How to Recover a Forgotten Password on a Galaxy Note Tablet Without a Factory Reset
By Randall Blackburn
If you have forgotten your Galaxy Note's password, you can unlock the device without a factory reset, but only if you can answer your security question or if you have a Google Account set up on the phone. Note that the Google login prompt only displays after several unsuccessful attempts with your password. If you do not have a Google Account associated with the tablet or a security question configured on the device, you must do a factory reset to recover your device's password.
Step 1
Enter an incorrect password on the Galaxy Note lock screen five times. A warning dialog box displays the message, “Tap Next to unlock with security question or try again in 30 seconds. You have 5 tries left.”
Step 2
Tap “Next” to display the Unlock Screen options: answering your security question or logging in with your Google Account.
Step 3
Tap “Answer Question” to display your security question. To log in with your Google Account, tap “Enter Google Account Details.” Tap “Next.”
Step 4
Type the answer to the security question in the Answer field, and then click “OK” if you chose to answer the security question. If the answer is correct, the device unlocks and the operating system loads. For the Google Account method, type your Google username and password in the Google login screen, and then tap “Sign In.” Your Galaxy Note unlocks and you can now reset your device password from the Settings menu.
Tips
- If you cannot remember your Google Account information, access the Google Account Recovery tool to obtain your username and/or reset your account password (see Resources).
Warnings
- Note that logging in to your tablet with your Google Account does not recover your existing device password. You must reset your password once the device is unlocked.
- Information provided in this article applies to the Galaxy Note tablet running Android 4.0 and higher. Instructions may vary slightly or significantly for other versions of the operating system.
Writer Bio
Randall Blackburn has worked for several Fortune 1000 companies as a technical writer over the past seven years. He has produced a wide variety of technical documentation, including detailed programming specifications and research papers. Randall has also acquired several years' experience writing web content. Randall lives and works in Austin, TX.