How to reset a locked iPhone without passcode

Locked you out of your iPhone and want to get into it without passcode? You're able to reset locked iPhone with the right steps Apple instructs, as well as the right app.

You probably think you can remember all your different, complex passwords for various accounts, but now you are facing a screen asking you to try entering the 4-/6-digit number again and again on your iPhone — you're locked of your device. That's not funny.

Want to unlock your iPhone screen? Apple's iOS doesn't comes with a built-in link on the screen to reset or recover your login, but requires you to factory reset locked the iPhone without passcode even if you're the owner.

You have to reset a locked iPhone if you can't remember password or enter it incorrectly in a row.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a recent iCloud or computer backup handy, you might have a real headache on your hands since wiping the lock screen means wiping the phone and erasing all of your data completely. But don't panic just yet. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to factory reset the iPhone when you forgot the passcode and regain control before you assume it's gone for good.

For those who need a quick way to unlock the device, try Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker. It's reputable third-party utility that is capable of removing all kinds of screen locks on iPhone and iPad. With a bit of persistence and patience, you should know how to reset an iPhone without passcode, no matter what phone model you have in hand.

Utilize "Forgot Passcode?" mode (iOS 17+)

Have you checked the bottom of your lock screen? If your iPhone is running iOS 17 and later, Apple built a native, completely computer-free safety valve directly into the operating system. This is the cleanest, lowest-friction method available for resetting a locked iPhone without a passcode, provided your device meets a few basic prerequisites.

To trigger this option, you must keep entering the wrong passcode several times until the screen says "iPhone Unavailable" or "Security Lockout," accompanied by a timer "Try again in 15 minutes."

1. Look at the bottom-right corner of the screen. You should see a button that says "Forgot Passcode?"

2. Tap "Forgot Passcode?".

3. A warning screen will appear, confirming that erasing the device will wipe all data and settings. Tap "Start iPhone Reset" to proceed.

4. The iPhone will prompt you to enter your Apple ID password. This is required to turn off Activation Lock and sign out of your Apple account.

5. Once entered, the iPhone will automatically restart and begin the factory reset process.

This method requires your iPhone to be actively connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network. If you restarted your phone after it locked you out, it won't connect to Wi-Fi automatically, and this button may not appear. Additionally, you must absolutely know your Apple ID credentials.

After resetting your iPhone completely without using passcode, you will be prompted to set the phone up again. Follow the onscreen instructions to finish the task.

Use the "Passcode Reset" feature (within 72 hours)

If you are within 72 hours of changing an iPhone passcode, Apple iOS includes a brilliant safety feature known as Passcode Reset, which can save your data. It allows you to use your old passcode to bypass the lockout and immediately set a new one without losing a single byte of data.

1. Tap "Forgot Passcode" button at the lower right side of the phone screen.

2. On the subsequent screen, select "Passcode Reset."

3. Enter your previous passcode to unlock the phone.

4. Follow the on-screen prompts to establish a brand-new passcode that you will remember.

Check if your iPhone's synced with iTunes before

In the case that your iPhone has previously synced with iTunes or Finder, it makes your computer a trusted device, and you no longer need to enter your screen passcode to access the phone for backup and restore whenever you plug in.

Follow these steps to factory reset the iPhone when you forgot passcode through iTunes:

1. Plug your locked iPhone into computer, and launch iTunes if it doesn't open automatically.

2. After connected, click the phone icon in the upper left corner of iTunes' Window. You will find your phone under Locations in Finder instead.

3. Move to the Backups area, click "Back Up Now" to create a backup of your iPhone first. The backup is saved to computer, where you can restore your data to your phone later once you have access again.

4. Click "Restore iPhone..."

You can use iTunes to factory reset iPhone without password if it's synced before.

5. When a message announces that it resets the iPhone back to factory settings and erases all media and other data, confirm the action by clicking "Restore."

6. Allow a few time for the iTunes to download the latest iOS software and install on your iPhone. After it's reset, you can opt to restore your phone from backup or begin a fresh setup.

