How to bypass an iPhone passcode when locked - 4 options

Forgot your iPhone passcode and locked out of the device? Don't let that code keep you out of the world—it's possible and easy to bypass the passcode on an iPhone. Here's how.

For a true bypass of iPhone passcode, Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker is a quick & reliable solution, which helps completely remove the forgotten passcode - without Apple ID, so you can get past the locked screen and unlock the iPhone again.

An iOS passcode can be bypassed even when iPhone is locked, unavailable or disabled by means of erasing the device.

Forgetting your iPhone passcode can quickly become a stressful experience. After several incorrect attempts, your device may display messages such as "iPhone Unavailable," "Security Lockout," or "iPhone is disabled". At this point, you'll want to bypass the iPhone passcode and regain access to the device as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, Apple's security system presents a stark, unyielding truth: If you forget your passcode, you cannot simply skip or bypass an iPhone passcode. Instead, bypassing a passcode to a locked iPhone in the real world means completely erasing and resetting the device to factory settings, then rebuilding it from a previous backup. If no backup exists, the data stored on the device may be permanently inaccessible.

In this guide, we'll explain how can you actually bypass forgotten iPhone passcode in a few different ways, and provide a backdoor for an iPhone screen password bypass without losing data - in case you meet some requirements.

iPhone passcode bypass & data retention

When an iPhone is locked by a passcode, you have to enter the correct sequence of numbers to have way back in. If anyone could plug an iPhone into a computer and skip the passcode screen while keeping the data intact, your personal files, apps, and private conversations would be highly vulnerable to someone who picked up your phone. This is why Apple emphasizes that there's no direct bypass for a forgotten passcode.

Despite that, there're several built-in utilities you can take to deploy the system command to wipe the encryption key when you can't get past the passcode screen for unlocking iPhone, reducing the phone back to its factory state.

Data loss is the hardest reality for locked-out users to accept. A Factory reset for removing and bypassing the iPhone forgotten password will permanently delete all your device's contents, apps, and settings as well. Your data can be retrieved only if you have a pre-existing iCloud backup or computer backup. If not, at the very least, you're now able to unlock your iPhone without passcode and have a fresh start. Logging into your Apple ID will still give you access to synced data - like photos, contacts, messages, notes, etc. from iCloud server.

Also read: How to recover permanently deleted photos from iPhone

Method 1- Lock screen reset with Forgot Passcode? option (iOS 15.2 or later)

Bypassing a passcode on a locked iPhone has become a straightforward task. Users running iOS 15.2 or newer do not automatically need a computer to break past a lockout. If your phone is connected to cellular data or Wi-Fi, Apple provides an on-screen pathway to wipe the lock screen natively using Apple Account associated with the phone.

When you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, intentionally enter the incorrect code on the lock screen. After five failed attempts, the device will display an "iPhone Unavailable, try again in 1 minute" message. (Continue entering wrong passcode will increase the waiting time - 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 8 hours). At the bottom right corner of the screen, tapping on the Forgot Passcode? option (in iOS 17 or newer), or Erase iPhone (on slightly older versions of iOS 15.2, iOS 16) should let you reset your locked iPhone and clear the passcode you can't remember without connecting to a computer. Here's how.

1. On the iPhone Unavailable screen, tap Forgot Passcode? option.

2. Tap Start iPhone Reset button to confirm that you're sure to erase all content and settings including the passcode for skipping the lock screen.

3. Type in your Apple Account password. This signals Apple's servers that the true owner is authorizing the wipe, disabling the Find My activation lock dynamically.

4. Tap Erase iPhone. Wait for the wipe to complete.

Once the process restores your iPhone and bypasses the passcode, your phone will boot up to the Hello screen, ready to be set up as a brand-new device or restored from a backup.

Method 2- Recovery Mode via PC or Mac

If Apple's on-device reset doesn't work you, try the classic fix when need an iPhone passcode bypass. You can use a computer to boot the device into recovery mode, a more advanced utility that can direct Finder or iTunes or Apple Devices app to either update or erase a disabled iPhone.

To execute a reset when you've forgotten the passcode to bypass the lockout, Windows users will need the latest version of iTunes or Apple Devices app installed, while Mac users running macOS Catalina or newer will simply use the built-in Finder program.

Here's how to bypass iPhone passcode you forget without Apple ID through Recovery mode and regain access to your locked device instantly. Related: How to reset iPad without passcode.

First of all, turn off your iPhone with right button(s) as usual.

Next, boot the locked iPhone into recovery mode. The exact button required to enter Recovery Mode depends entirely on the generation of your device.

Press and hold the Side button for your iPhone 8 or later model while quickly connecting your device to the computer. Keep holding the button. When the screen with a cable towards to computer appears, you're in recovery mode, then let go of the button.

Press and hold the Volume down button for your iPhone 7 model while quickly connecting your device to the computer. Keep holding the button until your phone displays the recovery mode screen.

