Sometimes it happens that the password was set by accident, or the phone fell into the hands of a child, and he changed the usual combination. What to do in such cases and how to unlock the iPhone if you forgot the password? Read our material to find out.
Nowadays, mobile device manufacturers do not forget about the security and privacy of personal data. Digital code, fingerprint scanner, Face ID technology - all this is designed to prevent scammers, curious partners, children, and colleagues from accessing the contents of your phone. A password and other identification methods will reliably preserve the inviolability of personal life and finances. But here's what to do and how to unlock the iPhone if you already forgot the password.
First, don't get upset. The maximum that threatens you with the most severe recovery methods is the complete loss of all personal information. For this not to come as a surprise, make periodic «backups» through iTunes. And, of course, be careful when buying a gadget from your hands, check the device by the serial number to make sure that no one is looking for it.
An iPhone can become disabled for several reasons:
It is important to regularly back up your iPhone data to prevent data loss in case of a disabled iPhone.
Here are some common "iPhone is Disabled" error messages and their meanings:
It's important to remember that the more attempts you make to enter the passcode, the longer the waiting time before you can try again will be. In some cases when you've entered the passcode too many times, you may need to restore the device using iTunes or iCloud.
After you have received a message «iPhone is disabled» stating that your attempts to enter a password have ended, you need to wait a minute or try again in five, fifteen, or sixty minutes.
«iPhone is deactivated,» the warning says in the worst-case scenario. The gadget will be inoperable until you connect it to iTunes. So, what exactly is going on here, and why is the iPhone turned off? And how can you get it fixed so you can use your iPhone again? Although the answers to these questions are usually clear, let's go over the reasons for this warning and how to fix it so you can unlock and restore full functioning to your iPhone.
After six failed passcode tries, an iPhone will become deactivated. That means you have five attempts to unlock your device before it locks you out. Your iPhone will be disabled for one minute after the sixth try. The seventh attempt will lock you out of your crippled iPhone for five minutes, the eighth effort will lock you out for fifteen minutes, and the tenth attempt will lock you out for sixty minutes. However, if you reach the tenth attempt and still haven't entered the right passcode, you'll get the warning that your iPhone is disabled. If your iPhone is set to wipe after 10 failed passcode attempts, that is.
One of the options on your iPhone is to self-destruct. If this option is enabled, your phone will immediately wipe all its data after the 10th failed attempt to unlock it using a password.
If your iPhone is attached to your computer, disconnect it or turn off your iPhone. In each version of the iPhone, all settings and hotkeys work differently.
To switch off your iPhone, drag the slider to the off position, then wait a minute to ensure that it is entirely turned off.
Another option is to use Apple's Find My iPhone function, which allows you to trace your iOS devices and, in the worst-case scenario, reset them if they're stolen and can't be found. You may use that feature on your disabled iPhone as well.
The data on the iPhone will be wiped and lost forever if you do not know the passcode and do not have a backup. There is no way around it; in such a case, not even Apple can unlock an iPhone and retrieve the data. As a result, remember to set a device passcode and make regular backups!
So, if you don't remember your iPhone passcode and can't unlock it, you can try using iTunes. All you need is a computer (Mac or Windows) with the latest version of iTunes installed. And then do the following:
3. iTunes will notify you that the device is in recovery mode. The phone will be synced with iTunes. When the process is completed, the iPhone will return to DFU mode, but the password will no longer be on it.
Disadvantages of this method: can take a very long time; it is impossible to use this method if the Home and lock buttons do not work on the iPhone; if you interrupt the process, you can lose all data.
If your iPhone is disabled, likely that it won't connect to iTunes, making it difficult to restore it using the instructions above. In this instance, you'll need to use iCloud to restore your iPhone.
This method will only work if Find My iPhone was previously set up and the disabled iPhone is connected to the internet.
Otherwise, we recommend going to an Apple Store or contacting customer service.
Follow the instructions below to recover your iPhone if you previously set up Find My iPhone.
After completing these steps, you can restore your data from an iTunes backup or an iCloud backup.
If you're using a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, you can use the Finder to fix a disabled iPhone. Here's how:
It is important to remember that restoring your iPhone will erase all data and settings from the device and it can't be undone. Make sure you have a recent backup of your iPhone's data before proceeding.
You will manage to access your data only if you restore a previous backup after unlocking your device. Disabled mode implies a complete phone reset. So when you unlock your iPhone, the data is erased by default.
If you want to unlock your iPhone without iTunes, Find My iPhone is what you need. The service allows you to manage your device remotely. You just need another phone to visit the website or enter the app and unlock your iPhone.
There are several apps to unlock iPhones. The best recovery tools include AnyFix, iMyFone, Tuneskit, and Dr.Fone. They are all reliable and worth your attention. Moreover, their functionality is similar, so you can choose any application to your liking.
We hope these tips have helped you figure out and fix your disabled iPhone. In the future, to avoid such a problem with forgetting the password, try to create the ones that you can always remember or do not set any at all (although this is not a good option because your phone will be easily hacked if it gets lost). Also, always make backups in iCloud or another program in case you need to restore your iPhone so that all information, photos, and videos are saved and can be easily restored. In case you need some more help, text Howly experts. They have a lot of expertise in this area.