…
thnx dude…..u r genius….i stucked in same situation and was going to format my xperia x10 bt thnk God i read ur articles….and its really useful….thnx bro…
Thank you so much! My Girlfriend locked my phone thinkin it was hers! Not impressed but as she found this solution and it worked, i cant really grumble!
OMG i love you!! i was about to die because i stupidity block my phone ¬¬ and the fucking phone rejected me my google account! but thanks to you!! i could unblock this thing! thank you so much! and by the way why “null” and why it rejects the original password?
Somehow the stored password gets corrupted.
I didn’t realize that you could crack it.
i love u my dear friend
the trick to place … null…… as password, worked and saved me from so much of trouble. i really wnaa kiss u ..
muahhhh
Thanks alot ur a life saver!! Greatly appreciate ur help
hai friends. I need ur help to unlock my x10.its home network is orange. thanks in advance
You can get instructions for debranding (unlocking) your handset over here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=617
Thanks man, you are genius.
It worked for me 100%.
Thanks again.
Thanks so much
Hallo.. I have the same problem with my X10, but I really cant remember my gmail account 🙁 how can I unlock my phone? somebody plese helppppp…. thx
how to install firmware???
Hi,
I could not unlock the phone even after entering correct gmail info. I tried your suggestion re entering ‘null’ for the username and it worked! Thanks.
Mark
British Columbia, Canada
OMG!! this guy saved my life! i thought i had to wait longer! but goin 2 days without my super smartphone wasn’t so bad! but i felt incomplete! THANKS SO MUCH FOR HELPING ME PATTERN UNLOCKER 🙂
Hi
I am using this unlock tool to nlock my x8 but there was a problem with the user name and password… It says bad username and password..plz can any one help me to unlock it.
Thanks in advance.
In my previous reply, I meant entering ‘null’ for the *password*, not the username. I used the correct username.
Mark
i have try the null system but it cant unlock my X10. My wife mistakely locked my X10 by too many pattern attempts! I cant even use my phone to connect to the internet because i had not activited my gmail account before it happened. It can not be flashed because no system can communicate with it since i can not gain access to the screen were it will prompt me to Mount with a PC! My X10 cant be connected to my labtop or desktop because its locked. I only have my password to my sony ericsson forum! I just bought it November at Dubia. I live in Nigeria. What will i do to unlock it?
You can still flash it. Mount as USB has nothing to do with flash mode.
ugh have anybody answered you because im having same exact problem
Hey could you explain in a simpler method? i dont really understand, thanks.
if u can my friends to send instruction i m blocked plz plz
My little sister forgot her unlock pattern and it was not taking the gmail user information and i followed the null instructions and it unlocked her phone. She has the Sony Ericsson XperiaX10. Thank u so much for your help 🙂
Thanks for listing me as a source, that kind of honest behaviour ain’t standard on the Internet these days.
Nice blog!
Cheers /ET
i have been locked out of my x10 its not excepting my google acount isn’t working and the null cheat isn’t working what can i do??
It worked!!!!
My brother bought a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 in San Francisco at a BestBuy store. They told him that the phone was unlocked and ready to use it. When he handed it to me here in Lima, Peru, I found that it was locked and with a AT & T logo on the back.
How can I unlock it? I have tried three unlocking companies through the Internet, but they said the phone is too new and that they don’t the unlock code yet.
Your help will be highly appreciated.
Best regards,
We can unlock this phone for you at unlocking.com . I’m surprised you couldn’t find another company to do this as it is one of our most popular phones that need to get unlocked.
Omg thank you so much, the null theory worked! Cheers!
Try logging in with your youtube account. It worked for me the first time i tried it, and nothing else worked 🙂
Excellent Tips. thanks a lot. This theory worked.
Hi,
Thanks for your information, it was quite helpful. After entering (null) in the password field it started working. I think Sony Ericsson and Andriod have to do something about this problem. It is not a good trick to unlock the phone from this kind of problem.
Many thanks.
Thanks for explaining how to do this! I agree that Sony Ericsson/Android better take a look at the issue soon and do the needful.
This sounds complicated, but there is another way. If you call your cell phone from another line, you can answer the call. If you end the call, the phone may have a glitch where you can see the home screen before it switches back to the unlock screen. When you end the call, you can use the touch screen to navigate to settings and disable the use of the pattern lock. It is a tedious process but keep calling your phone and you will eventually navigate far enough to disable your lock and you will be able to use the phone.
