Your smartphone’s four-digit PIN code is a key security barrier, especially when biometric unlock fails or after resets. However, many people use very weak or common PINs that hackers and thieves easily guess.
An analysis of over 29 million leaked PINs reveals that one in ten people uses the same 50 PIN codes, making these the worst choices. The most common PINs include 1234, 1111, 0000, 1212, and 2222.
Avoid these PINs at all costs:
0000
1010
1111
1122
1212
1234
1313
1342
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2005
2020
2222
2468
2580
3333
4321
4444
5555
6666
6969
7777
8888
9999
The top ten most-used PINs from this list are:
1234, 1111, 0000, 1342, 1212, 2222, 4444, 1122, 1986, and 2020.
Also, avoid these common weak passwords found in leaked databases:
000000
111111
11111111
121212
123123
12345
123456
1234567
12345678
123456789
1234567890
555666
aaron431
abc123
abcd1234
ABCDEF
admin
charlie
dragon
iloveyou
lemonfish
liverpool
monkey
password
password1
qwerty
qwerty1
qwerty123
secret
tangkai
user0123
welcome
woaini
Why is this important?
Using easy or common PINs makes it much simpler for attackers or thieves to gain unauthorized access to your phone and data, especially if they get physical access. Even if you use fingerprint or face unlock, your PIN is a fallback and must be strong.
How to improve your PIN security:
- Choose random, non-repeating numbers instead of dates or simple patterns.
- Use longer PINs (6 digits or more) where possible.
- Consider using passwords instead of numeric PINs for better security.
- Don’t reuse PINs or passwords across accounts or devices.
Protect your digital life by choosing smart, hard-to-guess codes!
