How to set or change the screen lock on an Android phone

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Open Settings, tap Security (Security & privacy on newer phones) and tap Screen lock. Enter your current PIN, pattern or password if you have one, choose the new type and follow the steps. Google recommends a PIN with six digits or a strong password.

The screen lock is what stands between a finder or thief and everything on the phone. It also encrypts your data and is needed for fingerprint unlock, Google Wallet and theft protection.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

  1. Open Settings and tap Security

    On recent Pixel phones the entry is Security & privacy, then Device unlock. If you cannot find it, search the settings for Screen lock.

  2. Device unlockScreen lockFingerprint UnlockFace Unlock

    Tap Screen lock

    If a lock is already set, enter the current PIN, pattern or password first.

  3. Choose the type

    PIN: four or more digits. Six are recommended. Password: four or more letters or numbers. A strong password is the most secure choice. Pattern: a line you draw across nine dots. It is the easiest to watch over your shoulder.

  4. Enter it twice

    Follow the instructions and confirm. Choose something you have not used on a card or another device.

  5. Decide what the lock screen shows

    The phone asks whether notifications should show their content on the lock screen. Hiding sensitive content keeps codes and messages private.

  6. Add a fingerprint or face

    Back under Device unlock, set up Fingerprint Unlock or Face Unlock. They make unlocking quick. The PIN stays as the fallback and is asked for after a restart.

Good to know

None and Swipe give no protection at all. Anyone who picks up the phone can open it.

With a PIN of six or more digits you can switch on auto-confirm, so the phone unlocks without tapping Enter. Google notes that this is slightly less secure.

If you forget the lock, the only way back in is to erase the phone: forgot your Android PIN or pattern: how to get back in.

More protection against theft: how to turn on theft protection on Android.

In short: Settings, Security, Screen lock, current lock, choose PIN, password or pattern, enter twice, add a fingerprint.

Sources
  • Android Help: Set screen lock on an Android device

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.