So it seems that I’ve managed to stumble across a bug in the Samsung Galaxy S2’s lock screen. In a similar vein to the iPhone lock screen bugs of years gone past this one allows you to bypass the lock screen and gain access to the phone without having to enter in the code. I’ve done a short video to show how this particular bug works:

In essence it appears to be due to the voice activation program. Now I don’t really use this feature so the bug could possibly be due to the disclaimer still being there, but in any case should you have the lock screen set to the numerical keypad there’s a high likelihood that this bug affects you.

Some quick info about my phone for those looking to replicate this bug:

  • UK version hardware
  • CF-Root kernel 
  • VillainROM 2.4
  • Otherwise stock, no other mods installed
I’ve tested this bug with the pattern match and password lock screens and they don’t appear to be affected by this particular bug.
So if you’re using the numerical lock screen on the Galaxy S2 I’d recommend changing to either the pattern match or password screens just in case this bug isn’t isolated to my particular set up. I’ve only had the chance to test this on my handset so I’m not sure how wide spread it is, but I know my current configuration isn’t uncommon so chances are it’s affecting a few people out there.

About the Author

David Klemke

David is an avid gamer and technology enthusiast in Australia. He got his first taste for both of those passions when his father, a radio engineer from the University of Melbourne, gave him an old DOS box to play games on.

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