How to Back Up iPhone Without Passcode (Locked/Disabled)
Last Updated on June 13, 2025 by Jack RobertsonThe last thing every iPhone user wants to happen is to have their phones locked/disabled or to forget their passcode. As you may know, iOS security is pretty robust and impervious. If you can’t bypass it so easily. So, if you have the same issue with your iPhone, chances are you won’t be able to access all your phone data. That’s just too bad since it’s almost the same as data lost.
Luckily for you, that’s not the end. There are tricks to backup an iPhone without passcode (locked) or when disabled. We have discussed them below. Check them out and see which one can help your situation. Read on!
In this article
Trick 1: Back Up iPhone without Passcode via iOS Data Backup & Restore
There are now tools that can help you easily backup your iPhone data even when the device is locked or disabled. One of the most effective ones that we’ve tested so far is iOS Data Backup & Restore. So long as you use a computer that your iPhone trusts or has been connected to before, it can back up all the iOS data regardless of whether you know the passcode or not. Isn’t that cool?
iOS Data Backup & Restore can effectively preserve iOS data such as messages, videos, photos, contacts, notes, chat history on WhatsApp, and more. Yes! You don’t have to worry about a single data missing after the backup process.
iOS Data Backup & Restore
The Best Alternative to iTunes for Backup & Restore iOS Device
And if you’re concerned about data theft during the process, you’d be pleased to know that this tool also encrypts your backup file using military-grade security. Hackers and other malicious individuals will likely get no chance of stealing any of your files.
Most importantly, it’s not like other backup tools. iOS Data Backup allows you to preview and select the data you want to back up. Yes! You can either back up in bulk or selectively, which gives you more discretion as you manage.
By the way, this tool works on Windows and Mac. That gives it a lot of flexibility as you can make your backup on either device. Moreover, it supports iOS 26 and earlier versions.
Tip:
This program can also back up data from iCloud/iTunes backup files. So, you already have a backup of your important iPhone data there, iOS Data Backup can be of use as well.
Steps to Force Backup Locked/Disabled iPhone via iOS Data Backup
Step 1:
Download, install, and launch the software on your trusted PC. Just click the button below to get the installer for your device.
Step 2:
Choose iOS Data Backup & Restore on the interface and click iOS Data Backup afterward. Connect your iPhone to this trusted PC with a USB cable. Normally, your iPhone will sync to this computer successfully without asking you to unlock the disabled device.
Step 3:
There, decide the mode for the backup: Standard or Encrypted (Add a password to the file to protect privacy). Click Start to proceed.
Step 4:
Next, you can select the data to back up by category or back up all the data by choosing Select All. Finish selecting the data, and click Next to back up the selected data. The data will be stored in a PC folder that you’ve selected.
That’s how simple it is. iOS Data Backup can back up your data even if the iPhone is disabled. Your backup files will be much easier to restore and check. Not to mention, you can do this by yourself even without technical knowledge as long as you follow the steps above.
Trick 2: Backup iPhone without Passcode via iTunes
iTunes is an app exclusive to Apple devices like iPhones. It can be used to play media files as well as organize phone data. Thus, you can use it to manage and back up your iPhone data as well. You can do this on Mac or Windows. However, you need to manually install iTunes if you’re going to use the latter OS.
Nevertheless, this trick won’t work if you have never connected the target iPhone to the computer you’re going to use. That’s because the iPhone doesn’t trust any other computer unless you were able to enable Trust this Computer before you got locked out.
Fortunately, if you’re using a Mac and the Apple ID registered on the iPhone is linked to it as well, you can freely make the backup using iTunes without issues. It will automatically recognize that the locked iPhone is your device.
For Windows:
- Connect your iPhone using a compatible data cable and launch iTunes. There, proceed to Summary and hit Backup Now.
For Mac:
- If you're still running Catalina, Big Sur, or Monterey, you need to launch a Finder window and back up with Finder.
Note:
If you have synced your iPhone to iTunes before, but it fails to sync to iTunes this time and iTunes keeps asking for “Trust This Computer“, you must’ve turned off the phone. The trust will only last as long as the phone has been active since the last sync or if it’s the same computer. Otherwise, it will refresh and you have to allow it again, which you can no longer do because the phone’s locked/disabled.
