Unlock your Samsung Galaxy Star Advance

OS: Android v4.4.2 (Kitkat)

CPU: Single core, 1.2 GHz, Cortex A7

RAM: 512 MB

Display: 4.3 inches (10.92 cm)

Battery: 1800 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.
In the menu that appears, click Remove.
The program will warn you about deleting all data from the smartphone, to continue working, click OK.
Wait until the end of the operation, and put the phone into recovery mode.
Click the Next button, then follow the steps recommended by the program to restore the device to factory settings and reboot it. After starting 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.
Using the volume up / down buttons, select Recovery and press the power button.
Select Wipe data/factory reset. using volume buttons to navigate through the menu and confirm selection by pressing the power button.
At the end, confirm the reset operation.

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

You need to ensure that the phone battery is discharged. To speed up the process, make sure that the screen is constantly lit.
When the battery has a few percent charge left, the phone will notify about this and open the menu with power settings, that is, it will unlock the phone.
You need to quickly go to the security 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.
Copy the Aroma File Manager program to the phone's memory card. Insert a memory card into your smartphone.
Using a combination of buttons, put your smartphone into recovery mode.
In recovery mode, select the Install zip option. Then select Install zip from sdcard, Choose zip from sdcard, go to the archive folder with this program and select it.
After running the program, you will need to select the folder /data/system 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)
Restart your smartphone. The screen lock will be released.

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

After several unsuccessful ways to unlock the phone, Forgot password? will appear on the screen. Click on it.
You will be asked to enter your Google Account username and password.
Remove the screen lock.

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.