Disable the android lock screen password with VPN enabled (stored credentials)

While I was out the other night and playing around on my phone.  I started wondering if the Home Automation app I made over the last few months would work over VPN (The home automation back-end is only available through the local network… don’t want joe blow turning my speakers on at 3am!).  So I jumped into the Settings of my android phone and then into the VPN section.

I was surprised to see that I needed a password protected lock screen to have a VPN account set up.  I can understand if you were going to store the password on the phone, but I had planned to type it in when connecting (I really wouldn’t be using it much).  So I set up a pattern password and connected to my VPN.  The app worked fine!

I put my phone down and later came back to it, but GASP!  I had forgotten my pattern.  After a few wrong tries the unlock screen had a “Forgot Password” button on the bottom right.

Google’s forgot password function for android phones uses your Google ID and password set up on the phone.  If you can produce these credentials your phone will load into the lock screen password setup section.  I swiped in the new pattern the first time, then on the confirmation I screwed it up.  Instinctively I hit cancel to go back and try it again…  But the home screen came up.

I powered off  my phone and turned it back on and sure enough I had my old unprotected lock screen back.

So to re-cap,

To Remove a password lock screen with VPN/Stored Credentials on Android

1. Set up VPN
2. Add pattern unlock screen
3. lock phone and swipe the wrong password 3-5 times
4. tap “forgot password”
5. log in with your Google account
6. Cancel on the confirm password

And with that you have stored credentials without a password protected lock screen.