Help with my locked phone

[CDA2021]

Hello all, been after help for a while but randomly I have a back up phone. Ages ago I got a new Wileyfox Android phone and the headphone jack started playing up after a few months. They tried to fix it, sent it back but it was still wrong. So they sent me a new refurbished phone.... however they had still kept the bloody android pattern lock of who had previously set up the phone! Now they tried to sort it out over the internet but it became more and more frustrating and in the end they just sent me a new phone. But they never got me to send the locked phone back. I am wondering now if I could unlock it somehow? I have tried factory reset but that doesn't work! I tried looking online but no help - which would make sense. Usually if you are trying to get into a locked phone it is for dodgy reasons! I tried checking some YouTube videos but got nowhere really. Do you think it is something someone might be able to solve or help me with? Thank you! Would be great to be able to go and use that phone instead as my latest phone is also being a pain!

Thanks all
CDA

 

[Mikestony]

They let you keep the refurbished, locked phone?
Have you tried to contact them about returning it? I'd be concerned about them charging you for it someday when you least expect it.

 

[CDA2021]

They let you keep the refurbished, locked phone?
Have you tried to contact them about returning it? I'd be concerned about them charging you for it someday when you least expect it.

No it is fine, I think they messed me around so much that they left it. It was a year or two back now. I also think the Wileyfox brand owners got took over or went out of business. I would never buy another one, thought we would give a British made brand a try but it was not overly positive.

Still I hate to think this phone is wasted, it would be nice to get it working.

Cheers

 

[Hadron]

The problem is that if it has the previous pattern lock on it it probably also has the previous person's Google account on it (which, incidentally, means that the shop that sent it to you is incredibly sloppy!). If it was just the pattern lock then going into recovery and doing a factory reset would fix it. So since you did that presumably it no longer has the pattern lock, but is now asking you for a password?

If so, yup, you've just encountered the anti-theft measure known as "factory reset protection". And without the password from that Google account the phone is a brick. (OK, there are methods of bypassing that work for some phones running some software versions , though these are patched in later updates when discovered. But those "somes" are important here. I don't know whether there is any method for this phone running whichever software build it is running, though for the reasons you say I'd not want to post it if I did).

If you still have the pattern lock after a factory reset, then your phone did not perform the reset. No idea why, FRP does not prevent that, but a reset should clear the pattern so if it hasn't then the reset failed for some reason.

 

[CDA2021]

The problem is that if it has the previous pattern lock on it it probably also has the previous person's Google account on it (which, incidentally, means that the shop that sent it to you is incredibly sloppy!). If it was just the pattern lock then going into recovery and doing a factory reset would fix it. So since you did that presumably it no longer has the pattern lock, but is now asking you for a password?

If so, yup, you've just encountered the anti-theft measure known as "factory reset protection". And without the password from that Google account the phone is a brick. (OK, there are methods of bypassing that work for some phones running some software versions , though these are patched in later updates when discovered. But those "somes" are important here. I don't know whether there is any method for this phone running whichever software build it is running, though for the reasons you say I'd not want to post it if I did).

If you still have the pattern lock after a factory reset, then your phone did not perform the reset. No idea why, FRP does not prevent that, but a reset should clear the pattern so if it hasn't then the reset failed for some reason.

Yes I tried the full factory reset and the pattern was still there and it wanted me to sign in with the Google address that last used it.... Which of course wasn't me!

I really hate the idea of it being a brick! But it is looking more like it if noone here has a clue how to solve it. Really appreciate your help anyhow!

Cheers

 

[DonB]

The only other way I can think of is if your able to get it into Recovery Boot mode, and reset it from there, but no promises. Looks like all other options have been exhausted.

Also from what I read, WF is in administration, so that's not good either, either way, good luck.

 

[Dannydet]

Never buy a second hand phone. Because now you are stuck.
It's not that anyone here can't help you, it's just your options are limited at this point

 

[CDA2021]

Never buy a second hand phone. Because now you are stuck.
It's not that anyone here can't help you, it's just your options are limited at this point

Well I bought a new phone, the headphone jack went so I asked for a replacement. They didn't have a new one in my colour but they had a refurbished good as new one and, seen as I had had my phone for a few months, I thought that it was fair.

Turns out that it is unless your company are Muppets! Shame I don't know an ethical hacker who could sort that out!!
No wonder they went into administration!

Cheers
MJ

 

[Hadron]

"Muppets" is kinder than I would have been