TL;DR:
A broken screen does not always mean you lose access to your Android phone. Here are the main ways to unlock it:
A broken phone screen can make it difficult or even impossible to access your device, especially when the touch function stops working or the display becomes unresponsive. If your phone contains important photos, contacts, messages, or other files, unlocking it is usually the first step before you can back up or manage your data.
In many cases, you can unlock a phone with a broken screen by yourself without immediately seeking professional repair services. This article will show you more than one practical solution, including using an OTG adapter and mouse, Android unlocking software, remote services, and ADB commands. Read on to find a suitable method based on your phone's condition.
If your Android phone screen is cracked but the display still works, using a mouse with an OTG adapter can be one of the easiest ways to regain control of your device. This method allows you to operate the phone without touching the damaged screen and access your files or settings.
However, this solution requires that your phone supports OTG functionality and that you can still see what is displayed on the screen. If the screen is completely black or the phone does not respond at all, you may need to try other methods.
What You Need
Before starting, prepare:
How to unlock a broken screen Android with a mouse and OTG adapter?
Step 1. Connect the OTG adapter to your Android phone.
Step 2. Plug the USB mouse into the OTG adapter.
Step 3. Wait for the mouse cursor to appear on your phone screen.
Step 4. Use the mouse to enter your PIN, password, or pattern lock.
Step 5. Once your phone is unlocked, you can back up important data or adjust settings.
If your Android phone has a broken screen and you cannot enter the lock screen normally, a dedicated unlocking tool can provide a simpler solution. Android Unlock allows you to remove various types of screen locks through a computer connection, so you can regain access without relying on the damaged touchscreen.
This method is especially helpful when the display is still visible but the touch function no longer works, or when the broken screen prevents you from entering your password, PIN, or pattern.
Here are the main features:
How to unlock a phone with a broken screen for Android users?
01Download and install Android Unlock on your computer. Launch the program and choose the "Remove Screen Lock" option from the main interface.
02Connect your Android phone with a broken screen to the computer using a USB cable. Once the device is detected, verify the displayed phone information and proceed.
03Follow the on-screen instructions to place your device into the required mode, such as Recovery Mode or Download Mode. Then click "Remove Now" to begin removing the screen lock.
If your Android phone has a broken screen and you cannot access it directly, Google Find My Device can help remove the screen lock remotely by erasing the device. This method allows you to reset the locked phone through your Google account without interacting with the damaged screen.
However, you should note that using the erase feature will delete all data and settings stored on your phone. Therefore, this method is mainly suitable when you have a backup or when accessing the device is more important than keeping the existing data.
If you have done that before, proceed with these steps:
Step 1. Open Google Find My Device on your computer and sign in with the same Google account connected to your broken Android phone.
Step 2. After your account loads, you will see all devices linked to it. Select the damaged phone from All Devices, then choose the "Erase Device" option in the pop-up window.
Step 3. Confirm the erase operation and wait for Google Find My Device to remove the device data. Once completed, the screen lock will be removed, allowing you to set up and access the phone again.
If you are using a Samsung Galaxy phone with a broken screen, SmartThings Find provides another remote unlocking option. Unlike Google Find My Device, which removes the screen lock by erasing the entire device, SmartThings Find may allow you to unlock your Galaxy phone remotely through the "Unlock" feature without performing a factory reset.
This method requires your Galaxy device to be connected to your Samsung account and have remote unlocking enabled before the screen becomes damaged. The availability of this feature may vary depending on your device model, One UI version, and Samsung service settings.
How do I unlock my Samsung with a broken screen?
Step 1. Open the SmartThings Find website on your computer and sign in with the same Samsung account linked to your broken Galaxy phone.
Step 2. Select your Galaxy phone from the device list and click the "Unlock" option.
Step 3. Confirm the unlock request and follow the on-screen instructions to remove the screen lock remotely.
Once the process is completed, you can access your Galaxy phone again without entering the previous PIN, password, or pattern.
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is a command-line tool that allows you to communicate with an Android device from a computer. If USB debugging was enabled before your phone screen was damaged and your computer was already authorized, you may be able to remove or bypass the lock screen using ADB commands.
Compared with other methods, ADB requires more technical knowledge and preparation. If your phone was never connected to a computer through ADB before, this method may not work because the device will usually require authorization from the phone screen.
The Android screen is not working. How to unlock it with ADB commands?
Step 1. Download and install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your computer. Extract the ZIP file and install the appropriate Android USB drivers from your phone manufacturer's official website.
Step 2. Open Command Prompt on your computer, then connect your Android phone to the PC using a USB cable.
Step 3. Navigate to the platform-tools folder and enter the following commands:
cd C:/android/platform-tools
adb devices
Step 4. Check the Command Prompt window. If your phone is detected successfully, you will see a device number listed.
Step 5. Enter the following commands to unlock your phone. Replace 1234 with your actual password:
adb shell input text 1234
adb shell input keyevent 66
For Android devices using pattern locks, enter the following command instead:
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key
Step 6. After running the commands, check your Android phone. If the process works, the screen lock should be removed or bypassed, allowing you to access the device and back up your data.
That's how to unlock a phone with a broken screen. As you can see, there are several ways to regain access to a damaged Android phone, depending on whether the screen is still usable, whether you have enabled remote services, and what tools are available.
Among these methods, Android Unlock provides a convenient solution when you cannot operate your broken screen normally. It supports many Android devices and can help remove different types of screen locks through a guided process, making it a practical option when other methods are not suitable.
If you have any queries about unlocking a phone with a broken screen, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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How to Access Phone with Broken Screen [Touchable or Untouchable]
[Solved] How to Recover Data from Locked Android Phone with Broken Screen
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