Locked out of mobile phone

[JMB]

I have managed to get locked out of my mobile phone, had a brainstorm and entered wrong PIN. Of course once you get the PIN wrong then difficult to remember the correct PIN!

How do I get it locked?

Is it the SIM locked or the phone?

MB

[Kimberlin]

You haven’t stated what phone you have? Android or iPhone?

Just Google search your problem, you will undoubtedly find the answer rather than someone literally babbling 10 paragraphs of instructions.

[JMB]

As far as I can see they only suggest a factory reset.

I was wondering if the network can do anything.

Though I presume it will reload the phone contents after a reset as happens when you get a new phone?

It is a Samsung S25 Ultra which is Android and on BT / EE which is why I asked here.

[Kimberlin]

In which case then, call your phone provider either using someone else's phone or a landline if you have access to one. If your SIM is locked, only BT/EE will be able to help you.

[JMB]

I have not tried the SIM yet - is it likely to be locked?

I have my previous mobile phone that I could put the SIM in but just trying to confirm whether worth trying that.

If the phone reloads everything after a factory reset then might as well just do that but no point if the SIM card itself is locked so will not reload everything.

[Kimberlin]

It reads very much like your phone is locked, not the SIM. Try the SIM in another phone (at your own risk of course!) If it works then you know it’s your phone that is locked out not the SIM.

[imjolly]

surely if you were just logging into your from after starting up then it is the phone pin number you have wrong and normally it takes a set number of attempts before you get locked out.  If s25 ultra did you not set login using your fingerprint which save all the hassle of trying to remember PIN

If it is a SIM lock just take sim out and restart phone without a sim and see if that solves the problem

[Kimberlin]

@JMB  Did you resolve this?

[JMB · Accepted solution]

I normally use my fingerprint but you required to log in periodically.

I remembered my PIN later so was able to use that.

You cannot use the fingerprint when locked out, I would have thought they should allow it.

Will keep copies somewhere in future!