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How to Unlock iPhone without Erasing If You Forgot Passcode

If you forgot your passcode and are looking for a way to unlock your iPhone without erasing it, this article will introduce several ways for you to bypass the forgotten passcode on iPhone without erasing.

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Sandy Archila
Updated on Nov 15, 2022

Here's what to do if you forgot your iPhone passcode and wanted to unlock it without erasing.

Though setting a lock screen passcode on iPhone is very essential to protect against unwanted access to your iPhone's data, there might be a chance that you forget iPhone passcode after changing the old one. When you try gaining back control of your iPhone with the wrong attempts, your iPhone will be locked.

When you forgot iPhone passcode, is there any chance to unlock the iPhone without erasing? Apple has provided one workaround for users who are locked out of their iPhones - resetting the iPhone, which will erase all data in iPhone. It's unavoidable, but it's also effective for you to get back in the iPhone again.

On this page, different approaches are introduced for you to reset the forgotten passcode iPhone. For instance, iPhone Unlocker, the Erase iPhone option, iCloud, and iTunes. No more wasting time, let's see how to fix the forgotten iPhone passcode problem and if you can unlock iPhone without erasing everything.

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Can I bypass my forgotten passcode without erasing?

To be honest, there is no way to unlock your iPhone without erasing if you forgot the passcode. The only certified solution is to reset your iPhone, which will delete all the data and settings stored on iPhone, including the forgotten passcode. Therefore, with everything deleted, you are not able to unlock the iPhone you forgot passcode without erasing it.

However, if you have created a backup in iCloud or your computer before forgetting iPhone passcode, you can restore your backup once the iPhone has been reset. Below we provide 4 ways to unlock your iPhone when you forgot the passcode.

Unlock iPhone if you forgot the passcode via the Erase iPhone option

If you forgot iPhone passcode, the Erase iPhone option is a quick way for you to reset an iPhone. Remember that it is not a workaround to unlock your iPhone without erasing iPhone when you forgot its passcode. You should check the conditions below before using the Erase iPhone option.

Requirements:

  • The Erase iPhone option is only available for devices running iOS 15.2 and later.
  • Make sure your locked device is connected to a cellular or Wi-Fi network.
  • You must have your Apple ID's password for the locked iPhone.

Type in the incorrect passcodes repeatedly, and you will be moved to the "iPhone Unavailable" or "Security Lockout" screen. You will see the Erase iPhone option at the bottom right of the screen.

1. Tap on the Erase iPhone option.

2. Tap the Erase iPhone option again on the "Erase All Content & Settings" screen.

3. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out so that you can erase your iPhone.

Reset iPhone without passcode via iPhone Unlocker

Since you have to accept that no one can get into an iPhone without having an erasure when they forgot the passcode, if you encounter problems when you try the above methods, such as your iPhone has no Internet connection and more, there's a faster and easier way to reset your iPhone when you forgot iPhone passcode.

iPhone Unlocker, an amazing tool that has the ability to help you with kinds of passcode problems. It has a clear interface and you can easily remove the forgotten passcode with it in a few steps. Let's see how this tool works:

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1. Download iPhone Unlocker on your PC or Mac and launch it. Click the Wipe Passcode option on the main screen.

2. Next, connect your iPhone to the computer using a cable. Click the "Device connected but not recognized" link and follow the instruction to boot the iPhone into Recovery Mode.

3. Select and cross-check your device information, then click the Start button.

4. Next, a firmware will be downloaded for your device.

5. Once the download is finished, confirm the unlocking by entering 0000 in the blank space and hitting the Unlock option.

6. Wait for the unlocking process to be over, and don't disconnect the device from computer through the whole process.

When the device is unlocked, you can set up your iPhone again. Also, you can restore your data from an iCloud or computer backup if you had one during the setting up process.

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Bypass forgotten passcode on iPhone via iTunes

You can use iTunes to reset your iPhone if you forgot iPhone passcode. To try this method, ensure you have the latest version of iTunes on your PC or Mac. And if you are using a PC, it should run Windows 10 or later. Once you have all the things ready, follow the steps below.

1. Download and install the latest version of iTunes, then launch it on your computer.

2. Power off your iPhone.

To start the process, your iPhone can't be connected to your computer. And the way to power off your iPhone differs from the iPhone model.

  • For iPhone 8 or later: Hold both the Side button and Volume down button at the same time until you see the power off slider, then slide to turn your iPhone off.
  • For iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 6s, or 6: Press and hold the Side button. A few seconds later, a slider will show up, and drag it to power off your iPhone.
  • For iPhone SE (first generation) or former: Long press the Top button until the power off slider displays, then swipe to shut down your iPhone.

3. Put your iPhone into Recovery Mode and plug your iPhone into the computer.

Search for the right button to get into Recovery Mode.

  • For iPhone 8 and later: Go for the Side button.
  • For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Go for the Volume down button.
  • For iPhone 6s and Earlier: Go for the Home button.

Hold the correct button and plug your iPhone into the computer at the same time. Release the button when you see the Recovery Mode screen.

4. Restore your iPhone via iTunes

In iTunes, you will see a pop-up window, click the Restore option.

Read the message carefully and click the Restore and Update option.

Note: As you are looking for a way to unlock your iPhone without deleting if you forget the iPhone passcode, you might see many companies claiming that they can unlock forgotten passcode on iPhone without erasing it, which is not officially verified by Apple. You'd better follow the proven instruction and reset your iPhone with iTunes.

Get into a locked iPhone without passcode via iCloud

iCloud always makes things easier, whether you need to store data, locate a lost device, or erase a stolen device, etc. You can use iCloud to reset your iPhone and regain access to your iPhone if you forgot the passcode. To use this method, you need to enable Find My iPhone before the iPhone is locked. In addition, the locked device should be connected to the network.

Note: Though it is impossible to bypass the forgotten passcode without erasing your iPhone, you can restore your lost data from a backup during the setting up process if you have one in iCloud or your computer.

1. Browse iCloud.com and sign in with the Apple ID of your locked device.

2. Click on the Find iPhone option at the bottom right of the interface.

3. Click All Devices at the top of the screen and select the locked device.

4. Choose the Erase iPhone option on the prompt window.

5. Select Erase to confirm the erasing process to unlock your iPhone.

Conclusion:

You can try these methods to reset your iPhone and get your iPhone back. However, if you want to unlock your iPhone without erasing when you can't remember iPhone passcode, there is no viable official method to achieve it yet. Erasing the iPhone is inevitable, and it's the only way to remove your forgotten passcode.

Despite that, all your data can be recovered if you have a backup in iCloud or your computer. But if you didn't back up your iPhone before it's locked, you will have to start your iPhone from scratch. You can begin making a backup of your iPhone from time to time later on.

About Sandy Archila
Sandy Archila has been writing about technology for 5 years. She has extensive experience in helping people solve technical problems and delving into iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows platforms.
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