A computer-implemented method for preventing unintentional unlocking of a portable electronic device, the device including a touch-sensitive display, characterised in that the method comprises: displaying a plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display, wherein each of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) is a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user interacts in order to unlock the portable electronic device, and wherein each of the plurality of unlock images corresponds to an active application running on the portable electronic device or to an event received by the portable electronic device while the portable electronic device is in a locked state; detecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first predefined location corresponding to one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) while the portable electronic device is in the locked state; moving the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display in accordance with the movement of the contact while continuous contact with the touch-sensitive display is maintained; unlocking the portable electronic device, ceasing to display the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008), and displaying on the touch-sensitive display user interface objects associated with the application or event corresponding to the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) if the moving of the one of the plurality of unlocks image (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display results in movement of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) from the first predefined location to a predefined unlock region on the touch-sensitive display; and maintaining the portable electronic device in the locked state if the moving of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) does not result in movement of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) from the first predefined location to the predefined unlock region on the touch-sensitive display. displaying a plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display, wherein each of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) is a graphical, interactive user-interface object with which a user interacts in order to unlock the portable electronic device, and wherein each of the plurality of unlock images corresponds to an active application running on the portable electronic device or to an event received by the portable electronic device while the portable electronic device is in a locked state; detecting a contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first predefined location corresponding to one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) while the portable electronic device is in the locked state; moving the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display in accordance with the movement of the contact while continuous contact with the touch-sensitive display is maintained; unlocking the portable electronic device, ceasing to display the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008), and displaying on the touch-sensitive display user interface objects associated with the application or event corresponding to the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) if the moving of the one of the plurality of unlocks image (1002, 1008) on the touch-sensitive display results in movement of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) from the first predefined location to a predefined unlock region on the touch-sensitive display; and maintaining the portable electronic device in the locked state if the moving of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) does not result in movement of the one of the plurality of unlock images (1002, 1008) from the first predefined location to the predefined unlock region on the touch-sensitive display.