Press and hold the Home button for your iPhone 6s or older device while immediately connecting your device to the computer. Keep holding the button. When the screen with a cable towards to laptop appears, you're in recovery mode, then let go of the button.

Select "Restore" from the prompt to reset iPhone and the passcode.

Launch Finder or iTunes or Apple Devices app on your computer if it does not open automatically. In the opening dialog where gives you two options: Update and Restore.

• Do NOT choose Update: Choosing Update attempts to re-install the operating system while preserving your data. While this works great for fixing a corrupted system file, it will not remove a forgotten passcode. Once the update finishes, you will simply find yourself staring right back at the exact same lock screen.
• Select Restore: When you click Restore, your computer will download a clean copy of the latest iOS software directly from Apple's verification servers, then completely restore your locked iPhone, wiping out anything so as to bypass the iPhone passcode lockout screen.

When finishes, beware though, you'll need the Apple Account credentials that were used to set up your iPhone, but you won't need the iOS passcode that you bypass.

Method 3- Use all-in-one Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker tool

In the event that you find it challenging to use Apple's iTunes or Finder for a full bypass due to a forgotten passcode or too many failed passcode attempts, taking advantage of a third party dedicated tool will often do the trick.

Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker is our favorite. It does what the name suggests, allowing you to bypass password on iPhone if you're locked out. Whether you forget the Lock screen passcode, or get a second-hand device that's still locked, the software offers a straightforward solution to unlock the iPhone without a passcode or Apple ID. In addition, you can use it to handle the removal of Apple ID, iCloud activation Lock, Screen Time, MDM restrictions, etc.

Take a close look at the detailed guide on how to use Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker for bypassing the device passcode if your iPhone gets locked or you're stuck at the iPhone Unavailable, Security Lockout, or disabled screen.

Step 1- Connect the locked iPhone to the computer using the USB cable and run iPhone Unlocker. When the main interface appears, select Unlock iOS Screen mode.

Step 2- Next, you'll be prompted to start Recovery mode if your iPhone isn't recognized by the program. Don't worry, the onscreen directions make it easy and quick for you to complete it.

Step 3- The next step is to confirm your phone model and click Start Now button to download appropriate iOS software for your device.

The downloading progress may take a short while to complete.

Step 4- Now, you'll start the passcode bypass process. Click the OK button followed by Confirm Again to start unlocking.

When the progress bar reaches 100%, you've successfully bypassed the lock screen on your iPhone. Now unplug the device from your computer and go through the setup process.

Method 4- Remote erase via iCloud Find My

iCloud Find My iPhone feature is useful if you're far from a computer that can't use iTunes or Finder, although it'll only work for Find My iPhone enabled before forgetting the passcode. Here are Apple's official instructions for erasing an iPhone lock through Find My feature, giving you access to the device again with passcode bypassed entirely.

To run Find My service, launch your web browser on a computer or another device, and go to icloud.com/find website. Sign in with your Apple ID and password linked to your locked iPhone.

Next, from the All Devices panel at the top-left, select your iPhone on which you want to bypass the passcode from the devices list, and then choose Erase This Device.

When prompted to erase iPhone to factory settings, click Next button. Re-verify your identity by entering your Apple ID credentials one last time.

As soon as you confirm the remote reset command, your locked iPhone will start erasing itself and removing the passcode security restriction, making it possible for getting past the lock screen without knowing the passcode and restore access.

You'll be asked to set up the device as part of the recovery process. If you did backup of your phone, remember to restore your data with a recent backup through the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen. If no backup exists, you will have to tap the Don't Transfer Apps & Data option, then our device will initialize completely blank, looking exactly as it did the day it was unboxed from the factory.

Can you bypass iPhone passcode without losing data?

The Answer is YES. While the golden rule of iOS security remains that a forgotten passcode bypass requires a complete factory reset, Apple introduced a specific, engineered backdoor starting in iOS 17: the Passcode Reset feature.

When you changed your passcode and forgot the newly created one, this Passcode Reset feature gives you a 72-hour grace period to use your previous passcode to unlock your phone, completely bypassing the forgotten passcode and update it while keeping 100% of your data intact. This is currently the only Apple-supported method that can get into a locked iPhone without erasing the device and its data.

If you find yourself locked out within 3 days of changing passcode, you can utilize the following wizard to get past the passcode screen from iPhone without a computer or data loss.

• On the lock screen, enter the passcode incorrectly until you see the iPhone Unavailable try again screen along with Forgot Passcode? option at the lower-right corner.
• Tap Forgot Passcode? to continue.
• Tap Enter Previous Passcode button.
• Input the old passcode you were using before you made the recent change. The phone will instantly accept the old passcode, bypass the lockout, and drop you onto a screen that says "Change Passcode".
• Create a brand-new passcode and you will be dropped straight back to your Home screen. Any data and settings remain completely untouched.