How To Unlock A Door: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow

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• Home and Garden
• Disaster Preparedness
• Home Security
• Locks and Keys

How to Unlock a Door Download Article Co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle

Last Updated: September 11, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Opening a Locked Door without the Key
|
• Opening a Jammed Lock
|
• Video
|
• Expert Q&A
|
• Tips
|
• Warnings
|
• Things You'll Need

|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle. Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,284,738 times.

Whether you're looking to open that mysterious closet or simply had the unfortunate luck of getting stuck in a strange bathroom, here's your escape route. Stay calm and read on.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Opening a Locked Door without the Key

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1. 1 Use a credit card on a spring lock. Though it won't work for deadbolts, it will work for spring locks (the kind that's slanted and a part of a handle). Grab one that's cheap and you don't care about -- if it breaks, no harm, no foul. A bendy, laminated card works best.[1]
   • Force it between the lock and the frame, flush against the frame. Bend it back, forcing the lock back into the door, opening it.
   • If there's no room between the lock and the frame, you can force it between the door and the frame above the lock, then swipe quickly downward while angling the card toward the frame. This is where a thicker, sturdier card may come in handy.
2. 2 Use a small screwdriver or thin tool on interior doors. This method works on doors with "privacy handles," locked by pushing a button in the door handle. If you're locked on the other side, look for a tiny hole on the doorknob. Push an eyeglasses screwdriver, a paper clip hammered flat, or a very small butter knife into this hole. Push it straight through as far as you can, and turn or twist it until it catches a groove and the lock clicks open.[2] Advertisement
3. 3 Pick the lock. This can be complicated, so you may wish to read the full instructions. To get started, insert the short end of an Allen wrench into the lower edge of the keyhole. Apply a tiny bit of pressure to turn the lock slightly in the direction the key would turn.[3] Keep this pressure as steady as possible, and use an unbent paperclip with a small crook at the end to pick the lock:
   • Scrubbing method: push the paperclip in gently at the lower end of the keyhole, then lift it back and upward. Repeat in a circular motion while increase the pressure on the Allen wrench slightly each time, until you feel the lock shift. When this happens, keep the pressure steady as you repeat the motion, until the door unlocks.
   • Pin by pin method: If you can't succeed with the scrubbing method, keep the pressure on the Allen wrench slight and steady while you gradually push the paperclip in. When the paperclip makes contact with a pin, try to catch it on the bend and lift it upward until it clicks into place. Repeat with additional pins until the lock turns.
4. 4 Remove the hinges. Using a standard-sized flat head screwdriver, wedge it between the bottom knuckle and the pin. Tap the handle of the screwdriver in a downward direction with a hammer. Remove the head and pin when they're loose enough.[4]
   • Repeat this with all hinges. If the pin won't come out easily, you may have more success forcing it out with a Phillips head screwdriver.
5. 5 Annihilate the lock with a hammer. There's a reason this is the last step -- it should be your last resort.[5] In most cases, you'd probably rather call a locksmith or a non-emergency number for the local fire station. If you need to leave urgently, bash downward repeatedly until the doorknob or lock breaks away from the door.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Opening a Jammed Lock

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1. 1 Push or pull the door as you turn the key. With many older doors, you need to pressure the door as you fiddle with the key, as the warped door is bending the lock at an awkward angle. Try applying pressure in each direction: up, down, toward you, and away from you. Use as much force as you can without losing your balance once the door opens.
   • If you are using a friend's key, call and ask him about it. He is likely to know the door's idiosyncrasies.
2. 2 Turn the key both directions. There's no universal standard for which way a key turns to unlock a door. Even if you know which way is "unlock," turning the key further toward the "locked" direction sometimes causes the lock to unjam. If you can get the key to turn a short distance past the full locked position, rotate it back the other way in a quick, smooth motion and you may overcome the jam.
3. 3 Lubricate the lock. Unless you plan on replacing the lock, choose a grease-free lubricant such as graphite powder, since oil will jam the lock even more once it dries out. A single, short spray or squeeze directly into the keyhole should be enough; too much lubricant can be counterproductive.[6] You can even spray some WD40.[7]
   • If you're trapped in a room, use any oil you have available, or rub the key with a graphite pencil tip.
4. 4 Examine the keys. The problem could be a bent key, or a key with severely damaged teeth. Bending the key back into a flat position will sometimes serve as a temporary fix, if you have a clamp handy. Replace the keys at a hardware store as soon as you can.
5. 5 Know when to apply force. If you hear a click when the key turns, the door is probably unlocked but jammed, and a few thumps might open it. If the lock is jammed, hitting the lock several times might help after lubrication to help shift the sticky tumblers.
6. 6 Try other methods. You may have to set aside the key and use the lockpicking methods described in the section below. If that doesn't work, you may need to call and hire a locksmith.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question What can I use to lubricate and open a lock? Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist Expert Answer You can spray some WD40 or lithium grease to lubricate and loosen the lock. Then you can use something to wiggle it open. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 47 Helpful 59
• Question How do I lock the door? Mark Spelman Construction Professional Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987. Mark Spelman Construction Professional Expert Answer Your door should have a handle with a thumb latch lock, and most doors have a deadbolt. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 192 Helpful 164
• Question How do you unlock a door with a bobby pin? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Open up the bobby pin so it bends at a 90° angle, and shave off the rubber tip on the straight end with a knife or razor. Insert that end into the keyhole, then bend the pin so it’s flush against the outside of the lock. Make a hook at the end of a second pin to create a tension lever. You’ll need to hold the tension lever in place at the bottom of the keyhole to prevent the pins in the lock from falling back into place while you lift them with the first pin. Turn the lever counterclockwise to open the door. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 110 Helpful 83

