PIN Code Generator

Generate random, secure PIN codes.

With PIN Code Generator, you can do this check or generate this value in seconds, with no account or install needed. PIN Code Generator makes this small but important security step practical to actually do. The whole process happens locally in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

Step-by-step

Work out where the PIN will be used. Bank cards, SIM cards and door locks often accept only certain lengths, so check that limit first.
Enter the number of digits in Length (4-12). If the system allows it, go for 6 or more.
Click Run. Your random PIN appears in the result area.
Set it on the device or account. If you need to write it down until it sticks, never keep the note with the card or device.

Example

You want a separate code on your smart door lock for guests, and the lock accepts 4 to 8 digits. Set Length to 8, click Run, and register that code for your guest only. When they leave, delete it and generate a fresh one next time. Keeping a guest code apart from your own means you never have to hand out your personal code.

Length matters in a simple way: a 4-digit PIN has 10,000 possible combinations, and a 6-digit PIN has 1,000,000. Every extra digit multiplies the possibilities by ten.

PIN security: digits and habits

A 4-digit PIN has 10,000 possibilities and a 6-digit PIN has 1,000,000; each extra digit multiplies the possibilities by ten. In practice a PIN's real security often depends more on habits than on length: where the system locks after wrong attempts a short PIN may be enough, while where there is no lockout a longer PIN matters more.

What to avoid

Birthdays, parts of your phone number, and predictable patterns such as 1234, 0000 and 1122
Using the same PIN on several cards, phones and locks
Keeping the PIN written down next to the card
Entering it where others can see; cover the keypad with your hand

PIN or password?

A PIN is usually a second authentication element tied to a specific device or card, and it locks after wrong attempts. For online accounts a long password or passphrase plus two-step verification is more suitable. Codes made with this tool are generated in your browser and never sent to a server.

Your bank or device maker may set its own length and rules for PINs; follow theirs.

Things to keep in mind

A random PIN can occasionally look like a familiar pattern such as 1122 or 2580. If that happens, just generate another.
Don't reuse one PIN across your cards, phone and locks. If one leaks, they all do.
Where the system locks you out after a few wrong tries, like a phone, 6 digits is solid protection. Where it doesn't, use a long password instead of a PIN.
Shield the keypad or screen when you type the PIN in public.