How to know who unlocked your phone

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Your phone can't tell you who unlocked it. iPhone and Android record how often the phone was picked up or unlocked, but not who did it, and neither keeps a list of wrong passcode attempts for you to read. To know who, you need a photo taken at the moment of unlocking.

Quick answer

Neither iPhone nor Android records who unlocked the phone. Screen Time on iPhone counts pickups, and Digital Wellbeing on Android counts how often the device was unlocked and apps were opened. Compare those counts with when you actually used the phone. To see who it was, you need an app that photographs whoever unlocks it.

Can you tell when someone unlocks your iPhone?

Only indirectly. Apple's Screen Time report shows how often you pick up your iPhone, which apps you use and how many notifications you received, by day or by week. A pickup isn't exactly an unlock, but a count that doesn't match your own day is a useful clue. Screen Time has to be turned on first.

On iOS 27:

  1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
  2. If it isn't on, tap Manage Screen Time, then tap Turn On App & Website Activity.
  3. Tap Daily Average, then tap Day.
  4. Scroll down to Pickups and Notifications.
  5. Swipe left and right to compare earlier days.

On iOS 18 and iOS 26, go to Settings > Screen Time, tap See All App & Website Activity, then tap Devices to choose this iPhone.

Can you tell when someone unlocks your Android phone?

Partly. Google says Digital Wellbeing's Times opened view shows how often you unlocked the device and opened certain apps. Google's page doesn't separate the unlock count from the app counts, and it doesn't show who unlocked the phone or exactly when. Some steps vary by phone maker.

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Digital Wellbeing.
  2. Tap the chart on the main screen for details.
  3. Choose Times opened.
  4. Compare the numbers with the times you remember using the phone.

Can you see if someone tried to unlock your phone?

Not as a list. Apple's passcode settings and Google's theft protection settings react to wrong attempts, but the pages describing them don't mention a record of attempts that you can review. What you can do is make repeated guessing less useful.

On iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (Touch ID & Passcode on older models) and enter your passcode.
  2. Turn on Erase Data if you want the iPhone to erase itself after 10 failed passcode attempts. Apple says that without it, the device needs restoring on a computer after 10 failed attempts.

On Android, Google's Failed authentication lock locks the screen after repeated failed attempts. Google says it's on by default and needs a screen lock.

  1. Open Settings and tap Google.
  2. Tap All services, then Theft protection.
  3. Check that Failed authentication lock is on.

Can someone unlock your phone while you're asleep?

Apple says Face ID is attention-aware and recognises if your eyes are open, which makes it more difficult for someone to unlock your iPhone without your knowledge, such as when you're sleeping. The setting is Require Attention for Face ID. If you think someone added an alternative Face ID appearance without your permission, Apple says to reset Face ID and set it up again.

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility and check that Require Attention for Face ID is on.
  2. To remove alternative appearances, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, tap Reset Face ID, then set up Face ID again.
  3. If someone may know your passcode, change it: Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Change Passcode.

What should you do if someone has been unlocking your phone?

Change how the phone unlocks, then check your accounts. A new passcode stops anyone using the old one. Then look at the devices signed in to your Apple Account or Google Account, because someone with your phone could have signed in elsewhere.

  1. Change your passcode, PIN or pattern.
  2. On iPhone with iOS 17 or later, Apple says your previous passcode can be used once in the 72 hours after a change, to get in and reset the passcode. To stop that, tap Expire Previous Passcode Now in Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
  3. iPhone: Settings > your name, then scroll to the device list and remove anything you don't recognise.
  4. Android: go to myaccount.google.com > Security & sign-in > Manage all devices, and sign out any device you don't recognise.
  5. On iPhone with iOS 17.3 or later, turn on Stolen Device Protection: Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Stolen Device Protection.

If the person is a partner or someone you live with and you feel unsafe, the UK's National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, is free on 0808 2000 247. You can also contact your local police.

Where Failshot fits

Your phone counts unlocks. Failshot answers the question it can't: who. Failshot photographs whoever unlocks your phone while Failshot is on, and the camera light shows whenever it takes a photo.

On iPhone, Apple doesn't let any app see the Lock Screen or use the camera in the background. So you turn Failshot on and lock the phone, and whoever unlocks it lands in Failshot and is photographed. It doesn't photograph a wrong passcode at the iPhone Lock Screen. On Android, it also photographs a wrong PIN, pattern or password at the real lock screen.

Switching Failshot off needs Face ID, your fingerprint or face on Android, or your own Failshot PIN plus your answer, never the phone's passcode. So someone who knows your passcode can't switch it off, and a wrong Failshot PIN takes another photo. When you switch it off yourself, the photo of your own unlock is deleted. Photos stay on your phone, with optional email alerts. Failshot is for your own device only, and it's coming soon to iPhone and Android.

Questions people also ask

Can I see who unlocked my iPhone?

No. iPhone doesn't record who unlocked it. Screen Time shows how often the phone was picked up and which apps were used, which can show activity you don't recognise, but it can't name the person. For that you need an app that takes a photo when the phone is unlocked.

Does iPhone keep a record of wrong passcode attempts?

Apple's passcode guide doesn't describe a record you can view. It describes what happens after 10 failed attempts: with Erase Data on, the iPhone erases itself, and without it, the iPhone needs restoring on a computer.

Is there an app that tells you who unlocked your phone?

Yes, apps can photograph whoever unlocks a phone. On iPhone, Apple doesn't let apps use the camera at the Lock Screen, so an app can only photograph someone after the phone is unlocked into it. On Android, an app can also photograph a wrong PIN, pattern or password at the lock screen.

Can someone unlock my phone with a picture of me?

Not with Face ID, according to Apple. Face ID always requires depth information, which isn't found in print or 2D digital photographs, and Apple says it's designed to protect against spoofing by masks. Face ID also allows only five unsuccessful match attempts before a passcode is required.

Can someone unlock my phone if they know my passcode?

Yes. Anyone with your passcode can unlock your phone. On iPhone with iOS 17.3 or later, Stolen Device Protection makes some sensitive actions need Face ID or Touch ID away from familiar locations, even with the passcode. Change your passcode if you think someone knows it.

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