Locked screen or locked Xperia phone - What to do if you forgot your pin, password or pattern

If you forget your screen lock PIN, password or pattern, there are two ways to recover your Xperia device:

1. Use Google's Find my Device app. 
2. Use the Xperia Companion computer application.

Before anything else, you need to know your Google account

Before performing any of the actions described in this article, ensure you know your Google account e-mail and password. Depending on your security settings, your Xperia device may lock after a reset or repair. You must then enter your Google account username and password to use the phone. If you don't remember your Google account username and password, you cannot unlock the phone yourself. 

Tip: You can recover your Google account username and password using the Google Account Recovery page.

How to use the Find My Device app to reset my Xperia phone

What do I need to reset my phone this way?

• Your phone is turned on
• Your phone has access to the internet (data or Wifi) 
• Find My Device is activated on your phone
• Your Google account (e-mail address) and password

How to perform a remote reset

In short, you will have to factory reset your phone to reaccess it. That means all user data on the internal memory of your phone will be deleted: including downloaded apps, photos, and device settings.
Unless you remove the SD card before you reset your device, user data on the card will be deleted in most cases. Luckily, your Google account already restores a lot of information when you log in again (e.g. downloaded apps). 

1. Turn off your Xperia smartphone and remove the SD card to avoid deleting user data from the SD card.
2. Turn your phone back on. If it has an active Wifi connection or mobile connection, it should reconnect automatically. 
3. On a computer or in a mobile browser, go to the sign-in page for Find My Device.
4. Sign in to the Google account that is registered on your smartphone. (The Google account you used to set up your phone). 
5. Choose the Erase device option and follow the on-screen instructions. Remember that this action will delete all user data on the internal memory of your device.
6. After you remotely erase the content, you can set up your device again with your Google account and a new screen lock.

How to use the Software repair feature on Xperia Companion to reset my Xperia phone

What do I need to reset my phone this way?

• Xperia Companion
• A USB cable
• A computer with an active internet connection and 4GB of free space available
• Your phone needs to be turned OFF, but with a minimum battery level of 80%. 
• Your Google account (e-mail address) and password

How to perform a software repair with Xperia Companion

• All user data on the internal memory of your device will be deleted, including downloaded apps, photos, and device settings. Content on the SD card will not be deleted.
• Tip: If you can’t turn off your Xperia device before performing a software repair, force it to shut down. To shut down, press and hold down the power key and the volume up key simultaneously until the device emits three vibrations.

1. Computer: If not already installed, download, install and start the Xperia Companion application.
2. Xperia phone: Make sure you turn your phone OFF and connect it to the computer with a USB cable. 
3. Computer: Open the Xperia Companion software on the computer and click Software repair on the main screen.
4. Mark the My device cannot be detected checkbox, then click Next.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.