How to Reset Google Pixel When Locked Out: A Complete Guide

Even you're the owner, your Google Pixel phone would refuse to open when you forgot your password, PIN, or pattern. Here's how to factory reset your Google Pixel when locked to regain control of it.

Few things are more frustrating than being locked out of your phone. Whether you've forgotten your PIN, password, or pattern, or your device has become unresponsive, the situation can feel overwhelming. For Google Pixel users, this is a common search: "how can I reset Google Pixel phone when locked."

The good news is that there are multiple ways to regain access after resetting your locked Google Pixel, from performing a hard reset to using Google's Find Hub or even a computer-based unlock tool. But instead of approaching this as a random troubleshooting exercise, this guide ensures that the reset process is clear, measurable, and repeatable.

If you want to quickly factory reset a Google Pixel phone when locked, go with the popular Higospot Android Unlocker. As the name implies, it is a dedicated screen unlocking tool for Android users to unlock Android devices, including Google Pixel, when you're locked due to a forgotten PIN, password, pattern, regardless of how complex it's.

Table of Contents

• Why you need to reset a Google Pixel when locked
• Method 1. Hard Reset via Recovery Mode
• Method 2. Factory Reset Using Google Find Hub
• Method 3. Use Higospot Android Unlocker

This article will not only explain the different methods to reset a Google Pixel when locked—including factory reset, hard reset, and using a computer

Why you need to reset a Google Pixel when locked

Why do users end up searching "how to factory reset Google Pixel phone when locked out?" The reasons vary:

• Forgotten password, PIN, or pattern.
• A malfunctioning or frozen screen.
• A second‑hand device that still has the previous owner's credentials.
• Security measures like Factory Reset Protection (FRP) that complicate recovery.

Complicating matters, there are multiple reset methods—Android Recovery Mode, Google Find Hub, Android unlocking tools—and each has its own pros and cons.

To successfully reset a Google Pixel phone when locked, follow these options:

Method 1. Hard Reset via Recovery Mode

This is the most direct way to reset a Pixel when you can't access the screen. Keep in mind that after you reset the Google Pixel phone to its factory settings, all you data that hasn't been backed up in Google will gone forever.

Steps to reset a Google Pixel phone when locked out:

1. Power off the Pixel phone.

2. Hold Power + Volume Down until Fastboot Mode appears.

3. Use volume keys to select Recovery Mode, then press Power.

4. When the Android logo appears, hold Power and press Volume Up.

5. Select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm.

6. Select Reboot system now after the reset.

By entering Android recovery mode, you can hard reset your Google Pixel phone that's locked. After that, You will want to verify that the phone boots to the setup screen.

Method 2. Factory Reset Using Google Find Hub

Formerly known as Google Find My Device, Find Hub is Google's upgraded device location service that can also help factory resetting a Google Pixel when locked or lost, just remotely. If your Pixel phone is linked to a Google account and online, you can reset it with this service.

To reset Google Pixel when you're locked:

1. On a computer, go to android.com/find in a web browser.

2. Sign in with the Google account linked to the Google Pixel device.

3. Select your device from the list, and then choose Factory reset device.

4. Confirm to wipe all data remotely. You may need to enter your Google account password to confirm your identity.

You can access Find Hub via the web interface or access from another Android device that has installed the app from the Google Play Store.

Tip: if you can't find your Google Pixel, for example, at home or office, you may click the "Play sound" option in the service, which helps you find nearby devices by making them ring.

Method 3. Use Higospot Android Unlocker

To reset your Google Pixel phone when locked out, you can also use the third-party dedicated screen unlocking tool, something like Higospot Android Unlocker. It's a computer-based tool that can get rid of different screen lock types (PIN, password, or pattern), as well as offers FRP bypass feature. This is especially useful if you don't have access to Google Find Hub and you want to reset it quickly.

For beginners, the software provides on-screen wizard to complete the factory reset task when you're locked out of your Google Pixel (or any other Android device).

Win Download

Follow these steps to reset Google Pixel phone to factory settings when locked.

Step 1. Launch Android Unlocker, and select "Remove Screen Password" feature there.

Step 2. Next, Choose "Google" when asking which brand of the device is.

Step 3. Plug your Pixel phone into the computer.

Step 4. Finally, click "Remove Now" button.

Give it a few minutes until you see a successfully reset message on the interface.

Now, you can set the Google Pixel up and use it again. If you have data backed up in Google drive (or other cloud services), during the setup, you can sign into your Google account, and restore your data from a recent backup.

What's difference: reset, factory reset, hard reset, wipe, erase

In the Android world they actually mean different things.

Reset: For software reset, it means simply rebooting the phone; For Hard reset or factory reset, it's more drastic form that restores settings or wipe data.

Factory Reset: Restores the Google Pixel phone when locked to its original factory settings, like when you first bought it. It erases all user data (apps, photos, contacts, settings) while keeps the operating system and pre‑installed apps.

Hard Reset: Performing a factory reset via Recovery Mode when you can't access the Google Pixel phone's settings. This does erase data.

Wipe: Same as a factory reset—erases all user data. It can be acted as a command in Android Recovery Mode, such as "Wipe data/factory reset."

Erase: Completely deletes all user data from the phone, similar to a factory reset. "Erase" emphasizes data removal, while "reset" emphasizes restoring settings.