If you forgot your iPhone passcode, don’t panic. There is a simple fix that lets you wipe it and start over so you can unlock your device.
If you enter the wrong password many times on the lock screen, you will see a pop-up informing you that the phone has been disabled for security reasons. If this happens, you need to wait and try again.
If you completely forgot your passcode, you need to do some extra steps to erase your iPhone and choose a new passcode and start your phone in Recovery Mode. After erasing your iPhone, you can restore all your data from a backup.
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Here’s what to do if you forget your iPhone’s passcode. This method works on all iPhone models from iPhone 6s to iPhone 14.
Get Your Mac or Windows PC
First, you need to switch to your Mac or Windows PC, as the process requires one or the other. If you’re a Windows user, make sure your device is running Windows 10 or later and you’ve downloaded iTunes.
You also need a suitable cable to connect your iPhone to your Mac or Windows computer. If you don’t have one, you’ll have to follow through.
If you don’t have a working computer, you’ll need to take your iPhone to an Apple Store or an authorized service provider so they can assist you.
Turn Off Your iPhone
Now, with your iPhone unplugged, turn off your iPhone normally.
On newer iPhone models, simultaneously press and hold the side button and the Volume down button until the mute slider appears. You can also press volume up, volume down and then the side button for the same slider to appear.
On older iPhone models, you have to hold down the side button or the top button until the slider appears.
Get Your iPhone into Recovery Mode
Now you need to boot your iPhone into Recovery Mode by holding down the appropriate button while quickly connecting your phone to your computer via cable.
If you have an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X or later, press the side button while using the cable to connect your iPhone to your computer.
If you own an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, you need to hold the Volume down button while connecting your phone to your computer. And if you have an iPhone SE or an iPhone 6s or earlier, you have to hold down the home button.
During this process, you’ll want to keep holding the appropriate button until you see the Recovery Mode screen popup on your iPhone’s screen.
Restore Your iPhone
After putting your iPhone into Recovery Mode, you need to locate your iPhone on your computer. If you’re using iTunes, you’ll find it there. If you’re using a Mac without iTunes, you’ll need to find your iPhone in the Finder.
Once you’ve found your iPhone, you’ll see a pop-up window and you’ll want to select Restore, not Update, from the menu. This will prompt the restore process. The download may take some time to complete, so be patient.
Set a New Password
The download should finish in less than 15 minutes. Once complete, disconnect your iPhone from your Mac or Windows PC. At this point, you will need to go through the setup process, which will allow you to choose a new password.
After you choose a new passcode and complete the setup process, you will want to restore your iPhone’s data from a backup.
