[AC Question]

I was installing Android Pay and got to the point where I had to set a password. It was not obvious to me that the password was going to be required to do absolutely anything to my phone - including answering incoming calls! I set a 12-digit password, which was obviously a mistake, but the first time I tried to use it to unlock the phone I only got the "incorrect password" error message. It has never worked at all and I'm completely locked out of my phone now.

I've used Android Device Manager as if it were lost, but that hasn't worked. It will let me phone home, but that's as far as it goes. I've used Google's My Account to send a message to my device, but of course I can't unlock it to type "YES" into it.

Is there any other suggestion that could possibly come before a factory reset, or am I doomed to lose all my un-backed-up photos and contacts?

[nahoku]

You might try starting the phone in Safe Mode. If you can get in, disable/force stop/uninstall AP until you figure out what's going on.

To get into safe mode, press the power button like you're going to turn it off... when the Power options menu pops up, press/hold on the Power Off option... then select to start the phone in Safe mode. To get out of safe mode, simply restart your phone.

[BinkyBean]

I liked that suggestions, but that didn't work either. It opens at the password screen, but in Safe Mode. It won't accept anything I can think of, and definitely not the password I set when I installed Android Pay.

Any other ideas?

[BinkyBean]

Well, I got an answer back from my carrier, stating definitively that there is nothing but a factory reset that will get around that lockout screen. I'm not sure I'm willing to accept this as final, but that seems to be their only solution.

Should I just give up and lose all my contacts and photos?

[hallux]

Doesn't the phone offer the ability to unlock using your Google account after a few missed attempts? Some have also had success using Android Device Manager to lock the device with a new PIN then use that PIN to unlock the device.

Why would you lose all your contacts? One of the benefits of the Google account system is that should all be backed up to your account, including your photos. You have to set it up though, before you get in trouble...

[BinkyBean]

No, the phone does not offer any opportunity to unlock it with Google. And I have used ADM and that did not override the original password. Despite what other people have said in many places, the phone remains locked.

You're right about the contacts and photos, of course. Thanks for the reminder.