Required format for Alternative Password for Fingerprint Scanner

kilofoxtrot

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I have forgotten my password and to make matters worse, the phone wont accept my supposedly registered fingerprint.

I would like to avoid a reset...... I think I might be able to submit the correct password if I knew the requirements of the password, i.e. #letters, #numbers, caps, special char etc etc.

Can someone take a look and let me know??

Thanks....
 

sjaduae

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I have forgotten my password and to make matters worse, the phone wont accept my supposedly registered fingerprint.

I would like to avoid a reset...... I think I might be able to submit the correct password if I knew the requirements of the password, i.e. #letters, #numbers, caps, special char etc etc.

Can someone take a look and let me know??

Thanks....

It was free format of your choice of pin or at least it seemed that way I never tried any special characters
 

msapers50

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I have forgotten my password and to make matters worse, the phone wont accept my supposedly registered fingerprint.

I would like to avoid a reset...... I think I might be able to submit the correct password if I knew the requirements of the password, i.e. #letters, #numbers, caps, special char etc etc.

Can someone take a look and let me know??

Thanks....
 

chefmorry

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I believe it had to have at least one letter and at least one number. I originally tried using just 5 lowercase letters, and it told me I needed at least one number too.

Posted via Android Central App
 

ziva2006

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Easiest way, is to go to Google Device Manager on a PC, log in, then choose to lock your phone with a new password. After that is completed you should be able to unlock it with that password. Then you can always go back into the security settings and change it to whatever you like.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk
 

kilofoxtrot

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Easiest way, is to go to Google Device Manager on a PC, log in, then choose to lock your phone with a new password. After that is completed you should be able to unlock it with that password. Then you can always go back into the security settings and change it to whatever you like.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk

That works for the lockscreen password.... not the alternate password for the fingerprint scanner. They are two different passwords.
 

ziva2006

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I have forgotten my password and to make matters worse, the phone wont accept my supposedly registered fingerprint.

I would like to avoid a reset...... I think I might be able to submit the correct password if I knew the requirements of the password, i.e. #letters, #numbers, caps, special char etc etc.

Can someone take a look and let me know??

Thanks....

In your original post you said it wouldn't accept your fingerprint either.

Following directions above will allow you back into your phone. Once in, you can go back to fingerprint settings, delete your currently registered fingerprints (long press, then delete), back out without adding any more. This should erase the secondary password when no fingerprints are registered.

Then after all of that, you can register your prints again and make a secondary password. This time remember it though! ;)

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk
 

kilofoxtrot

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In your original post you said it wouldn't accept your fingerprint either.

Following directions above will allow you back into your phone. Once in, you can go back to fingerprint settings, delete your currently registered fingerprints (long press, then delete), back out without adding any more. This should erase the secondary password when no fingerprints are registered.

Then after all of that, you can register your prints again and make a secondary password. This time remember it though! ;)

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk

You cant delete a registered fingerprint without knowing your alt password or a successful fingerprint scan first. Unlocking the screen is another matter.

If you cant do either..... I think you are hosed.

Changing the lockscreen password thru ADM doesnt solve the problem.
 

ziva2006

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You sir are correct. My apologies. Should have completed the steps myself before posting. Completely blanked that step out when remembering. That sucks.

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk
 

rfdillon

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I have the same issue. I can't delete my one supposedly registered fingerprint (which doesn't work) and I have tried any and all of my passwords, to no avail. Anyone have any other ideas?
 

Sandie Colby

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Ok ... please ... desperate ... you learned that the unlock method you explained does not work, and acknowledged it. So back to the original question: if the fingerprint scanner does not work, and you have exceeded the number of attempts to unlock, and it now only will accept the alternate password, and there IS NO ALTERNATE PASSWORD, how do we get into the phone?! Like the original posting, I would like to avoid a full factory reset. There should be some way to do a remote access to the phone to verify ownership and open it up. I don't remember ever establishing an alternate password. I have only had my phone about 2 months and the fingerprint scanner is, IMO, one of its' biggest fails!:-*
 
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Erwin Picado Jr

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I have forgotten my password and to make matters worse, the phone wont accept my supposedly registered fingerprint.

I would like to avoid a reset...... I think I might be able to submit the correct password if I knew the requirements of the password, i.e. #letters, #numbers, caps, special char etc etc.

Can someone take a look and let me know??

