Number 3 pattern lock

How to draw the number 3 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 3 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 3 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 7 again.

Start at dot 13 (bottom-left corner).
Go to dot 14 (row 4, column 2).
Go to dot 15 (row 4, column 3).
Go to dot 12 (row 3, column 4).
Go to dot 7 (row 2, column 3).
Go to dot 6 (row 2, column 2).
Go to dot 8 (row 2, column 4), passing over dot 7 again.
Go to dot 3 (row 1, column 3).
Go to dot 2 (row 1, column 2).
Finish at dot 1 (top-left corner).

PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 32/100 (Weak): 10 dots, 1 crossing, starting at the bottom-left corner.

Try the 4×4 version

Number 3 pattern lock on a 3×3 grid, step by step: 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 9, 8, 7 — Green = start, yellow = end. Numbers show the order.

The number 3 on a 3×3 grid

An exact number 3 isn’t possible on the 3×3 grid: Android never lets you select a dot twice, and this shape would need it. The closest pattern adds the line 1–6, which isn’t part of the number.

Start at dot 5 (center).
Go to dot 6 (middle right).
Go to dot 1 (top-left corner).
Go to dot 2 (top middle).
Go to dot 3 (top-right corner).
Go to dot 9 (bottom-right corner), passing over dot 6 again.
Go to dot 8 (bottom middle).
Finish at dot 7 (bottom-left corner).

PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 42/100 (Weak): 8 dots, 2 crossings, starting at the center.

Try it in the simulator

Is a number 3 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 3

On 3×3 the number 3 already uses almost every dot, so there’s no room to hide it inside a longer stroke. If you want to keep it, the 4×4 version on this page gives you more room; otherwise, the safest pattern is one of your own that doesn’t spell anything.

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.