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How to Reset iPhone If You Forgot Passcode

Can't get into your iPhone because of forgetting the passcode? Here's a specific guide on how to reset an iPhone when you forgot the passcode.

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Pauline Larson
Updated on Nov 15, 2022

With this guide, you'll find it easy to reset the forgotten password on your iPhone.

There are many scenarios where you have to reset your iPhone after forgetting the passcode. For instance, you randomly decide to change your password but forget to note it down somewhere, and now you cannot remember the code. Another example may involve restarting an old iPhone to use it in an emergency; however, you forgot the passcode for access to it.

If you can't recall the iPhone passcode and keep entering wrong passcodes over multiple times in a row, your iPhone will end up locking itself. In this case, you will have no choice but to reset the iPhone when you forgot its passcode.

Note: After your resetting the iPhone due to forgetting the passcode, all of your existing data will be gone. But fortunately, you can recover the data if you have backed it up before. If you haven't, the data will vanish permanently.

In order to reset an iPhone forgotten passcode, you have different solutions to this problem, covering Erase iPhone feature, Find My iPhone and Recovery Mode. You can also try iPhone Unlocker to reset your iPhone when you forgot the passcode, which is relatively rapid and easy.

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How to Reset the Forgotten Passcode to Your iPhone

We are likely to make mistakes and get into unwanted situations, such as forgetting our passcode to our iPhones. When you enter the wrong passcode for the first time, it doesn't alarm you as much. But when you continuously enter a series of incorrect codes, the panic increases and it will eventually lead to an iPhone unavailable.

Then resetting the forgotten passcode on your iPhone is the only way that could save you from the trouble. It means that you need to restore the iPhone to factory settings for removing the forgotten passcode, and simultaneously all the contents in your iPhone will get erased, too. Therefore, if you can back up your data beforehand, do it first in case of data loss after the reset.

Below, we will take you through different approaches one by one, which you can use to reset your locked iPhone when you can't remember the passcode. All of them are simple to perform. You can choose one that fits you most to reset the iPhone forgotten passcode.

Tip: This guide is appropriate for all the iPhone models.

Forgot iPhone Passcode - How to Reset It by Erase iPhone Option on the iPhone Screen

Erase iPhone option is one of the most convenient methods to reset an iPhone if you forgot the passcode. All you need to do is just a few of simple taps on your iPhone screen, then your iPhone can automatically start the reset process.

However, it's worth noting that 3 conditions should be met before you use this feature to reset the iPhone when you forgot its passcode:

  • Your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or newer.
  • Your iPhone is connected with the Internet through a cellular or Wi-Fi network.
  • The Apple ID password is required.

If one of these cannot be fulfilled, please jump to the following parts for other feasible ways. Let's see the steps on using this feature to reset the iPhone forgotten passcode:

Step 1: Keep inputting the incorrect passcode to your iPhone until the "iPhone Unavailable" message turns up. The Erase iPhone option will also appear in the bottom corner of your screen. Tap on it.

Tap the Erase iPhone option to start resetting the iPhone forgotten passcode.

Step 2: You will be then prompted to confirm about the reset. Tap on the same option to move on.

Tap Erase iPhone again if you are certain about the reset.

Step 3: Sign out with your entering your Apple ID password. Tap Erase iPhone, and your iPhone will soon begin to get itself reset the forgotten passcode.

Trigger the reset of your iPhone by entering the Apple ID password.

Once your iPhone reboots, you can follow the on-screen instructions to start your iPhone anew, or revive your files and from a backup.

Forgot iPhone Passcode - How to Reset It by iPhone Unlocker (Professional but Easy to Use)

iPhone Unlocker is a highly effective third-party tool to reset the iPhone forgotten passcode. It's developed as a passcode problem shooter for all the iPhone models to reset lock screen passcode, Screen Time passcode and override Apple ID and password. What's more, its intuitive interface makes it challenging to go wrong when you're using it. Any rookies can use it well.

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Follow the steps to reset your iPhone passcode if it's forgotten via this passcode removal tool.

Step 1: launch the application on your Mac or PC, select the "Wipe Passcode" choice in the main screen for resetting the forgotten iPhone passcode, and click "Start" next.

Step 2: Use a lightning cable to connect your iPhone to the computer, and make it enter Recovery Mode for assisting the application in detecting your device. If you have any doubts in this process, you can click "Device connected but not recognized" for more instructions.

Step 3: When your iPhone is detected, you will be required to confirm the device information. After the confirmation, hit "Start" to go on.

The application will then start downloading the iOS software program for your iPhone. Give it a few minutes to finish.

Step 4: In the next pop-up window, verify your choice by typing "0000" if you are sure about the reset of your iPhone forgotten passcode as well as the erasure of all the data. Finally, hit "Unlock" to allow the application to get your iPhone reset the passcode you forgot.

Wait for a while before it's done. Later, the forgotten passcode on your iPhone will be reset, and you are free to add a now code to it during the set-up process.

Prefer video content to text? Watch the video below.

Forgot iPhone Passcode - How to Reset It by Putting the Device into Recovery Mode

Using Recovery Mode is another workable alternative to resetting an iPhone that you forgot the passcode on. You can have a look at the steps below.

Note: If you take this way as an approach to get your iPhone forgotten passcode reset, you should have a PC running Windows 10 or later with the latest iTunes installed, or a Mac with Finder on.

1. Turn on iTunes on your PC. Connect the iPhone that needs resetting its forgotten passcode to the computer. Then activate it into Recovery Mode by following the button combination guide based on your iPhone model:

  • For iPhone 8 or later: quickly press and release the Volume up button and Volume down button continuously. Then keep holding the Side button until you see the Recovery Mode screen.
  • For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: keep pressing both the Volume down button and the Side button, don't let go until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
  • For iPhone 6s and earlier: hold on to the Home button and the Side button at the same time, until the Recovery Mode screen is displayed.

Recovery Mode screen looks like what's above, either of which is fine.

2. Your iPhone will be recognized by iTunes once you put it into Recovery Mode. A window will pop up to ask you if you'd like to update or restore your device. Click "Restore" to reset your locked iPhone with the forgotten passcode.

Hit "Restore" after your iPhone is recognized by iPhone.

3. Click "Restore and Update" in the next window. The iPhone forgotten passcode reset process will soon begin.

With the "Restore and Update" option, you can start to reset your iPhone.

Forgot iPhone Passcode - How to Reset It by Find My

The Find My feature in iCloud is a beneficial service of Apple products as it allows you to find your device and reset it no matter whether you have it nearby. Before using this method to reset your forgotten iPhone passcode, you have to make sure that Find My and stable network is enabled in your iPhone, and your Apple ID and password should also be in hand. Here're the steps:

1. Go to Find My in a browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Log in with the same Apple account that's linked to the iPhone in need of a reset of its forgotten passcode.

2. Click "All Devices" above the map, and select the locked iPhone from the list.

3. Hit "Erase iPhone".

4. Hit "Erase" again, and your iPhone will start to reset automatically.

Find My feature also helps reset your locked iPhone if you forgot the passcode.

When the reset is over, you iPhone will no longer be locked and you can re-set the device from the very beginning.

About Pauline Larson
Pauline Larson is a writer and journalist who has been well-experienced in technology industry for almost 10 years. She has posted various professional articles in different tech-related sites and magazines, as she is deeply fascinated with digital technology, especially with Apple's products.
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