The Justice Department late Monday was granted a postponement of tomorrow’s planned hearing in its lawsuit against Apple over an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino attackers, Syed Farook.

In asking for the delay, the government said it wants to try another way to get into the phone.

“On Sunday, March 20, 2016, an outside party demonstrated to the FBI a possible method for unlocking Farook’s iPhone. Testing is required to determine whether it is a viable method that will not compromise data on Farook’s iPhone,” lawyers for the government wrote in an application for a continuance filed on Monday afternoon. “If the method is viable, it should eliminate the need for the assistance from Apple Inc. (“Apple”) set forth in the All Writs Act Order in this case.”

“Accordingly, to provide time for testing the method, the government hereby requests that the hearing set for March 22, 2016 be vacated. The government proposes filing a status report with the Court by April 5, 2016.”

A senior FBI official declined to disclose who the idea came from for opening the phone without Apple’s help.