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How to get into unavailable iPhone 12 when you forgot the passcode

Don't panic. It doesn't matter whatever reason you have forgotten the passcode, you can use these Apple routes to regain access to your unavailable iPhone 12.

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Alex Griffith Updated on Feb 4, 2025 1:19 PM

Apple offers its own tools, including Apple ID, iCloud, Recovery mode, to help you getting into an iPhone 12 that says unavailable message on the screen.

If this doesn't solve the problem, you may want to use iPhone Unlocker, a dedicated third-party program that allows you to unlock and get into an unavailable iPhone 12 in minutes.

To get into your iPhone 12 saying unavailable, you must reset the phone and erase all the data, and set it up again.

Apple's iPhones, including the specific iPhone 12, work a lot more like Android devices. If you forget the passcode and get your iPhone 12 into unavailable state, you'll need to reset it to factory settings to be able to use it again.

For the past, to get into an unavailable iPhone 12 after entering too many wrong codes, a computer is required to use and iTunes' Recovery mode needs to be open to reset the phone. But now, you can use a more seamless and intuitive way to access your unavailable iPhone 12 through an online reset process.

Here's how to get into your iPhone 12 when it shows unavailable screen.

  • Try running the "Forgot Passcode?" tool on the iPhone 12 unavailable screen, which you can see after 5 consecutive incorrect passcode attempts.
  • You may try signing to iCloud site with your Apple ID and password to run a remote reset on your iPhone 12.
  • If that doesn't help, you can try getting into your locked iPhone 12 with unavailable error by booting into Recovery mode, installing the latest iOS, and wiping all your data and settings.
  • If you're looking for a quick manner to open your unavailable iPhone 12, you may also consider using iPhone Unlocker software.

We have a separate guide for unlocking Samsung phone forgotten pattern for Android users.

Use 'Forgot Passcode' tool

There's no way to recover a passcode for iPhone 12 if you forget it, but you may use the "Forgot Passcode?" tool to get into an unavailable iPhone 12 after performing a factory reset.

1. To get into your iPhone 12, start by tapping Forgot Passcode? at the bottom of the iPhone Unavailable screen. Doesn't see the option? Keep entering the wrong passcodes until it appears.

2. Tap Start iPhone Reset to proceed.

3. When you reach Sign Out of Apple ID screen, enter your iCloud password. It needs to be the same iCloud account used on your iPhone 12 Settings app.

4. Tap Erase iPhone to begin resetting the phone.

It's pretty easy to get into an iPhone 12 that is saying Unavailable as long as you know your Apple ID password. However, there are a few downsides for this method. The first is that you need to be running iOS 15.2 or later — older version of iOS won't let you directly erase and reset an unavailable iPhone12 itself to get into the phone again. The second is that the device needs to be connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Keep in mind that you will also need to sign in with the same iCloud account after the reset process. This is to prevent people from stealing your phone and resetting it without a passcode.

Use iPhone Unlocker software

iPhone Unlocker is our favorite because its simplicity and efficiency. It is a bunch of tools that can be used to perform various actions on your iPhone or iPad – such as wipe passcode, remove Apple ID, get rid of forgotten Screen Time passcode, remove MDM lock, and even the ability to get rid of backup encryption settings. Among all these tools is one that can be used to unlock your unavailable iPhone 12 to regain access.

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To get into iPhone 12 unavailable screen, make sure use its "Wipe Passcode" tool.

Step 1: Launch iPhone Unlocker

Launch the software on your computer, and select "Wipe Passcode" to continue. No matter you forgot a 4-digit code, 6-digit code, or Alphanumeric code, or the Face ID and Touch ID doesn't work, you may use this tool to remove it.

Connect your unavailable iPhone 12 to your computer and click "Start." If your phone isn't recognized, click the onscreen instructions to fix it.

Step 2: Confirm your phone information

After detected, you'll be presented with a screen showing your basic information. Click "Start" to proceed if you're sure that nothing is needed to be tweaked.

Step 3: Download firmware package

Wait for the software to download iOS firmware for you to reset and get into your unavailable iPhone 12. It should take a few minutes.

Step 4: Begin unlocking your iPhone 12

After download, click "Unlock" and enter "0000" to the corresponding field when prompted.

Note, you will have to erase your data on the unavailable iPhone 12 and install the latest iOS firmware to your phone.

When you're ready, click "Unlock" again to reset your iPhone 12.

When the phone reboots, the unavailable screen has been removed, and you can set the phone up again and use your Apple ID and password to reactivate it.

Related: How to unlock unavailable iPad

How to get into unavailable iPhone 12 with iCloud Find My

1. Open iCloud.com on your computer browser, log into the website with your Apple credentials.

2. Click Find My after logged in from the iCloud menu. You may also use another Apple device to perform the same action with Find My app.

3. At the top center of the Find My iPhone page, click "All Devices." Then select your iPhone 12 saying unavailable from the list.

4. At the phone menu that appears, click the button labeled "Erase iPhone."

5. A notification warning that it's going to delete all your content permanently and reset the iPhone will appear.

6. Click "Erase iPhone" to confirm.

7. Enter your Apple ID password, and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your unavailable iPhone 12.

Note that this feature requires you have enabled Find My on your iPhone 12 (Settings > [Your name] > Find My) before it gets unavailable issue.

What if you forgot your Apple ID or password?

To recover Apple ID, go to Apple's account recovery page, enter your name and ema, then follow the prompts to verify your identity.

To reset your Apple ID password, go with the same page above. Apple will send a verification code to your trusted phone number or email to reset the password.

Related: How to transfer photos from iPhone to external hard drive

How to get into an unavailable iPhone 12 with iTunes

1. To remove unavailable error and get into your iPhone 12 again, turn off your phone first.

2. After the screen goes completely black, press and hold the Side button while connecting the phone to your computer simultaneously to enter Recovery Mode. It should display an image with a cable towards to a computer appears.

3. Open Finder on your Mac, or open iTunes on your Windows PC, choose Restore (not Update) when prompted.

4. Give it a few minutes to install the iOS software for your unavailable iPhone 12, erase all the data, including the screen lock and passcode, and reset it to its factory defaults.

5. After your iPhone is factory reset completely, you'll need to set up your device again. You'll be prompted to log back into your iCloud account, which will restore your data from a backup if you have.

Using Recovery mode is the classical way to get into an iPhone 12 when you see Unavailable screen, regardless of you forget the passcode or you've entered wrong passcode too many times. Recovery mode also works for get rid of "iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes" problem for older devices.

Conclusion

There're several ways that let you get into an iPhone 12 when it says unavailable. While you can always trust iTunes to resolve unavailable error with your phone, Apple introduces its new feature to help you reset the iPhone with Apple ID and password to simplify the process, no computer involved. Remember to take preventive measures to keep your data on your iPhone 12 backed up regularly.

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