See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

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Reader Videos

Tips

• If you hear or feel the lock open, but the door won't open, there could be a deadbolt or handle lock on the other side of the door. Thanks Helpful 30 Not Helpful 21
• If you can pick your front door lock, burglars can too. Use the deadbolt if present, or replace your locks with more secure examples. Thanks Helpful 28 Not Helpful 28

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

• Your behavior will look suspicious. Be prepared for questioning, and of course get permission from the owner before you start trying to pick your friend's lock. Thanks Helpful 94 Not Helpful 51
• Never, under any circumstances, unlock a door with intentions of breaking into a building or a room that you don't have permission to enter, especially residential buildings or rooms. If, in those areas, the situation demands a physical confrontation (e.g. defense of others or citizen's arrest) or physical resistance when you try to intervene, then you must call 911 instead. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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Things You'll Need

Jammed Lock

• The key
• Grease-free lubricant or a graphite pencil

Without the Key

• Flat head (slotted) screwdriver or butter knife
• Credit card (or other plastic card)
• Tension wrench
• Paper clip
• Hammer
• Phillips head screwdriver

You Might Also Like

How to Open a Locked Bathroom Door (Twist & Push Locks) How to Pick Locks On Doorknobs: Knob Types & Lockpicking Tutorials How toBreak Into Your House How toOpen a Door With a Knife How to Unlock a Door with a Credit Card, According to a Locksmith An Intro to Lock Picking Using Everyday Objects How to Unlock a Door Without a Key How toOpen a Locked Door with a Bobby Pin The Best Ways to Get a Broken Key Out of a Lock How toPick a Lock with a Bobby Pin How toPick a Lock Using a Paperclip How to Drill Out a Lock How toMake a Lockpick How toOpen a Stuck Car Door Advertisement

References

1. ↑ https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/how-to/how-to-open-a-locked-door-with-a-credit-card/
2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjQuLy_6jzs
3. ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a25318691/how-open-locked-door/
4. ↑ https://clark.com/homes-real-estate/video-how-to-remove-a-locked-door-from-the-hinges/
5. ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a25318691/how-open-locked-door/
6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G11XUvtPWD8
7. ↑ Ryaan Tuttle. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview

About This Article

Co-authored by: Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist This article was co-authored by Ryaan Tuttle. Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses. This article has been viewed 3,284,738 times. Warning: Difficult task Co-authors: 30 Updated: September 11, 2025 Views: 3,284,738 Categories: Locks and Keys Article SummaryX

You can use a credit card to unlock a door that has a spring lock. Make sure to use an old card in case it breaks! Insert the card between the lock and door frame, then bend the card back to force the lock open. For an interior door that has a small hole in the handle, you can use a small screwdriver to unlock it. Just insert the screwdriver into the small hole and press the button on the inside of the handle with it to unlock the door. You may need to turn the screwdriver in order for the door to unlock. To unlock a door with a keyhole, you can pick the lock with 2 bobby pins. Bend the closed end of one of the bobby pins to form a 90-degree angle. Bend the second bobby pin into a long, straight pick that bends up at one end. Insert the bent end of the first bobby pin into the bottom of the keyhole and turn it in the direction you’d turn the key in. Maintain pressure on the first bobby pin, then insert the angled end of the second bobby pin into the top of the keyhole. Use the bobby pin to push up the pins inside of the lock one at a time. Once you push up all of the pins, the inner cylinder will turn and the door will unlock. To learn other ways you can unlock a door, like taking off the hinges or picking the lock, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

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  Micky M.

  Sep 21, 2020

  "Thank you! I just managed to unlock a privacy handle with an eyeglass screwdriver. A bathroom door had closed shut..." more

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Ryaan Tuttle Home Improvement Specialist Warning: Difficult task Co-authors: 30 Updated: September 11, 2025 Views: 3,284,738

Micky M.

Sep 21, 2020

"Thank you! I just managed to unlock a privacy handle with an eyeglass screwdriver. A bathroom door had closed shut..." more

Yassin Ghareeb

Jun 23, 2018

"I came from another city to my house just to find out that my dad left the key inside, the credit card method..." more

Brenda

Mar 20, 2022

"I need to know how to open a locked door from the outside, and one with no key hole. (My bathroom door is locked.)"

Dao Minh Thuc

Jul 24, 2022

"Successfully opened a jammed door from inside with a credit card. Thank you very much!"

Anonymous

Mar 2, 2018

"I locked myself out of the house and needed to get in, which I did thanks to this." Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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