Trick 3: Backup Disabled iPhone via Finder
In case you are using an iMac or a Macbook that has the same Apple ID as your disabled iPhone, you can sync both devices together to back up your files. This works by syncing the files from the iPhone to your Mac via Finder. However, Finder is only available on macOS 10.15, 11, 12, and any newer version. For older macOS, the previous methods are the ones to follow.
Step 1:
Connect your disabled iPhone to the iMac/Macbook. Launch Finder by pressing Option + Command + Space.
Step 2:
Find your device’s name on the left panel of the Finder window. Click the Back Up Now button to complete.
Trick 4: Backup Locked/Disabled iPhone using iCloud
This one depends on whether you’ve activated iCloud on your locked/disabled iPhone. Otherwise, this won’t work. As you may know, iCloud automatically syncs your iPhone data to your cloud storage, which means that you certainly have a backup that you can restore if you get locked out.
But your backup files may not be updated and some recent iOS data may not be there if the iPhone is not constantly connected to a stable and fast internet network.
Tip:
The auto-backup is triggered whenever your phone is charged or locked besides being connected to a WIFI. Since your iPhone is locked/disabled, we can only count on WIFI and charging. Make sure to charge the phone several times. You may plug it in and out of the socket to trigger the backup process and wait for several minutes/hours, provided that the phone is still connected to the internet.
Nevertheless, there are two ways to proceed with this trick.
Way 1: With The Same Apple ID
For this method to work, you will need a different iPhone or iPad that uses the same Apple ID as the disabled/locked iPhone. If yes, these are the steps you need to follow:
Step 1:
On the other iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Manage Backup - Backups. There, you can see all the backup files for this Apple account.
Step 2:
Choose the name of your disabled iPhone. You will see the time for the Last Backup. See if it matches the time you charged the disabled iPhone or not.
Step 3:
Then, you can now confirm if the backup is synced to the device. Start backing up your disabled/locked iPhone’s data to the other device or repeat the previous methods to do the backup on Mac/Windows.
Way 2: Not The Same Apple ID
However, if the other iPhone/iPad doesn’t have the same Apple ID as the locked/disabled iPhone, you need to add its registered Apple ID first. This will require you to verify that you are the owner of the iPhone via text/verification code. Here’s how this is all done:
Step 1:
Remove the SIM card from your disabled iPhone and insert it into any phone, it can be the same iOS device you prepare. Then, add the Apple ID credentials to the other iPhone/iPad as usual. You will be asked to provide a verification code.
Step 2:
Choose Didn't Get a Code? - Text code to (your phone number). A 6-digit code on the phone that you've inserted the SIM card into should be received immediately. Enter the code to complete the verification process. After that, repeat Way 1 to do the backup.
Bonus: How to Unlock Locked or Disabled iPhone
While making a backup of your iPhone without a passcode or when it’s disabled/locked is possible, it can still be a hassle if you have no time to follow the methods above. The good news is there are ways for you to unlock your locked/disabled iPhone without a passcode. Just check out the following articles to find the trick that works for your situation.
Conclusion
Those are the 4 easy ways to back up an iPhone without a passcode. Try them out and see which one perfectly works for you. However, the first trick is the easiest as per our testing. That’s because the iOS Data Backup makes the process much simpler with its simple interface and amazing quality-of-life features that make backing up faster.
FAQs
To fix a disabled iPhone, you need to put your iPhone into recovery mode first. Next, connect it to the computer with a USB cable.
Next, iTunes or Finder on your PC or Mac will automatically launch as it detects the disabled iPhone. And it will prompt you to restore this iPhone. Follow its instructions and fix the disabled iPhone. Apart from this, you can also use iCloud and Find My app on your iPhone to fix a disabled iPhone. For more details, read this: How to Restore Disabled iPhone.
When your iPhone is disabled, check the screen. See how many minutes or hours it will be disabled. If there's a certain amount of minutes or hours, it's fine. You can unlock your iPhone again when the disabled restriction is gone.
However, if you see a sign "iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes", your iPhone is completely disabled. You have to reset it. There's no other way out, to re-use this iPhone, you must put it in factory settings that will erase everything of this iPhone.