If you don’t have any tools, remove the rubber tip with your fingernail or teeth.
You’ll use the bent end of the pin to disengage the pins in the lock.
The curvy end of the bobby pin will look like a coffee mug handle once you’re done bending it.
You’ll use the tension lever to actually turn the lock once you’ve picked it.
You’ll use the lever to maintain tension on the lock as you pick it and as a way to rotate the doorknob once you’ve picked the lock.
Keep tension on the lock as you pick it. This tension is necessary or the pins will just drop back down into the barrel, keeping the knob locked.
Most traditional doorknobs will have 5 or 6 pins. A key pushes the pins up in the exact position they need to line up with the barrel, thus unlocking the door.
The click is the sound of the pin setting on the barrel. You need to set the seized pins first before setting the other pins in place.
On most doors, you have to turn the tension lever counterclockwise to open the door but some doorknobs may differ. The tension lever will only rotate fully if the pins are correctly set on the barrel of the lock.
