How To Unlock a Door: 7 Ways To Get in Without a Key

Sep 07, 2023

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Here are several ways to get in, in ascending order of destruction.

We’ve all experienced the desperation—and panic—of walking up to a locked door, reaching into our pocket for the key, and finding only loose change and your phone. Is the key just temporarily misplaced or lost forever? Either way, it's a "What now?" moment that leaves you shaken and on the outside looking in.

However, you don't always need a key to open a locked door. When you’re locked out, just remember that a lock is a pretty simple mechanical device designed primarily to keep honest people honest. If you need to, you can find a way in, even without a key. Here's how to unlock a door in seven different ways, in ascending order of destruction. (Of course, only try these with your own locked doors.)

1 (Unlock it with a substitute key): Some people swear by the Spam Key, which is a key-shaped device used for twisting open metal food cans, including Spam, anchovies, and sardines. Such keys haven't been used in many years, but if you happen to have one on hand, try unlocking the door with it.

Most interior door locksets, like those on bathroom and bedroom doors, lock for privacy, but aren't really made to be totally impassable. The non-locking side of the door should have a small hole on the face of the knob. Hidden inside the hole is a small button that must be pushed to unlock the door. You simply need a straight, stiff tool to unlock it. Try using a straightened paperclip or a tiny eyeglass-repair screwdriver. (See the video below.)

The Tool: Eyeglass-repair screwdriver, paperclip, Spam key

In some cases, the lock will require you to insert the tool and twist. For that, you can use the tiny screwdriver or, in a pinch, make a tool by hammering flat the tip of the paperclip.

2 (Remove the doorknob): Another option for opening interior doors that are equipped with low-level-security doorknobs is to take off the doorknob and then disassemble the lock. If the mounting screws are exposed, simply back them out, and then dismantle the knob and lock.

The Tool: Screwdrivers

However, if the mounting screws aren't visible, you’ll need to dismantle the doorknob piece by piece. Use a slotted screwdriver to pry off the round decorative plate (called the rose), knob, and shank. Once you expose the mounting screws, remove them to gain access to the locking mechanism. Slide the latch back away from the doorjamb to unlock the door.

3 (Pull The Bolt): If the door's locking mechanism has a latch bolt, meaning the kind of bolt that's spring-loaded and has an angled end, look closely at the end of the bolt. If its angled end is facing away from you, try opening it with a length of wire cut from a clothing hanger. Bend a small hook onto one end of the straightened wire, feed it into the gap between the edge of the door and the jamb, and hook the wire around the latch bolt.

The Tool: Wire clothing hanger

Now, hold the wire with one hand and grab the doorknob with the other. Turn to open the knob, and at the same time, pull the wire toward you. Pressure on the latch will force it to retract, and the knob should turn and open the door.

4 (Push The Bolt): If the doorknob has a latch bolt, and its angled end faces toward you, try popping it open with a credit card. This principle is the same as the clothing hanger technique explained above, but here you’re using the credit card to push on the bolt's angled end. Apply constant pressure until the card slides between the bolt and jamb, then twist the knob and open the door. One advantage of this technique is that the flexibility of the card allows you to bend and wiggle it into the tiniest, tightest gaps.

The Tool: Credit card

5 (Pick the lock): Yes, as odd as it may sound, you can actually unlock a door with wire bobby pins. You’ll need two bobby pins, and each must be bent into a specific shape for a particular job. The first bobby pin is essentially going to be a replacement for the original key. It provides a way to turn the lock cylinder. Bend the last centimeter or so of the closed, rounded end of the pin until it's perpendicular to the two free ends. Stick this end deep into the key slot and use the protruding part of the bobby pin as a handle.

The Tool: Bobby pins

Then, unbend and flatten the second bobby pin to make one long, straight lock pick. Add a slight upward bend to one end. Slide the bent end into the top half of the keyhole, above the bobby-pin key inserted earlier.

When a door is locked, the lock's cylinder is prevented from turning by a series of spring-loaded pins that protrude into holes in the cylinder. The uniquely shaped teeth on the original key push the pins up and out of the way, allowing the cylinder to turn. To pick the lock, use your bobby-pin pick to push up the pins, one at a time, until the cylinder is free to turn.

✅ You can purchase the clear, plastic training lock shown in the video above if you’d like to practice at home.

6 (Drill Out The Lock): This is pretty much what it sounds like: If you have access to one, drill a hole through the lock to destroy the pins, which allows the lock to turn freely. Because you’re aiming for the pins, position the drill bit just slightly above the top of the key slot and in line with the threshold between the cylinder and the pins’ position when they are pushed up. (This is called the shear line.)

The Tool: Drill

You’ll likely have to experiment with different drill bit sizes to find the right one. Start with a small bit and work your way up to larger bits. And a little lubricating oil goes a long way to help the bits cut through the metal. Still, expect the process to take some time. Once you’ve drilled all the way through the locking mechanism, force a slotted screwdriver into the key slot, and twist open the lock.

7 (Newton's Third Law): When you’re desperate enough to bust open the door, a good old-fashioned SWAT-style kick may do the trick. However, first check the hinges to confirm that the door swings open away from you. Obviously, if the door swings out toward you, don't try kicking it open.

The Tool: Your foot

Okay, assuming the door swings away from you, prepare to kick with your dominant foot, meaning your right foot if you’re right handed. Aim for a spot just above the doorknob, which is the weakest point on the door. Try to contact the door with a flat foot, and hit it hard. If the door doesn't swing open or at least start to splinter apart, then it's probably not going to give way. Oh, don't use your shoulder. It's a good way to hurt yourself, and the first-aid kit might be on the other side of the locked door.

Kevin is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. In past lives he's been an economist, computer salesman, mathematician, barista, and college football equipment manager.

Joe is a former carpenter and cabinetmaker who writes extensively about remodeling, woodworking, and tool techniques. He has written eight books and is a contributing editor to Popular Mechanics. He also appears on the Today's Homeowner TV show, and co-hosts the weekly Today's Homeowner Radio Show. Joe writes from his home in Roxbury, Connecticut.

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