See also: How to transfer movies from laptop to iPhone

Reset your iPhone remotely via iCloud

If you can't access Settings to reset the passcode but you've enabled Find My iPhone option there before — it should be turned on by default unless you close it manually — resetting a locked iPhone without a passcode is simple and straightforward through iCloud.

The steps below describe how to factory reset the iPhone passcode if you can't access settings.

1. On your computer web browser, go to iCloud Find My iPhone and if you're not already staying logged in, sign in with your Apple ID and password. Beware though, here is not your screen passcode.

Log into iCloud to find iPhone.

2. If you are using the web interface, click on "All Devices" at the top of the screen and select your locked iPhone from the dropdown list.

Select your device from list.

3. When it's located, you should see a small pane on the upper left corner of the page with the option to play a sound, activate Lost Mode, or erase the phone completely.

4. In our case we need to factory reset an iPhone that is locked without knowing passcode, so here select "Erase This Device."

Wipe the iPhone remotely.

5. You may be prompted to re-enter your Apple ID password or answer security questions.

iPhone Unlocker: How to reset an iPhone without passcode quickly

If you fail to factory reset the locked iPhone via iCloud, or any error happens unexpectedly that makes the "Forgot passcode?" feature not working, Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker is a great alternative option to complete the task.

The application doesn't adopt the way as the iCloud offers to remove the password and reset the locked iPhone remotely through internet, but rather relying on a solid connection between your device and computer, and it will do the job just fine... as long as you have either a laptop or desktop nearby and a USB cord ready.

The real benefit in using this software comes from simple operation. You just need to plug the phone into computer, confirm your details of device, and let the software do the rest things.

Steps to factory reset a locked iPhone without a passcode using Appgeeker iPhone Unlocker.

1. Start by opening the software on your computer, and connect the phone.

On the program window, select "Unlock iOS Screen" to proceed.

2. It should detect your iPhone automatically and show the basic information of the device. If not, follow the onscreen prompts to boot it from restore mode.

You'll have to check the phone model to ensure that you will get an appropriate iOS firmware to download for your device later.

3. After confirmation, click the "Start Now" button to begin downloading iOS firmware, followed by a progress bar at the center of the screen – the download process is usually pretty quick, but this can depend on the size of firmware you need and the internet connection.

4. Once it completes download, click "Start Removing" button. A pop-up dialog will open up, telling you the risk of losing all data and settings if you execute the process. Click "OK" to confirm.

The process of wiping your iPhone and resetting the password-locked screen begins. Give it a few time to do the job.

See also: Photos disappeared from iPhone

Can you factory reset a locked iPhone with just buttons?

Absolutely yes. The desktop-based iTunes always takes care of the heavy lifting, including the device restore tasks when you forgot the passcode to your iPhone or the screen displays a permanent lockout message with no countdown timer.

To bypass the lock screen from a computer, you must force the phone into Recovery Mode. This is a low-level diagnostic state that allows to completely overwrite the iPhone's firmware. Here's how:

1. Open iTunes or Finder, but don't plug your iPhone into computer!

Unplug your iPhone from the computer if it is currently connected.

2. Enter recovery mode

You'll need to force the phone to be recognized by iTunes, this is what many refer to - recovery mode.

Completely power down the device: press and hold the Side button and either the Volume button on the left side of the device to wait for the power off slider to appear, then drag the slider to power off your phone.

Next, connect your iPhone into your computer while continuing to press the Side button. Do that until a charging cord and computer icon appears on the screen. You've entered recovery mode successfully.

Enter recovery mode and connect to iTunes.

3. Restore your iPhone without password

Look at your computer screen. The Finder or iTunes application should automatically throw up a diagnostic dialogue box reading: "There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored."

Select Restore.

Restore your phone when it is locked.

It will present a confirmation prompt detailing that the process will wipe all media and data. Click Restore and Update.

Wait until the restore process is done. When finished, your device will reboot into the classic, multi-lingual "Hello" welcome screen.

Once your iPhone finishes factory formatting without passcode via any of the methods listed above, be sure to open backup feature on the device to back up your data from now on.