Your iPad passcode is not working, and the lock screen is now turning a simple mistake into a full stop. If you changed the passcode recently, you get one shot at the quickest fix. If not, the official recovery paths are still clear: reset from the Lock Screen, restore with a computer, or erase the iPad through Find My.
1. Use Your Previous Passcode Within 72 Hours
Start here if the passcode stopped working right after you changed it. On iPadOS 17 and later, Apple lets you use the previous device passcode for up to 72 hours after the change, then create a new one.
- 1.Enter the wrong passcode five times until iPad Unavailable appears.
- 2.Tap Forgot Passcode?.
- 3.Tap Enter Previous Passcode.
- 4.Enter the old iPad passcode.
- 5.Follow the onscreen prompts to set a new passcode.
This works only within that 72-hour window, and the Forgot Passcode? option has to appear on the Lock Screen.
2. Reset the iPad From the Lock Screen
Use the built-in Lock Screen reset if the old passcode option is gone.
Keep entering passcodes until iPad Unavailable appears.
Tap Forgot Passcode?.
On Security Lockout, tap Start iPad Reset.
Enter your Apple Account password.
Tap Erase iPad.
After the restart, set up the iPad and create a new passcode.
The steps above are for iPadOS 17 and later; on iPadOS 15.2 or 16, tap the Erase iPad option on the lockout screen instead of Start iPad Reset. This erases the iPad, removes the passcode, and lets you set it up again. You need Find My enabled before lockout, an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and the Apple Account password for this method.
3. Restore With Finder on a Mac
Use recovery mode when Lock Screen reset is not available. On macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, Finder handles the restore.
On an iPad with no Home button, press and hold a Volume button and the Top button until the power-off slider appears, then drag the slider.
On an iPad with a Home button, press and hold the Top button until the power-off slider appears, then drag the slider.
After the iPad is off, put it in recovery mode and restore it.
Connect the iPad to the Mac with a USB cable.
On an iPad with no Home button, press and release the Volume button closest to the Top button, press and release the Volume button farthest from the Top button, then hold the Top button until the computer-and-cable image appears.
On an iPad with a Home button, hold the Home button and the Top or Side button until the computer-and-cable image appears.
In Finder, select the iPad under Locations.
When Restore or Update appears, choose Restore.
Wait for the restore to finish, then set up the iPad and create a new passcode.
4. Restore With Apple Devices on Windows
On a Windows PC, Apple Devices is the current Apple-supported app for the same recovery-mode restore. Apple provides a Windows download page for Apple Devices, and that is the path to use before falling back to older tools.
Install and open Apple Devices on the Windows PC.
Put the iPad in recovery mode using the button steps for your iPad model.
Select the connected iPad in Apple Devices.
When Restore or Update appears, choose Restore.
Wait for the software download and restore to finish.
Set up the iPad again and create a new passcode.
Use iTunes only for macOS Mojave or earlier, or for a Windows PC that needs iTunes. Do not use old iTunes instructions as the first Windows fix when Apple Devices is available.
5. Erase It Through iCloud or Find My
Remote erase is the right move when the iPad is linked to Find My and you cannot reset it from the Lock Screen.
From a browser, go to icloud.com/find.
Sign in with your Apple Account.
Select the iPad in the device list.
Choose Erase This Device.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
From another Apple device signed in to your Apple Account, open Find My, tap Devices, choose the iPad, tap Erase This Device, tap Continue, tap Erase, enter your Apple Account password, then tap Erase again.
The erase starts immediately when the iPad is online. If the iPad is offline, the erase starts the next time it goes online.
6. Remove Activation Lock After Erasing
After an erase or restore, Activation Lock can ask for the Apple Account used to set up the iPad. Enter that Apple Account and password on the iPad. If the setup screen offers device passcode as an option, follow the onscreen prompt.
For an offline device that is not with you, use icloud.com/find, sign in, select the device, and choose Remove This Device. With proof of purchase, start Apple’s Activation Lock support request. For a business or school iPad, contact the organization that owns it.
7. Reset Screen Time Instead
Screen Time has a separate passcode. If the code failing is for restrictions or Screen Time settings, reset that passcode instead of erasing the iPad.
Open Settings.
Tap Screen Time.
Tap Change Screen Time Passcode.
Tap Change Screen Time Passcode again.
Enter the Apple Account email address and password used for Screen Time Passcode Recovery.
Enter a new Screen Time passcode twice.
For a child’s account, use the family organizer’s device: open Settings, tap Screen Time, choose the child’s name under Family, tap Manage Screen Time under Restrictions, then use Change Screen Time Passcode.
8. Get Service for Button or Computer Problems
If you cannot borrow a computer, Apple says to go to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. If the buttons needed for recovery mode do not work, use Apple’s Get service path.
For a managed work or school iPad, contact IT. MDM administrators can remotely clear a passcode on an enrolled iPad when the device is connected to the internet. Supervised iPads with a saved unlock token can also be handled in Apple Configurator for Mac through Actions > Advanced > Clear Passcode.
Skip Siri, VoiceOver, Control Center bypass tricks, and third-party unlocker apps. Apple’s current supported consumer paths are the 72-hour previous-passcode option, Lock Screen reset, recovery-mode restore, Find My erase, or service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Face ID or Touch ID fix an iPad passcode that is not working?
No. Biometrics can unlock an iPad during normal use, but Apple still requires the device passcode for restart, passcode settings, software updates, erase operations, and other security-sensitive actions.
Will restoring the iPad remove the passcode?
Yes. A recovery-mode restore erases the iPad data and settings, including the passcode, then lets you set up the iPad again with a new passcode.
Can I save my data if I forgot the iPad passcode?
The only current Apple-supported consumer recovery path that avoids an erase is the previous-passcode option within 72 hours of changing the passcode. Other supported recovery paths erase the iPad.
Can I turn on Erase Data after I forgot the passcode?
No. Erase Data is a preventive setting that must be enabled before lockout. Passcode settings require the current passcode.