Forgot iPhone Passcode? 4 Best Ways to Unlock it [Updated]

Q: “My iPhone 12 Face ID suddenly stopped working and it prompted me to enter my screen passcode to unlock the device, but I forgot my iPhone passcode. Is it possible to remove a forgotten iPhone passcode without losing any data?”

Firstly, I’m sorry to tell you that if you’ve been locked out of your iPhone, any method of unlocking your iPhone without a passcode will completely erase your device’s personal data due to Apple’s strict data security measures. However, if you have used iTunes or other software to sync and back up your iPhone data before forgetting your iPhone passcode, you can easily restore your data after unlocking the device. In this article, we will share 4 effective ways to help you solve the problem if you have forgotten your iPhone passcode.

If You Forgot Your iPhone Passcode

Normally, you will not be able to access your iPhone until you enter the correct passcode. After 6 failed passcode attempts, your iPhone will be locked for one minute. The more times you enter the wrong passcode, the longer your iPhone will be locked. After 10 failed passcode attempts, you will see the message “iPhone is disabled, please connect to iTunes”.

If the iPhone is no longer available, it will not be unlocked, even if you remember the correct passcode. So what should you do if you forget your iPhone passcode? The first thing you need to do is to calm down, remember the most likely correct passcode and then try carefully. Once you are sure that your iPhone passcode has been completely forgotten, try the method shared in the article to remove the passcode to unlock your iPhone.

How to Unlock iPhone When You Forgot iPhone Passcode

Way 1: Unlock iPhone with iPhone Passcode Genius

Trying to unlock your iPhone when you’ve forgotten your iPhone passcode is not an easy task. You may be anxious and nervous when your iPhone is locked. Fortunately, You can now quickly unlock your iPhone in a few simple clicks with iSunshare iPhone Password Genius, a professional and powerful iPhone unlocking software that can remove all types of lock screen when you forgot iPhone passcode, including 4-digit/6-digit passcode, or custom numeric code, etc.

Note: You will need to download and install iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius on your computer first.

Step 1: Launch iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius and click on the “Unlock Lock Screen” option on the main screen.

Then Click  “Start” on the next page to continue.

Step 2: Make sure your iPhone is connected to the computer and click “Next” to load the device info.

Step 3: The software will automatically detect your iPhone model and prepare the latest firmware package for it, click “Download” to start downloading the firmware package, which will take a few minutes. If the download fails, follow the instructions below to click “Copy” and you will be directed to the download page.

Step 4: After the firmware package has been verified, click “Unlock” and the software will immediately start removing your iPhone password. Wait a few minutes and your iPhone passcode will be successfully removed.

Way 2: Restore iPhone in Recovery Mode using iTunes

Before you use iTunes to restore your iPhone, if you have never made a backup with iTunes on this computer, you may be asked to enter your screen passcode to trust the device. In this case, you can only put your iPhone into recovery mode. “Recovery mode” means that your iPhone goes into a forced initialisation mode , you can use iTunes to erase all your iPhone’s data in this mode, including the screen passcode.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable and launch iTunes. iTunes will automatically sync your iPhone if you have backed up your iPhone on this device before, otherwise you will need to put your iPhone in recovery mode.

Step 2: Select the “Restore iPhone” option in the right sidebar. iTunes will ask if you are sure to restore your iPhone to factory reset it, click “Restore” to proceed.

Step 3: You will need to wait a while to restore your iPhone. After factory resetting your iPhone, your device will be updated to the latest version of iOS.

Step 4: Restore your backup. If you have a backup of iTunes or iCloud, then you can restore your iPhone data from either one.

Way 3: Erase iPhone with iCloud

Could you get into a locked iPhone without password? The answer is yes.The “Find My iPhone” feature not only helps Apple users to find their lost device, but also erases the iPhone’s data to remove forgotten iPhone passwords. Therefore, this method only works if the “Find My iPhone” feature is enabled on a locked iPhone.

Step 1: Visit iCloud.com on your browser and sign in with your Apple ID, or sign in to the Find My iPhone app on another iOS device. The Apple ID should be the same as the one used for the locked iPhone. If you have Two-Factor Authentication enabled, you will need a verification code to authenticate before you can continue.

Step 2: Select the “Find iPhone” option in the toolbar, click on “All Devices” > “Locked iPhone” > “Erase iPhone”. Then enter your Apple ID password again to confirm your identity.

Step 3: Wait for a while and your iPhone data will be completely wiped.

Way 4: Contact Apple Support

If you can provide proof of purchase or other evidence and identification that the iPhone belongs to you, then you can contact Apple support to unlock the iPhone’s screen, but sometimes, they may not help you, so you need to keep your expectations down. It’s worth a try though, as it’s one of the free methods .

Bonus Tips: How to Get into a Locked iPhone without Computer

 

1. iPhone on iOS 8 to iOS 10.1: Unlock iPhone with Siri bug.
2. iPhone on iOS 15.2 and later: Erase iPhone directly from the iPhone lock screen.

To do so, Enter the wrong passcode multiple times until “iPhone is unavailable ”> Tap the “Erase iPhone” option in the bottom right corner > Enter password to sign out  of Apple ID.

Conclusion

The on-screen passcode is the privacy and security of your device, even if forgetting iPhone passcode has given you a bad experience. After deleting a forgotten passcode and gaining access to your iPhone again, we recommend that you still need to set a passcode for your iPhone. In the meantime, backing up your iPhone regularly will ensure that you don’t lose your data under any circumstances.