Being locked out of your iPhone because you forgot your passcode is a frustrating situation that can happen to anyone. You desperately need access to your phone again, but you don’t want to lose all your important data and memories in the process. This guide will walk through various methods to get back into your iPhone without a passcode, with the goal of regaining access while preserving your data.
It’s easy to forget your iPhone’s passcode, especially if you don’t use it daily or have a longer, complicated code. You may have also changed the passcode and forgotten the new one. Regardless of how it happened, you now find yourself locked out of your own device.
When you enter the wrong passcode too many times, your iPhone will become disabled and show a message that it’s in “Security Lockout.” This is an anti-theft measure to prevent brute force passcode cracking. At this point, you can’t simply keep guessing passcodes, as your iPhone may erase all data after 10 failed attempts.
This guide will walk through various options, from backing up your device and using trusted devices to bypass the passcode, to more advanced solutions like jailbreaking. The goal is to find a method that works for your situation and regains access without losing your valuable data and memories.
Preventing Lockouts
There are a few tips to help prevent getting locked out of your iPhone in the future:
- Use a longer, more complex passcode with letters, numbers, and symbols rather than just 4-6 numbers. This makes it much harder to guess.
- Set up Touch ID or Face ID to unlock your iPhone instead of typing in your passcode each time. Just make sure you don’t disable it.
- Add trusted devices like an Apple Watch so your iPhone stays unlocked when connected to it via Bluetooth.
- Enable two-factor authentication for your Apple ID so you need both your password and a trusted device to access your account.
Following these tips will significantly reduce the chances of you getting locked out by entering the wrong passcode too many times. Just be sure to still remember your longer passcode.
Back Up Your iPhone
It’s important to regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes in order to preserve your data in case you get locked out. According to Apple Support, an iCloud backup will copy and save information like your photos, messages, Health data, device settings, app data, and more (Source). An iTunes backup to your computer will save similar information.
While an iCloud backup doesn’t include data already stored in iCloud like Contacts, Calendars, and Notes, it’s still the easiest way to backup your iPhone since it happens automatically over WiFi (Source). You just need to make sure you have enough iCloud storage space for the backup. An iTunes backup gives you the option to encrypt your backup for extra security.
Regular backups ensure that if you ever get locked out of your iPhone and need to erase it, you’ll have a recent backup you can use to restore your data afterward. Just make sure you remember the password for your encrypted backup.
Reset Passcode with Trusted Device
If you have a trusted device like Apple Watch set up, you may be able to use it to unlock your iPhone and reset the passcode. According to Apple Support, when you try to unlock your iPhone, you will get the option to “Unlock with Apple Watch.” Tap this option and enter your Apple Watch passcode to unlock your iPhone.
Once your iPhone is unlocked, you can go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older models) and reset your iPhone passcode. This allows you to set a new passcode without losing any data. Just make sure your Apple Watch is nearby, charged, and unlocked for this method to work.
Erase iPhone Without Passcode
One way to bypass the forgotten passcode is to erase the iPhone, which will remove the passcode requirement but also delete all data on the device. You have two options to erase the iPhone without knowing the passcode:
Through Find My iPhone – Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Click on Find My iPhone and select your locked device. Choose Erase iPhone and confirm to wipe the device and remove the passcode.
Through iTunes – Connect your iPhone to a computer and open iTunes. Put the iPhone in recovery mode by pressing and holding the Home and Power buttons. In iTunes, restore the iPhone, which will erase the device and install the latest iOS version.
The main downside is that erasing will permanently delete all your photos, messages, and other personal data on the iPhone. So only use this method if you have no other way to regain access and have already backed up your data.
Use Screen Time Passcode Bypass
If you have Screen Time set up on that device, you may be able to use passcode bypass to regain access. Screen Time allows you to set parental controls and restrictions on your iPhone. Part of this includes setting up a passcode to prevent changes being made.
However, Apple has provided a passcode bypass method in case you forget your Screen Time passcode. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- Tap “Change Screen Time Passcode”, then tap it again to confirm.
- Tap “Forgot Passcode?”
- Enter your device passcode when prompted.
This will remove the Screen Time passcode without losing any data or resetting the device. You will then need to set a new Screen Time passcode if you want to keep using parental controls.
Some third party apps also claim they can bypass the Screen Time passcode, but they carry risks and may not work reliably.
Extract Data from iPhone
If you need to recover data from a locked iPhone and don’t want to lose anything, using a professional data recovery service is an option. However, keep in mind that these services can be expensive.
According to Tenorshare, iPhone data recovery services typically cost between $45.95 to $599 depending on the model and how much data needs to be recovered. Other providers like FlashFixers also confirm that costs can range from $399 to $599 for iPhone data recovery.
In some cases, the costs can be even higher according to experiences shared on Apple’s forums, with quotes ranging from $700 to $1900. So while professional data recovery is possible, it does come at a steep price.
If you need absolutely need the data, it may be worth paying the high cost of professional iPhone data recovery. But otherwise, try resetting your passcode using trusted devices or Screen Time before resorting to this expensive option.
Jailbreak the iPhone
Jailbreaking an iPhone used to allow bypassing the lock screen passcode by installing Cydia or other apps that could reset the passcode. However, jailbreaking has become much more difficult on recent iOS versions due to improved security protections by Apple (cite EaseUS source). The iPhone hardware and software is now designed to prevent jailbreaking, and Apple quickly patches any vulnerabilities that could allow it. There are very few iOS versions that can still be reliably jailbroken, and it requires advanced technical skills.
Unless you have an older iPhone model running an outdated iOS version that is known to be jailbreakable, jailbreaking is no longer a feasible method for the average user to bypass a forgotten passcode. The process is complex, risks “bricking” your device if done improperly, and has very limited chances of success on modern iPhone models. Instead of attempting risky jailbreaking, it is better to try other options like using a trusted device or contacting Apple support for assistance with resetting your passcode.
Contact Apple Support
As a last resort, you can contact Apple Support for help unlocking your iPhone if you forgot the passcode. Apple has tools to reset or remove the passcode from your device, but you may need to provide proof of ownership or purchase to verify your identity.
An Apple support representative can guide you through the steps to erase your iPhone and remove the passcode, which will reset the device back to factory settings. This will result in losing all data on your iPhone unless you have a backup.
Before contacting Apple Support, be prepared to provide your Apple ID email address associated with the iPhone, and if possible, your iPhone serial number. You may also need the original purchase receipt to verify ownership. The support rep can then submit a request to the Apple engineering team to bypass the forgotten passcode.
Resetting your iPhone passcode through Apple Support should be a last resort, as you may lose data in the process. But if you have no other options, Apple can help regain access to your iPhone when locked out if you provide the required proof of ownership.
Lessons Learned
If you find yourself locked out of your iPhone, there are a few key lessons to take away:
Make regular backups – Back up your iPhone data regularly to iCloud or iTunes so you have a copy if needed. This should be your first step before attempting any unlock method.
Set up secondary unlock options – Enable Screen Time passcodes, trusted devices, or Apple Watch unlocking if available. Having a second way to unlock can prevent lockouts.
Avoid unnecessary risks – Jailbreaking or extracting data with third party tools should only be a last resort, as they can damage your device and void the warranty.
Contact Apple support – Apple can often unlock your device remotely with proof of ownership, which is safer than jailbreaking. Only attempt risky methods after exploring official options.
Following these lessons will help avoid total lockouts, while ensuring you have backups of your data. Contact Apple support before attempting risky methods like jailbreaking your iPhone.
