What unlock pattern to use? 7 that you should never use on your smartphone

If you have a smartphone , it is very likely that you do not want prying eyes from the outside. To avoid them, all devices allow you to configure a series of locks based on passwords, pins or patterns . Today we tell you why you should never use one of the patterns that we are going to show you. If you want to have some privacy and security on your smartphone, it is not a very good idea to have one of the most common unlock patterns . Keep reading this is important!

In 2022 , almost all smartphones have a fingerprint or facial recognition unlocking system. Despite these systems, it is necessary to configure a secondary one in case the first one fails. The pattern is one of the most chosen by users around the world.

The 7 most common Lock Patterns in 2022

The good news is that there are studies that reveal what the most common patterns are , so that you can avoid them. If someone steals your smartphone, the first thing they will probably do is try one of these common patterns. If he gets everything it will be easier for him. These are the most used patterns in 2022:

Tips to have a good unlock pattern

Marte Loge used his thesis to understand how users behaved when setting a lock pattern . He discovered interesting things that you can use to configure one much more secure than normal. First things first: do not put any of those that are reflected in the image above.

  1. The more dots, the better: depending on the number of dots your pattern goes through, it will be more complex and have more possible combinations. A 4-point pattern has 1,624 possible combinations, while a 7-point pattern has 72,192 possible combinations.
  2. Avoid the top left dot: The study reveals that 44% of patterns around the world start with the dot in the top left corner . Avoid it.
  1. In general, forget the corners: 77% of the world patterns start with one of the corners. If you avoid them you will be in the lower percentage and it will be less common.
  1. Do not choose the shape of a letter: most users choose the shape of a letter for their pattern. This is a very bad idea, since it reduces the combinations to less than two tens.
  2. Nor numbers: as with letters, numbers are not a good option either, as there are even fewer possibilities.
  3. Never put an “O” or a “Z”: among the aforementioned the letter o and z are the most common patterns in the world at the moment.
  4. Use 8 points and randomness: The study finally reveals that using a random 8 point lock pattern is the most secure. At first you will have to get used to it and learn it, but it is the most recommended if you want to have privacy.

Now you know which lock patterns you should never put on your smartphone and some tricks to improve the one you already have. Of course, it has also been shown that using passwords with letters and numbers is much more secure .