Your smartphone holds a treasure trove of personal data, and while face or fingerprint unlock is convenient, your PIN code is often the crucial backup that keeps everything safe. But did you know many people use easily guessable PINs? A recent analysis of over 29 million leaked PINs revealed the most common ones – and if you use one of these, it’s time to change it immediately. This article breaks down which PINs to avoid and why stronger security is key.
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Why Your PIN Still Matters
Even if you rely on fingerprint or facial recognition to unlock your phone, your PIN is the essential fallback. You need it after restarts, software updates, or when biometric methods fail. Think of it as the master key to your device and everything on it. A four-digit PIN might seem reasonably secure with 10,000 possibilities (0000-9999), but the reality is many codes are far more likely to be guessed than others.
The 50 Most Common PIN Codes to Avoid
Analyzing millions of leaked PINs from data breaches shows that people often pick codes that are far from random. These common choices are easily exploited by anyone trying to gain unauthorized access to your phone. Here is a list of the 50 most frequently used four-digit PINs found in breaches. If your PIN is on this list, you should change it right away.
- 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
These codes are popular for various reasons – repeating digits, sequences, or common years. Unfortunately, their popularity makes them the first ones attackers will try.
Finger entering PIN code on smartphone lockscreen.
Top 10 Most Used PINs (Even More Risky)
Within the list of 50, some codes are used far more often than others. These are the absolute worst offenders and represent a significant security risk if you are using one.
- 1234
- 1111
- 0000
- 1342
- 1212
- 2222
- 4444
- 1122
- 1986
- 2020
Avoiding birthdays, anniversaries, or simple sequences like 1234 is basic security advice, but this data shows just how prevalent these easy-to-guess codes still are.
Beyond PINs: Common Passwords to Ditch
The risk of using predictable codes isn’t limited to just four-digit PINs. Weak and common passwords are also a massive security hole across accounts and devices. Analysis of data breaches consistently shows millions of users relying on the same simple strings. If you use any of these passwords anywhere, it’s critical to change them to something stronger.
Here’s a list of frequently exposed and dangerously common passwords:
- 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
Using passwords like ‘password’, simple number sequences, or keyboard patterns (‘qwerty’) is like leaving your digital door unlocked.
Choosing Stronger Security: What to Use Instead
So, if common four-digit PINs and simple passwords are out, what should you use? The goal is to make your code or password hard for others to guess but easy for you to remember.
For your phone’s unlock code, moving beyond four digits is the easiest way to increase security. Most smartphones allow you to set a six-digit PIN or even an alphanumeric password.
- Six-digit PINs: Offer vastly more combinations (1 million vs. 10,000). While some patterns or repeating digits are still easier to guess than true random numbers, a randomly generated six-digit code is significantly stronger than a four-digit one.
- Longer Numerical Passcodes (like 10 digits): If your phone allows, using a longer numeric code you can remember acts like a strong password composed only of numbers. This dramatically increases the possibilities, making it exponentially harder to guess.
- Alphanumeric Passwords: The strongest option is a mix of letters (upper and lower case), numbers, and symbols. This creates the largest possible pool of combinations. While potentially harder to type quickly on a lock screen, it offers the best protection.
Avoid using dates, sequential numbers (like 123456), repeating numbers (like 111111), or patterns on the keypad (like 2580, which goes straight down the middle). What about codes previously cited as “safest” because they were uncommon in old data breaches, like 8068? Once those codes were publicized, they became less safe, as attackers now know to try them. True security comes from codes that aren’t publicly known or easily derivable.
Protect Your Digital Life
Your PIN and passwords are the first line of defense for your personal information. Relying on common or predictable codes is a major security oversight that’s easily fixed. Take a moment today to check if your phone PIN or any of your important passwords are on these lists. If they are, change them immediately to something longer and more random. This simple step can significantly boost your digital security and keep your valuable data safe from prying eyes.
Want to learn more about protecting yourself online? Check out these related articles on stronger authentication and data breach risks.
