It doesn’t matter what phone you have. Whether it’s running Google’s operating system or an iPhone, chances are a lock screen will be the first thing you see every time you turn on your device. Logically, having to go through this screen, even if it’s just to swipe or enter a pattern, PIN or password or perform a fingerprint scan, delays access to your applications for a few seconds.
And in the times in which we live, these seconds are gold. At a time when immediacy is essential, there are many users of the two platforms who want to skip this step to immediately access all the content that is stored on the mobile phone. Logically, doing this entails a risk that each one has to assume, because without a lock screen all our data is exposed to the eyes of anyone.
If you’re not too concerned about the privacy of your device and don’t want to waste precious seconds swiping by touching your screen every time you want to use it, then completely disabling the lock screen is just a few simple steps away from making your life easier.
Remove screen lock
Both iOS and Android hide this security setting among the Settings options. Of course, in Google’s operating system the process can be somewhat different depending on the customization layer, but, in general, you will always find it in a security menu .
If you are already aware of the risks you expose yourself to by disabling the lock screen, this is what you have to do in each operating system.
on Android
Most Android phones don’t require you to go through a lock screen if you want to. The key is to access the Security settings to disable this panel and go directly to the home screen when the phone is turned on. This is how it’s done:
- Open the Settings panel from the app drawer or by tapping the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the notification tray.
- Now select the Security or Passwords menu.
- Tap on Screen lock or Lock screen password.
- Select None or Disable.
- If you already have an unlock set up (pattern, PIN, password or fingerprint scan).
Now that the lock screen has been completely removed, when you turn on your phone in the future, you’ll be immediately taken to whatever screen was active the last time you used the device.
on iOS
In iOS, the process is somewhat different from what we have just seen, since we do not really have a security menu as such, but the options of Face ID (the facial recognition that helps us to unlock the mobile) and code .
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone
- Scroll down to the Face ID and passcode options
- When prompted, enter the current six-digit code
- Scroll down to locate the Reset Face ID menu
- Again, enter your old code
- Now you must go to the Request code option
- On this screen, simply select to never be prompted
On your iPhone you also have the option to re-activate these options following the same path so as not to leave the smartphone unprotected.
Remove SIM lock
All smartphones on the market have a double lock . Beyond configuring the level of protection on our smartphone, we also have the option to activate (and deactivate, as is the case) the SIM PIN so that, now, no credentials are required when turning on the phone.
on your android
Again in Android the path changes depending on the operating system you are working with. Therefore, the easiest way to access this menu is by opening the Settings panel and entering the text “SIM” , to directly enter its configuration. Typically, the steps will be similar to these:
- Open the master Settings of your smartphone
- Scroll down to the Security or Password options
- Then tap Sone System security or advanced settings at the bottom of the screen to display more options
- Now click on SIM card lock
- If you have a Dual-SIM smartphone, choose the appropriate SIM card by tapping on the corresponding network
- Disable the SIM Lock button
- Enter the SIM PIN to confirm the operation
on iPhone
As it happens in Android, to eliminate, which is to eliminate forever the PIN of your telephone card is impossible. What you can do is prevent the iPhone from asking you every time the smartphone is turned on.
If you want to not be prompted to enter your SIM PIN every time you boot up your Apple phone, follow these steps:
- Open the iOS Settings app
- Locate the Mobile Data menu and click on it
- Scroll down to the SIM PIN options
- turn off the switch
A highly unrecommended option.
As you can see, disabling the lock screen on your phone, be it an Android or an iPhone, is quite an easy task. However, since this is removing a more important level of security from your device, is this something you should do? Like everything that has to do with your device, it all depends on you and what you decide.
Every time you remove a layer of protection from your smartphone , you are technically making it more vulnerable to being tampered with and putting everything stored inside it at risk. If someone gets hold of your phone and there’s no lock screen to protect it, they have instant access to all your apps, contacts, photos, videos, and other personal information.
From that perspective, what makes the most sense is for most of us to leave the lock screen on . No matter how simple the code that we configure, even if it is only a four-digit PIN, it will be better than leaving the screen without any type of security, free for anyone
As we have already said, if you don’t like the lock screen and you place a lot of value on getting to your home screen as soon as possible, nothing prevents you from deactivating it. As long as you know that doing this makes your phone less secure, accessing the home screen directly when you press the power button is a real advantage, but that’s what fingerprint sensors already exist for and face unlock systems have Helped speed up the process of bypassing the lock screen , without compromising device security.