Forgot your iPhone or iPad passcode
There is a way back in, but it erases the device. Whether you lose anything depends on your backup.
What's usually going on
After several wrong passcodes, an iPhone or iPad locks itself and shows "iPhone Unavailable" or "Security Lockout". This is deliberate: it is what stops a thief from getting in. Apple cannot unlock it for you, and neither can anyone else. The only route is to erase the device and restore it from a backup.
Worth trying first
Stop guessing.
Each wrong attempt makes the wait longer. If the passcode was changed in the last few days, look for "Forgot Passcode?" on the screen: recent versions let you use the previous passcode for a short time.
Find your Apple Account password.
You will need the Apple Account email and password that the device is signed in to. Without them, an erased iPhone cannot be set up again.
Check for a backup before erasing.
On another device or at icloud.com, sign in and look at what's there: photos, contacts, notes. If iCloud Backup was on, most of the phone comes back.
Erase and restore.
Tap "Forgot Passcode?" or "Erase iPhone" on the locked screen and follow the steps, or connect it to a computer. Then restore from your backup during setup.
When to hand it over
If you aren't sure there's a backup, don't know the Apple Account password, or the phone holds photos you can't lose. It's worth ten minutes of checking before anything is erased. Be wary of websites and shops that claim they can unlock an iPhone without erasing it.
Your own technologist, on call.
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