Do Son 
Every smartphone owner knows the first essential step with a new device: enabling screen lock. Most users comply, opting for modern protective methods such as fingerprint scanning or facial recognition. Yet even with biometric authentication in place, systems still mandate the creation of a backup four-digit PIN. According to experts, it is this very numerical combination that represents the most vulnerable link in the security chain of both Apple and Android devices.
This issue becomes particularly pressing amid the growing wave of digital data theft. Cybercriminals have already stolen 19 billion passwords through infostealer malware, while social engineering techniques grow ever more sophisticated. Despite these threats, many users remain startlingly careless—often resorting to the simplest numeric sequences.
Security specialists have long warned that reusing the same PIN across multiple devices is as reckless as employing identical passwords for all online services. The consequences of such negligence can be devastating. Imagine this: an attacker observes the code during phone unlocking and then discovers a stolen wallet case containing a bank card. If both use the same PIN, the intruder gains instant access to the victim’s personal data and finances.
However, a study published on May 15 unveiled an even more disturbing threat. Artificial intelligence algorithms have now become so adept at cracking PINs that they upend our very understanding of digital security. Janus Rõõmus, CTO of Messente, explains: humans tend to choose codes based on predictable patterns—patterns that are easily decipherable. Unfortunately, our minds are not as unique as we like to believe, and neural networks have grown remarkably proficient in decoding human psychology.
The gravest danger lies in repetitive-digit combinations. Smart algorithms can crack such PINs in as little as 0.44 seconds—faster than the device can even unlock. The worst offender was “5555”, which AI broke in just 0.37 seconds, followed closely by “2222” at 0.41 seconds.
And the list doesn’t end there. Simple number sequences like “1234”, symmetrical keypad patterns resembling shapes such as the letter “Z” or a square, and even dates like birth years pose no challenge for modern cracking software.
“The fact that AI can now effortlessly break popular codes should be a wake-up call for both everyday users and businesses,” warns Uku Tomikas, CEO of Messente. “If your device uses any of these combinations, change it immediately.”
Analysts are proposing a radical yet effective solution: abandon four-digit PINs altogether. Strengthening security is remarkably simple—when setting up screen lock, choose “password” instead of “PIN.” This allows the input of a longer numerical sequence. Experts recommend crafting unique ten-digit combinations, as this configuration proves exceptionally resistant—even to the most advanced AI-powered cracking tools.
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