Similarly to how people use passwords, they take the same lackluster approach to using lock screen patterns for their mobile device. A simple gesture to unlock your phone or tablet sounds intriguing, yet it seems most patterns are far too easy to guess. In fact, it appears these “underperforming” touch screen gestures are far more common than most people think.

#5 No Backtracking Patterns

To put this into perspective laziness can play a big role in how insecure the lock screen pattern is. Users tend not to backtrack their nodes while unlocking a device, even though it adds a lot of security. Go from node two to four, five, back to four, three, and five. A difficult gesture to guess, and one that is far more secure than just moving your finger along the screen on a direct line.

#4 Too Few Nodes

Granted, one does not want to send 10 seconds swiping the screen to unlock the device. However, in most cases, consumers tend to use four or five nodes only That is insufficient, as these short-node gestures are rather easy to guess. In fact, they narrow down the possibilities to unlock one device to just 7,152 different patterns. There is no reason to make it easy for anyone who is looking to bypass your lock screen.

#3 Be Creative With Directions

The convenience factor associated with using lock screen patterns should not be overvalued by any means. In most cases, consumers tend to use patterns that involve swiping from left to right, or top to bottom. In fact, it doesn’t even matter if one is left-handed or right-handed, as these patterns are always well represented.

It is not hard to get slightly creative with lock screen patterns. Although the surface to work with is limited in dimensions, starting from the middle node on the display is an option well worth exploring. Be as creative as you like, and don’t just go for the quickest and convenient solution. Your mobile device contains a lot of personal information that other people are not privy to.

#2 Starting From One Of The Corners

Regardless of how the pattern looks exactly, research indicates nearly eight in ten lock screen patterns start from one of the four corners. It only makes sense to do so, yet that is also what makes these lock screens so easy to bypass in the first place. Moreover, 44% of these patterns started from the top left corner. Add extra security to your device by not following this lead by example.

#1 Alphabetic Letters

Another trend people tend to see a lot of is forming alphabetic letters on their lock screen pattern. Letters such as E, F, H, I, T, and L are far more commonly used than one would guess. If one’s name starts with such a letter, it is the perfect reason not to use it to begin with. If you can easily remember it, criminals will have an easy time to figure it out as well.

If you liked this article, follow us on Twitter @themerklenews and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and technology news.