[Android 0]

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority

TL;DR

• Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 includes code for a “Unlock with Google Account” feature, which would let users recover locked-out phones without performing a factory reset.
• Google previously allowed pattern unlock resets using Google account credentials until Android 4.4, but later removed the feature, forcing everyone locked out of their phone to factory reset.
• The unreleased feature appears to be optional, which would balance the needs of everyday consumers and security-conscious users.

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Google released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 last week, and we are digging into the release to see what the company has in store for us. We’ve now found clues of a new feature in the works that could soon let you unlock your Android phone with your linked Google account credentials if you ever forget your PIN or password, which could finally save users from the nuclear option of a factory reset when they are locked out of their devices.

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