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Re:Turn your old, cracked Android phone into a backup server by OJFord on Monday June 21, 2021 @07:12AM (#27578083)
Can you unlock it (pin/password I mean, not finger/face) with a keyboard and mouse though?
Re:Turn your old, cracked Android phone into a backup server by techrat on Monday June 21, 2021 @09:10AM (#27578778)
Yep.

Even did a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qkh4oagFfb8

Got out my old Moto Z Play which was retired. Restarted the phone so I couldn't use fingerprint to unlock.

Plugged in a mouse, clicked pin. Unlocked.

Moto Z Play runs Nougat, stock but rooted. You don't need root to be able to do this nor do you need ADB to be enabled.

Also confirmed to be working on Razer Phone (stock, 9/Pie) and Essential Phone (stock, 10). Also works with Keyboard instead of mouse. Just type in the pin and hit enter.

Pattern unlock will have to be done with the mouse for obvious reasons.

So if your digitizer is completely busted, you can still use a mouse and keyboard. If your display is completely busted, you likely will be able to get video alt mode with USB C out.

I tried it on a few other devices that I had in my pile. Chances are, if it's Micro USB, you won't get video on boot, even with a proper MHL adapter.

* Sony Xperia J (Jelly Bean): Nothing, Micro USB

* Sony Xperia Play (Gingerbread): Nothing, Micro USB

* Marshall London (Lollipop): Mouse and Keyboard Works, Micro USB

* Asus Zenphone 3 Zoom (Nougat): Mouse and keyboard works, USB C

IIRC, Displaylink and OTG support was officially added in Lollipop, so that kind of jives with my experience here. As always, YMMV.

Re:Turn your old, cracked Android phone into a backup server by wongarsu on Monday June 21, 2021 @08:04AM (#27578345)
On my android I can enter pin/password per keyboard, or the swipe pattern per mouse. Some early android phones had slide-out keyboards (like a Blackberry), so good support for physical keyboards isn't that surprising. I wasn't expecting the mouse support tough.
Re:Turn your old, cracked Android phone into a backup server by megous on Monday June 21, 2021 @09:37AM (#27579017)
It's all standard HID interface these days.