Forgot Your iPhone Passcode? 🔓 How to Unlock iPhone Using iTunes or Finder (Step-by-Step), by @iphoneProTips on YouTube. 1 min 54 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 54 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Accept the trade-off first. A restore wipes everything on the iPhone, including photos and messages. Your only way to get data back is an iCloud backup or a backup you made on a computer.
Plug the iPhone into your computer with a USB cable and leave it connected. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open Finder. On Windows or an older Mac, open iTunes.
Force a restart to reach Recovery Mode. On iPhone 8 and later, press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the side button. Keep holding until the recovery screen appears.
On iPhone 7, hold Volume Down and the side button. On iPhone 6s and earlier, hold the Home button and the side button. Hold both until you see the recovery screen.
Look for the alert in Finder or iTunes saying there is a problem with the iPhone. Click Restore, not Update, then confirm. Update keeps your data but will not remove the passcode.
Agree to the terms and wait while the software downloads. A slow connection can make this take a while. Do not unplug the cable during this part.
Let the restore finish. A progress bar shows on the iPhone screen. Keep it connected until the phone restarts on its own and shows the setup screen.
Set up the iPhone and choose Restore from iCloud Backup or Restore from Mac or PC to bring your data back. If Activation Lock appears, sign in with the Apple ID used before.
Tips and common mistakes
A restore removes the passcode, but Activation Lock still needs the Apple ID and password that were signed in before the reset.
If the recovery screen never appears, unplug the cable, turn the phone off, then repeat the button sequence and plug the cable back in.
Use a cable that charges reliably and plug straight into the computer, not a hub, so the restore does not fail halfway.
Restore from a backup made before you forgot the passcode, or you will only get back what iCloud last saved.
Questions
Will I lose my photos and messages?
Yes, unless you have a backup. The restore erases the phone, so set it up from an iCloud or computer backup to get your data back.
Can I the iPhone without erasing it?
No. If you cannot enter the passcode, the restore is the only way in, and it always wipes the device.
What if the computer does not detect the iPhone?
Try another USB cable and port, restart the computer, and make sure iTunes or Finder is up to date. Then put the phone back into Recovery Mode.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
