This trick will guide you on how to unlock and android device with a broken or cracked screen. I have been a fan of touch screen smart phones since the time they first came out and I can’t even imagine going back to a non touch screen phone. While touch screen phones are probably the best in terms of interface and functionality, since you can directly press on the screen for accessing anything, some touch screen phones are sensitive, and once something goes wrong, they can leave you frustrated.
One of the problems that most Android users face is a cracked, broken or inaccessible touch screen. The problem here is that you’ll be able to see everything on your phone, but you won’t be able to interact with the screen. In such instances, I’m sure many of us remember the good old phones with hard keys. The problem for most users here isn’t that they need to get their phones repaired, but that their phones are locked and they can’t put in the password in order to backup all the important files.
Like many other problems on Android phones, there are solutions to this problem as well and even if you can’t access your touch screen, you can learn how to unlock Android device with cracked or broken screens with the methods below. Note that the methods mentioned below aren’t official solutions to this problem, but rather they’re workarounds that a lot of Android users have had success with and they should work on some of the most popular Android phones, such as Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One, Nexus 5 and Motorola Moto X. Also, they should work other less known Android tablets and phones. You might also try our guides on replacing cracked screens for the S3 and Galaxy S4.
Method 1: Android Debug Bridge
The Android Debug Bridge or ADB solution is the most successful and popular solution for this problem since you don’t need to purchase any fancy stuff in order to unlock your Android phone. You’ll need a PC and a micro USB cable to connect your phone to your PC. This method will only work if you have USB debugging enabled on your Android phone.
If you don’t have it enabled, then proceed to the second method. You’ll need to install the Android SDK (software development kit) package on your PC along with your phone’s specific USB drivers.
Step 1: Download the Android SDK package on your PC. You can download it through this link. Make sure that you download the correct 32-bit or 64-bit version for your PC. Once downloaded, extract the zip file on your PC.
Step 2: Download USB drivers for your phone. You can get the USB drivers for your phone from your manufacturer’s website.
Step 3: Launch the Command Prompt on your PC and change the directory to where the ADB file is located. Type in the following command in Command Prompt.
cd C:/android/platform-tools
Step 4: Connect your Android phone to your PC using a micro USB cable and enter the following command. If your phone is recognized, you’ll see some numbers in the Command Prompt message.
adb devices
Step 5: Type in the following two commands. You’ll need to type in the second command immediately after the first one. Replace 1234 in the first command with your actual password.
adb shell input text 1234
shell input keyevent 66
Step 6: If the process is successful, your phone should be unlocked. You can now backup all your important files.s
Method 2: USB On the Go Mouse
If the first method didn’t work with your phone or if you don’t have USB debugging enabled, then this is the next best alternative. This method focuses on using a mouse in order to interact with the phone. This is the same way that you interact with your non touch screen PC. Surprisingly, a USB mouse and other USB accessories work quite well with Android phones and tablets.
However, you’ll need to purchase an OTG adapter in order to connect the mouse with your phone. While most Android phones and tablets support OTG, some phones cannot be used with an OTG adapter. Make sure that you do your research on whether your phone supports OTG. Some of the latest phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One support OTG. You can also check out this OTG compatibility list.
Step 1: Get an OTG adapter for your phone. You can find it at your local mobile store. You can also buy one from Amazon for about $5.
Step 2: Get a USB mouse if you don’t already have one connected to your PC. They are available at computer stores.
Step 3:
Connect the micro USB side of the OTG cable in your Android tablet or phone and plug in the USB mouse in the OTG adapter.
Step 4: As soon as you connect the mouse, you should see a pointer on your screen. You can now use the mouse to unlock the pattern or use it to press the keys of the on-screen keyboard if you have a password lock android pattern
Conclusion
One of the reasons Android is my favorite operating system is because there is a solution to almost every problem. A dead touch screen might be a nightmare for you, especially if you have a lot of important data on your phone. However, using the methods mentioned above on how to unlock your Android device with a cracked or broken screen, you can easily unlock your phone and backup all your important data before getting your phone repaired. Again, both these methods are workarounds to this problem and they might not work with some devices. That being said, they are probably the only two solutions that you can use in order to unlock your phone without interacting with the touch screen.
Method 1 is perfect if you have USB debugging enabled on your phone, since you don’t need to purchase anything and the entire process takes only several minutes. If, however, USB debugging is disabled on your phone or if the ADB commands didn’t work with your phone, then you can use a USB mouse in order to unlock your phone. Make sure that you check whether your phone or tablet supports OTG before getting an OTG adapter. Whichever method you choose, make sure that you follow all the instructions properly and feel free to ask any questions below.
