How to Remove the Privacy Protection Password on a Samsung Galaxy S4

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: June 2, 2021

If you change your Galaxy S4 SIM card and you've forgotten your privacy protection password, you have very few options for resetting it. Ideally, you should contact your carrier and have them reset it for you; however, in a pinch, you may be able to manually reset your password by re-installing your Samsung's stock firmware with a couple of free tools. Note that you will need a PC for this process, and using the necessary Flash Tool will void your phone's warranty.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Downloading SP Flash Tool

1
Open your preferred search engine. SP Flash Tool is a utility you can use to re-install your phone's stock firmware. While doing so will void your warranty, it has the greatest chance of working the first time (unlike a factory reset).
2
Click the "Windows" option. This is directly below the SP Flash Tool screenshot in the middle of the page; clicking this option will prompt your SP Flash Tool file download.
- If you're running Linux, you can click the "Linux 64 Bit" option instead.
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3
Wait for your file to download. Depending on your internet speed, this may take up to 20 minutes.
4
Navigate to your file. Once your file is done downloading, you'll need to find it on your computer in order to extract its contents.
- Your file should be in your usual "Downloads" folder unless you manually selected a different location.
5
Right-click your file and click the "Extract" option. Most computers have a built-in extraction program for zipped files; if yours doesn't, you can download any one of several free unzipping programs.
- WinZip and 7-Zip are reputable free choices for Windows.
6
Open your extracted file. Now that your SP Flash Tool is downloaded, it's time to download your Samsung's stock firmware.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Downloading Stock Firmware

1
Open your preferred search engine. When your Samsung Galaxy S4 shipped, it had stock firmware--the factory-issue phone processes and settings--installed on it. The first step in removing your phone's privacy protection password is to download that same firmware from a third-party site so that you can re-install it on your device.^{[1]
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2
Type "Samsung Galaxy S4 stock firmware" into your search engine. You're looking for carrier-specific stock firmware, so you can add your carrier's name onto the end of this search query if you can't find anything relevant. Your search results will vary depending on your phone's version and your carrier information; generally speaking, however, you should stick to sites that look reputable.
- This site is a decent source for most major carriers (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, etc.).
3
Download your phone's firmware. Again, your process for doing so will vary, but most firmware will download in a .zip file (a compressed file format).
- Your download may take up to an hour to complete.
4
Navigate to your file. Once your file is done downloading, you'll need to locate it on your computer in order to extract its contents.
- Your file should be in your usual "Downloads" folder unless otherwise specified.
5
Right-click your file and click the "Extract" option. You should be familiar with this process from the Flash Tools extraction.
- For simplicity's sake, extract your stock firmware to the same directory you used for the SP Flash tool (e.g., your desktop).
6
Open your extracted file. Now you're ready to reset your phone's stock firmware!

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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Resetting Your Phone's Partition

1
Open your SP Flash Tool folder. You may have to open another folder inside of this one in order to access the Flash Tool application.
2
Double-click the "flash_tool" application. This will open SP Flash Tool; since this app runs from within its extracted folder, you need not install anything to run it.
3
Click the "Scatter Loading" option. This is on the far right side of your Flash Tool interface, directly beneath the "Download Agent" option.
- Clicking this will open a search window from which you'll need to access your stock firmware file. This is why you should keep both the SP Flash Tool folder and the firmware folder in the same directory.
4
Click your firmware's directory. This should be on the left side of the search window that pops up; for example, if your directory is the Desktop, you'll click the "Desktop" option.^{[2]
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5
Double-click your firmware folder to open it. You may have to click through a couple of different folders to find your stock firmware file; it will be in .txt format (also known as "text" or "Notepad" format).
6
Click your firmware text file, then click "OK". This will upload your stock firmware file to the Flash Tool program.
- If you can't find your text file, you may need to download a different version of your phone's stock firmware.
7
Click the "Download Only" menu. You'll find this above the "Name" and "Begin Address" entries in Flash Tool. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
8
Click the "Format All + Download" option. This will ensure that your stock firmware is correctly assimilated when you connect your phone.
9
Click the "Download" button. This will begin your firmware download.
10
Power down your phone, then remove the battery. Your Samsung Galaxy S4 battery is located under a sliding panel on the back of the phone.
- You can power down your phone by holding down the power button, then tapping "Power Off" when prompted.
11
Connect your phone to your computer via USB cable. The small end of your cable should plug into your phone, while the larger end goes in one of your computer's USB ports.
- It's best to use the factory-issued charger cable for this step.
12
Wait for your phone to download the firmware. This may take several minutes.
- When the download is complete, you'll receive a notification on your computer.
13
Disconnect your phone from the computer. You'll also need to place your battery back in your phone.
14
Power on your phone. Do this by holding down the power button until your phone's Samsung label appears, then releasing the button and waiting for the phone to boot up.
15
Set up your phone's preferences. These will include your wifi preferences, your geographical location, the date & time settings, and other items you should have completed when you initially received the phone.
16
Unlock your Samsung Galaxy S4. You shouldn't see a privacy protection password here! When you go to reset your SIM PIN, make sure you write down your new combination.

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Warnings

Your phone will sometimes prompt you for your SIM PIN if you are trying to use a SIM card for a service that your phone can't use because of carrier restrictions. This is usually indicated by the prompt appearing before your phone boots up after restarting.

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Only consider performing a factory reset on your privacy-protected phone if you have no other options (e.g., the manufacturer refuses to help you reset the phone).

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Resetting your phone's system partition may render your IMEI number invalid. If this is the case, you'll need to contact your service provider for a reset.

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Since you can only back up a handful of items while your phone is locked, doing a reset on a privacy-locked phone will delete a large chunk of your data (including contacts). For this reason, you should refrain from performing a factory reset.

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