Number 1 pattern lock
How to draw the number 1 as an Android unlock pattern, step by step, on the standard 3×3 grid and on 4×4, with the security score PatternGuard’s analyzer gives each version.
The number 1 on a 3×3 grid
The number 1 can be drawn exactly on the 3×3 grid thanks to one Android rule most people don’t know: the stroke may pass over a dot you already used. That lets you go back over a line: in step 6 the stroke passes over dot 8 again.
- Start at dot 4 (middle left).
- Go to dot 2 (top middle).
- Go to dot 5 (center).
- Go to dot 8 (bottom middle).
- Go to dot 7 (bottom-left corner).
- Finish at dot 9 (bottom-right corner), passing over dot 8 again.
PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 25/100 (Weak): 6 dots, 1 crossing, starting at the middle left.
Is a number 1 pattern safe?
Not really. Numbers are easy to guess when they mean something: a birthday, a house number, a favorite number. A single digit drawn on the grid is also a short, recognizable shape that’s easy to spot over someone’s shoulder.
A stronger way to use the number 1
If you like the number 1, don’t draw it on its own. Adding 2 dots after it keeps the shape you remember but hides it inside a longer stroke: 4 → 2 → 5 → 8 → 7 → 9 → 1 → 6 scores 68/100 (Strong), against 25 for the plain number 1.
It’s still published here, so treat it as an example of the idea, not as a pattern to copy. The safest pattern is one of your own that doesn’t spell anything.
The number 1 on a 4×4 grid
Stock Android uses the 3×3 grid; 4×4 shows up in some custom ROMs and lock-screen apps, and the simulator supports it. The number 1 can be drawn exactly on the 4×4 grid thanks to one Android rule most people don’t know: the stroke may pass over a dot you already used. That lets you go back over a line: in step 7 the stroke passes over dot 14 again.
Order: 5 → 2 → 6 → 10 → 14 → 13 → 15
PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 27/100 (Weak): 7 dots, 1 crossing, starting at the row 2, column 1.
Why some numbers can’t be drawn exactly
Android’s pattern lock has three rules: at least 4 dots, no dot can be selected twice, and if the stroke passes over a dot you haven’t used yet, Android adds it automatically. Passing over a dot you already used is allowed, which is how some shapes can be traced exactly. On 3×3, shapes with a closed loop or three or more loose ends (like A, B or O) still need one line left out or one line added; the 4×4 grid has more room, but not always enough.