Vodaphone Locked and Forgot passcode. In Foreign Country.

[Margitta]

Typing for my mom.

Shes visiting the US for several weeks. 

Brought her vodaphone.  Turned it off for plane flight.  When it turned back on - locked screen requiring passcode, which she forgot. No computer account.

Advice on how to reset or get info from US location?

[hrym]

This may be tricky, as you mother will need to give permission for you to deal with her account.  As the passcode is personal to the owner, it's unlikely to be recorded anywhere else, so the only solution may be a reset.   Tell your mother not to keep trying  codes at random as she may lock herself out of the device completely.

[Margitta]

Hi!

Thank you for responding.  If we do a hard reset, will we lose all of her saved pictures?  And will the reset definitely work?

Thanks so much for helping!

[hrym]

Anything stored on the phone will be deleted, yes.  It'll start up as it came out of the box.   Your apps should reinstall when you sign into Google and tick the "restore" box.   You should. of course, ever rely on a single point of storage for anything that can't be replicated - sync photos with Google Photos and/or Dropbox (etc) for instance.   Storage can and will fail, it's just a question of when.

I'm not going to offer firm advice on the efficacy of the process ro the exact steps to take as I've never tried it, but I believe it should work.  @BandOfBrothers, can you help here?

I'd also be inclined to suggest that your mother waits until she's home, if she can and especially if she isn't confident with technology.   If she is, you can pass messages on to her.

[BandOfBrothers]

@Margitta

Hi @hrym

Just to clarify is this the 4 digit passlock to open the phone to use it ?

And which model of phone is it?

[Margitta]

Hello!

Yes.  The 4 digit passcode to unlock the first phone screen.

it is a HUAWEI

CEO682

That is all the info on the exterior of the phone. 

Thank You

[BandOfBrothers]

With some phones if you enter the passlock too many times it asks then for the Google Account details in order to reset the phone. 

The other way is indeed a Hard Reset but as discussed that takes the phone back to the last firmware update. 

If regular back ups haven't been carried out then information coulld be lost.

To be honest even with backing up to various places like online vaults some info can still be lost. 

I'd suggest also to pack it away and buy a cheap unlocked to all networks phone and deal with this on the return to the UK.