Unlock your Samsung Galaxy Core mini 4G

OS: Android 4.3 Jelly Bean

CPU: Marvell PXA1088, Processor clock: 1.20 GHz,

RAM: 1 GB

Display: Color / TFT, 16M colors, 480 x 800 px (4.30") 217 ppi, ~62.2% screen-to-body ratio

Camera: 5 Mpx

Battery: Li-Ion 2000 mAh

1. Use the Tenorshare 4uKey for Android app.
2. Make a hard reset (factory reset).
3. How to use a low battery to unlock a phone locked with a graphic key.
4. Delete 'gesture.key' and 'password.key' using Aroma File Manager.
5. Restore access to your smartphone using your Google Account.

1. Use the Tenorshare 4uKey for Android app.

Connect your phone to PC and launch Tenorshare 4uKey for Android.
A menu will appear on the screen, press Remove.
The program will warn you about deleting all data on the phone, to continue working, click OK.
Wait until the end of the operation, and put your smartphone into recovery mode according to the instructions on the computer screen.
Click the Next button and follow the instructions on the screen. After rebooting the smartphone, the screen lock will be disabled.

2. Make a hard reset (factory reset)

To get started, turn off your smartphone.Simultaneously press and hold for about 10-15 seconds one of the button combinations:
Volume down button + Power button;
Volume up button + Power button;
Volume down button + Power button + Home button;
Volume down button + Volume up button + Power button.
Select Recovery by using the volume up/down buttons to move through the menu and confirm the selection by pressing the power button.
Using the volume buttons to navigate through the menu, select Wipe data/factory reset. and confirm by pressing the power button.
Confirm the reset operation and reboot your smartphone

3. How to use a low battery to unlock a phone locked with a graphic key.

You need to wait until the battery of the phone is discharged.
When a few percent of the charge remains, the phone will report this and open a menu with power settings, that is, the lock will be removed.
You need to quickly find the page with security settings in the menu and disable the lock.

4. Delete 'gesture.key' and 'password.key' using Aroma File Manager.

Turn off your phone and prepare a memory card.
Download Aroma File Manager via computer to your phone's memory card. Insert a memory card into your smartphone.
Put your smartphone into recovery mode using the appropriate button combination for your model.
In recovery mode, find the item Install zip. Then go to Install zip from sdcard -> Choose zip from sdcard, go to the archive folder with this program and select it.
You need to find the /data/system folder and delete the files 'gesture.key' and 'password.key' (for Android 4.4 or lower) or 'getekeeper.password.key' and 'getekeeper.pattern.key' (for Android 5 or higher)
Reboot your phone. The block will be removed.

5. Restore access to your smartphone using your Google Account.

After several attempts to unlock the phone, Forgot password? will appear on the screen. Click on it.
Choose to regain access by entering your Google Account login password.
Remove the screen lock in the settings.

Thomas Nilan
Smartphone Expert

Thomas Nilan is a mobile phone expert with in-depth knowledge of the Android and iOS operating systems, who understands the settings of various hidden features that allow you to expand the capabilities of your smartphone, as well as get information about what is going on inside the phone for future repairs. He is an authority in his field, which has allowed him to become a ghostwriter for several technology publications, and he enjoys writing small mobile applications for testing smartphones.