IOS software

Swipe away your touchscreen troubles and rekindle your love of Apple’s mobile devices

Forgotten iPhone passcode Q

I’ve just come home after a long stay in hospital. I can’t remember my iPhone’s passcode, and although I’ve tried guessing it a few times, the phone has started locking me out. How can I regain access?

A

Erasing iPhones and iPads has changed with iOS/iPadOS 15.2. Either way, to restore it you’ll need access to a backup, or you’ll be starting from scratch once it’s erased.

Earlier versions of iOS require a Mac, or a PC running iTunes. With the phone disconnected from the computer, turn it off and put it into Recovery mode, as described at apple. co/2tH3Ymo. Holding the designated button while connecting the iPhone to your computer should prompt you to Restore or Update the phone; choose Restore, and the software required will be downloaded and installed. When that’s completed, disconnect the phone, set it up, and restore it.

If the iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or later, is connected to a mobile or Wi-Fi network, and you know the Apple ID and password used to set up that iPhone, you can reset it from the lock screen. Continue to enter passcodes until it enters Security Lockout, when the option to Erase iPhone appears at the bottom. Tap to erase, confirm, then enter your Apple ID password to sign it out ready to erase. When it restarts, it tells you how to set it up and restore from a backup. If you can’t use either of those, provided you have good evidence that it’s your phone, you should be able to get help from an Apple store, or an authorised service provider.

In iOS 15.2 and later, you can erase your iPhone from its lock screen provided you know its iCloud password.