pixel c - locked out. pin required after device restarts

[Paul Cartwright]

Hi. I've had my pixel-c since they first came out. never had a problem. Yesterday i got the message 'pin required after device restarts'. I use the same pin (a million times) to unlock my screen but never seen this before and i can't get access to my pixel. Please help me!!

paul

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The device will always ask you for your lockscreen PIN after a cold restart. But it should be the same PIN you use to unlock your screen. Are you absolutely sure you're entering it correctly? Have you tried using the onscreen keyboard rather than the hardware keyboard (in case your hardware keyboard is malfunctioning)?

 

[Paul Cartwright]

Yes using the same pin. I've used the same pin for the last 3 years and never had a problem. It's very strange. I use the onscreen keyboard (dont have a hardware one).

 

[B. Diddy]

See if this also happens in Safe Mode: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/2852139?hl=en

 

[Paul Cartwright]

Had to do a factory reset in the end. Luckily most of the apps were backed up. Thanks for the help anyhow.

 

[B. Diddy]

Glad it worked -- weird that it happened in the first place.

 

[rmbowie]

Glad it worked -- weird that it happened in the first place.

Not weird at all, this is a common problem on the pixel c that has been reported from the start, well before end of life of the device.

The common "solution" is a factory reset. Typically this results in users leaving the device unlocked..

 

[B. Diddy]

Ok, hopefully doesn't happen to mine!

 

[SimonTurner]

Not weird at all, this is a common problem on the pixel c that has been reported from the start, well before end of life of the device.

The common "solution" is a factory reset. Typically this results in users leaving the device unlocked..

The exact same thing just happened on my Pixel-c tablet. It just started to refuse my pin... for no reason whatsoever. There was nothing I could so so had to reset it. Thankfully everything restored very quickly and the whole process did not take too long.

 

[SimonTurner]

Gawd. And it's just happened again and searching for the solution it took me back here so I'll take the chance to complete the solution (for the next time it happens to me!)


Power off phone. Start the device with volume down and power pressed simultaneously.
Select option 'Reboot in Android recovery".
Once you get the dead android logo hold power then press and release volume up, then release power.
That will bring up another menu which allows you to do a factory reset.
Once that is done you can restore your tablet.