Wiping an iPhone via Settings app is pretty easy after entering the right passcode. What if you forgot the passcode and need to wipe your iPhone? Here're tips on how to erase iPhone without a passcode.
Wiping an iPhone without passcode or with it will restore the device to factory defaults, install the latest iOS, and erase all the data.
When you decide to wipe your iPhone, Apple offers a fairly straight-forward way to do that if you know the Lock screen passcode. After the iPhone is wiped completely, you can sell it on online marketplaces, make a trade-in, or give kids for entertainment.
What do you do when you can't remember the passcode to erase your iPhone the normal way? You can instead wipe your iPhone without a password using iTunes, or iCloud orthird-party iPhone erasing programs. If you're lucky enough, you can even use the more convenient "Erase iPhone" option on your device screen to get the iPhone wiped completely without passcode or computer.
Here's everything you need to know about how to reset your iPhone that you don't have the password for. Let's dive in!
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No matter you have passcode for your iPhone and wipe the device via Settings app, or you can't remember your passcode and want to erase the iPhone to remove the codes, wiping an iPhone will delete everything on the device, and the device restores to factory settings. But you can then recover your data from a recent backup in computer or in iCloud. Unfortunately, if you don't have a backup in advanced, you have to set up the device as new after your iPhone is erased completely.
If you forgot your iPhone passcode, you're unable to erase iPhone without passcode through the traditional route that Apple includes in Settings app. But given that you have unlocked your iPhone, it's easy to wipe the iPhone.
It should be noted that the process will wipe your iPhone's settings and content completely and reset the device to factory settings. Here's how to wipe iPhone with Settings app.
If you've forgotten the passcode to your iPhone, there is another story. You can't unlock iPhone and wipe it through Settings app. Instead, if you enter the wrong passcode too many times, you will get a screen saying iPhone unavailable or Security Lockout. Things get worse as it display a timer that indicates how long you need to wait before you can unlock the iPhone with correct passcode.
Don't worry, though. You can use a computer to get your iPhone into recovery mode and then fire a program named iPhone Unlocker to erase the iPhone without passcode. As an efficient passcode removal tool, iPhone Unlocker can wipe kinds of passcodes including lock screen passcode, Screen Time passcode, as well as Apple ID password.
What's more, there's no limit for iPhone's models, iOS versions and it doesn't require network connection when you use this tool to wipe your iPhone clean without a passcode. Once your iPhone is erased and unlocked, you can then set it up and restore data from a backup.
Follow these steps to learn how to erase your iPhone when you don't have the password for it or you forgot password using iPhone Unlocker.
1. After installing iPhone Unlocker on your PC or Mac, launch it and select "Wipe Passcode" on the main menu. If you don't have a computer, you may borrow one from a neighbor, or go to an Apple Retail Store for seeking help.
2. Next, use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer. Click "Device connected but not recognized." if your device isn't detected by the program. You will then be prompted how to put your iPhone into Recovery Mode. This mode gives you chance to erase your iPhone without a passcode, and have access to rebuild it again.
3. Confirm your iPhone information. After that, the program will begin to download the appropriate iOS software for your device.
4. Once done, check the warning that all of your data and settings will be erased and your iPhone will be upgraded to the latest compatible version of iOS. To proceed, enter "0000" and click "Unlock" to trigger the process of erasing your iPhone without passcode. It will delete everything, including your codes.
When it has finished wiping your iPhone, it will give you access to the device, and restore your data and settings from backups you have in iTunes or iCloud.
Erase iPhone option, introduced in December 2021, gives you the ability to erase/ wipe an iPhone without a password, a computer, or iTunes. This functionality is implemented in the iPhone running iOS 15.2 or later, and available after the device received too many times of incorrect passcode.
Note: If your iPhone hasn't been updated to iOS 15.2 or later, you may get an iPhone disabled message. If that's the case, you won't follow the steps below to wipe your passcode and locked iPhone. Please use the program outlined above.
Check out the steps to learn how to erase an unavailable iPhone without passcode using Apple ID.
Step 1. Attempt to enter passcodes several times until you see an iPhone Unavailable screen with an Erase iPhone option on the bottom right-hand portion of the screen.
Step 2: Tap Erase iPhone.
Step 3. Tap Erase iPhone again to confirm that you're going to wipe all settings and data on the device, including the codes.
Step 4. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out. This is your password associated to set up your iPhone, not the Lock screen passcode.
Wait for a while until your iPhone is factory reset without passcode, and the data is wiped clean. When it's done, you can restore your data from iCloud or iTunes backup, or set up your iPhone from beginning.
Note: The time of erasing an iPhone using Apple ID will vary, depending on the amount of data on your device and your internet connection. Make sure your iPhone is connecting a to Wi-Fi or cellular network with a good state.
Don't have option to erase your iPhone through Apple ID password? It's time to go with iTunes for help. Apple's iTunes includes an Restore iPhone button to help you restore an iPhone that you can unlock to factory settings. And iTunes also comes with an advanced Recovery mode, with which you can erase a locked iPhone and restore it to default settings. This can be a great alternative to erase your iPhone even without a passcode.
Step 1. Open iTunes and update it to the latest version on your Windows 10 (or later) computer. If you are using a Mac, the most recent version of Finder can work as well.
Step 2: Connect the iPhone into the computer and keep it connected.
Step 3. Put your iPhone into Recovery Mode.
Step 4. Restore iPhone without passcode with iTunes/Finder. All you have to do here is click the "Restore" button in the pop-up box. Your computer will download the latest iOS software for your iPhone automatically.
Step 4. Select "Restore and Update" in the following pop-up window. Soon iTunes will download a software and when it's finished, your iPhone will automatically wipe itself without passcode.
Step 5: Set up your iPhone and restore data. It's advisable to create a new passcode to secure your iPhone.
Again, you will need to ensure that your iPhone is in Recovery mode, so that it can be recognized by iTunes to wipe the iPhone without passcode.
Requirements for using iCloud Find My feature to erase iPhone without password:
Here is how to wipe your iPhone by iCloud:
1. Go to icloud.com and log in with your Apple account details.
2. On the menu, select "Find iPhone."
3. You will see a map. At the top of the screen, there will be a pull-down menu labeled "All Devices." Here you can select the iPhone you would like to wipe without passcode.
4. In the top left-hand corner of the screen, you will be given several options. Select "Erase iPhone" and proceed.
5. You will be asked to confirm whether you want to erase all the data without an iPhone passcode. Click "Erase."
Your iPhone will start the process of being wiped.
Hopefully, you get the right way to completely wipe a locked iPhone when you have not passcode. If your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or later and are considering a factory reset of iPhone without computer, a great option would be to go through the Erase iPhone option. If you're unable to reach this page and need a way of resetting iPhone without Apple ID, then you can turn to Recovery mode in iTunes and Higospot iPhone Unlocker.
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