Number 9 pattern lock
How to draw the number 9 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 9 on a 3×3 grid
The number 9 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 6 again.
- Start at dot 6 (middle right).
- Go to dot 5 (center).
- Go to dot 4 (middle left).
- 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 40/100 (Weak): 9 dots, 1 crossing, starting at the middle right.
Is a number 9 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 9
On 3×3 the number 9 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.
The number 9 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 9 can be drawn exactly on the 4×4 grid in a single stroke, without going back over any line.
Order: 14 → 15 → 12 → 8 → 3 → 2 → 1 → 6 → 7
PatternGuard’s analyzer gives it 45/100 (Moderate): 9 dots, 0 crossings, starting at the row 4, column 2.
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.