How to Reset Locked iPhone When You Forget Passcode
Last Updated on November 1, 2023 by Joanna LakeA driver needs to get well-prepared to face any situations on the road. For iPhone users, iPhone issues are also inevitable, like iPhone Keyboard is Lagging, iPhone Not Stay Connected with WiFi, and so on.
Resetting the device will help to deal with most of them. When you do it on your iPhone, you should enter the passcode.
The iPhone passcode is a key to the iPhone screen lock. If you’ve forgotten the passcode, stop entering the wrong one, since the device will be temporarily disabled after 6 fails.
Is it possible to reset the locked iPhone? Yes, although you are not able to directly reset the device on the Settings app, you can still reset the device in the following 4 ways:
Method 1. How to Reset Locked iPhone with iTunes
Notice: This method will only work when you have synced your iPhone with iTunes and turn off Find My iPhone.
Step 1: Download the latest iTunes on your computer. Then connect your phone to your PC via a USB cable.
Step 2: Launch your iTunes on your computer that you synced with before. If you are required to enter a passcode, jump to Method 3 and try to use Recovery Mode.
Step 3: Click Back Up Now to back up your iPhone data first, since all your data will be erased after resetting the iPhone.
Step 4: Click Restore iPhone when you are ready.
Step 5: A warning will turn up to check whether you are sure to restore your iPhone since all your data will be erased and the newest version of the iPhone software will be installed. Please select Restore.
Step 6: At last, your iPhone will restart and you can set it as a new phone or begin a recovery from a backup.
Method 2 How to Reset Locked iPhone with iPhone Unlocker
iPhone unlocker is a professional unlocking software, which aims to help you effortlessly remove your iPhone passcode, meanwhile, it will factory reset your iPhone.
So, resetting your locked iPhone with iPhone Unlocker is another practical way.
Furthermore, iPhone unlocker is compatible with all the iPhone models, which will work on your iPhone, even an old device.
What’s more, this software is pretty user-friendly. Follow the steps with us, and you can bypass the locked iPhone and freely reset iPhone by yourself:
Step 1: Download the iPhone Unlocker
Step 2: Manually boost the recovery mode on your iPhone, and connect it to your computer.
Step 3: Open the program ⟶ Start ⟶ Next, then choose the Download button to download the latest firmware.
Step 4: After that, select the Start to Remove button to delete the passcode from your locked iPhone. Finally, choose the Done button when the process is over.
Then you will find the Hello screen on your iPhone.
Method 3 How to Reset Locked iPhone with Recovery Mode
Recovery mode will erase all the contents and settings to reset the iPhone. Moreover, users are able to manually boost it without entering passcode. Hence, it’s able to reset locked iPhone.
Besides, it is also a good helper of other difficult issues, for example, iPhone is stuck on preparing an update.
Now let’s reset your locked iPhone with Recovery mode:
Step 1: Boost Recovery Mode on iPhone
Follow the instructions, after pressing a few buttons, and you will boost Recovery mode on iPhone.
On an iPhone 8 or later models (including iPhone SE 2nd): press and release the Volume Up button, then press and quickly release the Volume Down button, press and hold the Side button for recovery mode showing up on the screen.
On an iPhone 7/7Plus: press the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button together and hold for a while until the recovery mode turns up.
On an iPhone 6s or earlier (including iPhone SE 1st): press and hold the Home and Sleep/Wake button together and hold for a while.
After that you will find a connecting iTunes/computer sign on the screen, then connect your iPhone to the computer.
Step 2: Reset iPhone with iTunes/Finder App
Make sure you have installed the latest iTunes on PC.
Tip: iTunes has been replaced by several apps on Mac Catalina or later, please ensure the macOS is up to date. Then using the Finder app to restore your iPhone.
Open the iTunes/Finder app, there’s a prompt that reminds you to restore your iPhone. Choose the Restore button and your iPhone will be reset and all your data will be erased at the same time.
Once the Hello screen shows on your device, you can set up the device, then restore the backup to recover deleted data. Some photos accidentally lost? Recover deleted them directly from your device right now.
Method 4 How to Reset Locked iPhone with Find My iPhone
Find My iPhone is Apple's service that is able to let you remotely organise the device. Except for showing the specific location of the device, you can lock the device or erase the data with it. So, it will be a solution to reset your locked iPhone without a passcode.
Notice: This method will work when the Find My iPhone is enabled and your iPhone is connected to a network.
Step 1: Log in with your Apple account on the Find My iPhone website.
Step 2: Click on All Devices.
Step 3: Then you will see several devices are listed. Click the one which you wish to reset and then tap on Erase iPhone. All the data in your iPhone will be erased including your passcode.
Why Hard Reset Doesn't Reset My Locked iPhone?
You may find a hard reset that said it may fix the issue but actually not working, since it’s only a method to force your iPhone to start again by pressing a few buttons. While iPhone will ask you to enter the passcode when you try to unlock the device.
Hard reset is a method that forces your iPhone to restart again, most of the time, it works when your iPhone gets into trouble such as the iPhone white screen or frozen.
While it won’t help you remove the screen lock, after hard resetting your iPhone, you will need to enter the passcode to unlock it like you always do.
Summary
The reasons for resetting the iPhone can be varied. Some users may want to reset the old and lagging device, while others may want to give it to their friends.
Generally, it's necessary to enter the passcode to reset your iPhone. If you really forget the passcode, we suggest you don't keep entering it, or your iPhone will be disabled for a while.
And it’s capable of bypassing screen lock and resetting locked iPhone with 4 tools: iPhone Unlocker, iTunes, Recovery mode, and Find My iPhone. Each of them has different requirements, you can choose based on your situation.
If you want to easily reset the locked iPhone, you shouldn’t miss the iPhone Unlocker, since it will remove the screen lock on your iPhone and reset it at a time.
Hope this article will help you effortlessly reset your locked iPhone.