Thank you!!! this site really helped me to unlock my x10.
I was searching through google for my problem with my xperia x10 and I found this forum which should help me! Basically I forgot my pattern unlock and I tried it 5 times and I had to unlock it with my google account. I’ve tried 2 google accounts and they wont sign in and they work on my laptop! Its been locked all day and its not unlocking!
followed all suggested options, then my brother suggested i go to you tube and ask the same question (how to unlock sony xperia after too many pattern attempts) there was a whole list of videos that actually show you what to do…….and it freakin worked yay!!!!! (don’t let the kids play with your phone)
Null worked for me! Thanks brother! You saved me from a heart attack!
hi guys , In accidently my kids just done to many attempt on the pattren thing and it got locked . It was telling me to sign in for google mail. i even tried it , but it never worked .
could someone help me urgently and i even looked at the null method but i don,t really get it . please please help .
hi im rele struggling to try and get my bf phone unlocked for him none of the above has worked anymore suggestions???x
thanx man
thank you, thank u. i coudnt get my set unlockd from so many stores including d sony ericssion support center form my place. God bless u.
hi my ideot of a brother put a pass patten on and he does not remember the code and i do not have internet on it and when it askes me the secrity question i ancer but its wrong plz help
How do you find your username?
THANK YOU SO MUCH, THIS WAS FANTASTIC AND IT SAVED ME. THANK YOU.
i putt null ass the password and it still dous not work
turn it off and back on again. IT WORKS!
no it doesn’t!!!
do you have a Wifi or something to connect to internet ? we have a both same case :'(
I also have an iPhone and in my opinion, I think the X10 is better. Is a hassle to have to use the iphone and be tethered to iTunes all the time. There are already thousands of apps available out there for the Android OS. The touch screen interface is probably better on the iPhone. But the user interface and features on the X10 is, in my opinion better.
the phone can unlock because it sais that i have to put mi gmail email and password but i forgot mi password and i trid to make a new one made it n i put it on the phone and it still dousnt unlock
nice info, that great info.
i have sony ericsson xperia i10 is is locked by attemting to many patterns,so kindly help me to unlocked it.
seby.
my notification bar doesn’t come down
my xperia x10 android wont unlock i tried everything when i downloaded the update thing my phone wouldn’t connect so i don’t know what to do please help me
hey.. it’s work! thank for your tips
Thank you so very much! it worked with my X10. God bless you and thanks for sharing your info!!!
THANK FOR THE ADVICE 🙂 IT ABSOLUTELY WORKED FOR ME.
hey , i hav xperia x10a rogers , i tried password as null , but didnt work , and my usb also not working , please guide me how i get the solution for too many attempt pattern.
none of the above work its all totally pish!!!
MUCHAS GRACIA SI FUNCIONA LO DESBLOQUIE MI XPERIA SIGAN ASI FELIZ AÑO NUEVO DIOS LOS BENDIGA
Great advice I had a friend with this problem and you really helped him out.
Hello , i have android Q1 phone and its locked and requred
ussername and password . And none of the thing worked.
What to do?
Is there a jailbreak for any of the android LG phones yet
Thank you so much for the majic “null”, it worked for me after losing hope!
Hey, THANKS A MILLION, the password null worked for me…..
Just wanted to say for people whom it wasn’t working, you can try just putting in the ID instead of full email address as I was putting the full e-mail address and so it was not working….
Once again thanks very much, you saved me from spending almost 100 pounds on it or getting a new phone…. really helpful, much appreciated….. 🙂
Thanks a lot too. I am surprised this is actually true. But it worked. I wonder how many other amazingly stupid bugs does this machine has. Thanks to people like you we survive despite.
I try every thing like null and other tricks now after all this when i try to update my Android version through PC it says memory card needed and it is already in it….Help……there is option in notification that you want to enable card or not and due to too many pattern attempts i am not able to enable memory card……..
Thank you so incredibly much!
Thanks for the tutorial I was wanting to do this.
what if i you forgot my e-mail address? i cant remember it, what should i do???
Thank you so much. It worked. Went to cell phone company and they sent me in circles and said I might have to buy a new phone. Found your info just now online..and it worked. Thanks again!
worked like a charm! a million thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hw did u do it mine isn’t working
thanks for the info I really need to look into this more.