Number 6 pattern lock

How to draw the number 6 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 6 on a 3×3 grid

The number 6 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 7 the stroke passes over dot 4 again.

Start at dot 4 (middle left).
Go to dot 5 (center).
Go to dot 6 (middle right).
Go to dot 9 (bottom-right corner).
Go to dot 8 (bottom middle).
Go to dot 7 (bottom-left corner).
Go to dot 1 (top-left corner), passing over dot 4 again.
Go to dot 2 (top middle).
Finish at dot 3 (top-right corner).

PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 40/100 (Weak): 9 dots, 1 crossing, starting at the middle left.

Try it in the simulator

Is a number 6 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 6

On 3×3 the number 6 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.

Number 6 pattern lock on a 4×4 grid, step by step: 14, 15, 12, 11, 10, 9, 5, 2, 3, 4

The number 6 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. An exact number 6 isn’t possible on the 4×4 grid: Android never lets you select a dot twice, and this shape would need it. The closest pattern leaves out the line 9–14.

Order: 14 → 15 → 12 → 11 → 10 → 9 → 5 → 2 → 3 → 4

PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 40/100 (Weak): 10 dots, 0 crossings, starting at the row 4, column 2.

Try the 4×4 version

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.