Thanks....
if you are locked out of your phone simply enter 5 incorrect passwords & when it gives the option select Unlock with Google.
If you have access to your phone but want to remove the fingerprint and don't have the alt. Go to
SETTINGS
FINGER SCANNER
FINGERPRINT MANAGER
& tap and hold the registered fingerprint to delete.
It should change to slide to unlock & you are set
 

FZDolfan

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Nope.
Wrong password 5 times does NOT offer to unlock with Google. It just says too many incorrect attempts and makes you wait 30 seconds to try again.
To dispel ALL the suggestions I've seen on this and two other threads on this forum, here is the situation:

- phone will NOT read fingerprint successfully
- the backup password is forgotten
- the phone will no longer allow me to try my fingerprint. It wants the backup password and nothing else.
- you CANNOT get into fingerprint manager without the above, despite locking the screen from ADM with a pin/password. ADM is good for four things. Making the phone ring, locking the phone (including changing the LOCK SCREEN PASSWORD ONLY), wiping the phone, and locating the phone.
- after using ADM to lock the screen, now I cannot even go back to a simple swipe to unlock the phone because an administrator (ADM) has locked out this option.

Simply put, I cannot follow any of the other suggestions in this thread without that backup password.
Fwiw, it seems many of the participants of this thread have Sprint GS5. I'm on Verizon and recently upgraded to 5.0. The only reason I ended up on this thread is because I had heard that the fingerprint scanner was improved with 5.0 (works like a charm on my Galaxy Tab S with 4.4.2 though). Luckily, because the scanner pretty much sucked, I wasn't using it so I'm not completely locked out of my phone like some people. I just can't remove my lock screen security.
 

ree78

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In your original post you said it wouldn't accept your fingerprint either.

Following directions above will allow you back into your phone. Once in, you can go back to fingerprint settings, delete your currently registered fingerprints (long press, then delete), back out without adding any more. This should erase the secondary password when no fingerprints are registered.

Then after all of that, you can register your prints again and make a secondary password. This time remember it though! ;)

Sent from my Galaxy S5 using Tapatalk

Well you cant actually it still asks for the alternative password to access anything to do with the fingerprint grrr im having same issue and cant figure it out as of yet
 

ree78

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Thats doesnt go for the s6 too tho does it? I click on fingerprint and alternative password request pops up again and doesnt matter how many times you try it does take you anywhere else and no other options. Its the same pw iv had for years for everything no way iv got it wrong lol
 

apex#AC

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I have a lollipop S5 on Verizon, and had to factory reset because I couldn't figure this out.
Now, as I'm setting it up again, I've determined the following:
  • Password must contain at least 6 characters
  • Password must contain no more than 16 characters
  • Password must contain at least one number
  • Password must contain at least 1 letter
  • Multiplication and division symbols (× and ÷ respectively) cannot be used
  • Most "foreign" currency symbols could not be used, but the US "$" was ok
  • The degree symbol "°", bullet symbol "•", as well as every other mark after those on the second page of symbols on the default Samsung keyboard cannot be used

There may be more requirements, but none I quickly found.

Hope this helps someone.
 

DroidNerd01

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Easy(note: i assume your phone recognizes your prints)
1) Settings
2) Lock Screen and Security
3) Set Screen Lock Type to 'Fingerprints'
4) The next screen if you see will ask about lockscreen notification content, this does not matter to this process so just click done.
5) On this screen you have six option-3 for lock screen and 3 for security. Select the one that says 'Fingerprints' under the Security category
6) Here it asks for you to scan your print. Do this.
7) Next you will see the Fingerprints Menu: your saved print scans, add fingerprint and ... 'Change backup password'(minimum 6 characters with at least one letter)
8) Wipe the worry sweat from your brow!

Droid Nerd for the save...:cool:
 

Hardy Boii

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Had this happen to me today. Phone died while on the road. When I plugged it back in, it said it couldn't identify my fingerprint. I entered my alternate password. That too was denied.

I signed in via Google. I was able to change it to a pin and sign in. When I locked phone and tried to go back in with new pin number I had just created, it said I was incorrect again. This time I had no option to unlock with my Google account. The phone did the factory reset and I am currently debating whether to throw this POS on the sidewalk and go with LG or Droid.

What a waste of a Friday night. Frustrating is not even the word that can describe myself right now.