Forgot your iPhone passcode and can't get past the lock screen? You can erase the phone from its lock screen, restore it with a computer, or use Find My. Start with the previous-passcode option below: if you qualify, you can get back in without erasing your data.
Try your previous passcode before erasing
Changed your passcode within the last 72 hours? On iOS 17 or later, you can use the previous passcode to set another one, provided you haven't manually expired it. This requires an active network connection, Apple Account sign-in, and Find My enabled.
After five incorrect attempts, tap Forgot Passcode? on the unavailable screen. Tap Enter Previous Passcode. Enter your previous passcode and follow the prompts to create another one. This keeps your data on the phone; the consumer erase methods below remove local data.
Erase directly from the locked iPhone
This erases the iPhone and its forgotten passcode without a computer.
On iOS 17 or later, you need Find My enabled before lockout, an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and your Apple Account password. The older iOS 15.2–16 interface had an Erase iPhone entry button; the instructions here use the iOS 17 and later reset flow.
Enter incorrect passcodes until the unavailable screen appears. Tap Forgot Passcode?. Next, select Start iPhone Reset.
Enter your Apple Account password to sign out. Tap Erase iPhone. If you use an eSIM, confirm with Keep eSIM and Erase Data or Delete eSIM and Erase Data when prompted.
Complete setup after the erase finishes. Choose a new passcode during setup.
Without the required connection or account password, use computer recovery below. Recovery mode removes the screen passcode, but if Find My was on, Activation Lock still requires your Apple Account password to set up the phone again.
Use a computer when the lock-screen reset isn't an option
Get a Mac or Windows PC, a suitable cable, and an internet connection ready. Turn off the iPhone. On Face ID models, hold the side button and Volume down, then drag the power-off slider. On Home-button models, hold the side or top button, then drag the slider.
Connect the cable to the computer, leaving the iPhone disconnected. Connect the powered-off iPhone while immediately holding its recovery button: side for Face ID models, iPhone 8/8 Plus, and SE 2/3; Volume down for iPhone 7/7 Plus; or Home for iPhone 6s and earlier and SE 1. Keep holding past the Apple logo until the computer-and-cable image appears. Entering recovery mode alone does not erase the phone.
Restore using your computer's app. On Mac, open Finder, select the iPhone under Locations, permit the accessory connection if requested, and choose Restore when offered Update or Restore.
On Windows, open Apple Devices, select the iPhone in the sidebar, choose General → Restore iPhone, and follow the confirmations.
If your Windows PC doesn't have the Apple Devices app, Apple says to open iTunes instead. Select the iPhone, choose Restore, and follow the prompts.
Use recovery mode even with a previously trusted computer; prior trust does not guarantee access without the passcode. If a lengthy download makes the iPhone leave recovery mode, let the download finish, then repeat the recovery-mode steps to complete the restore.
Erase remotely through Find My
No computer handy? Open iCloud Find Devices in a browser on a phone or tablet, including a borrowed device. It also works in a computer browser, but Find My must have been enabled on the locked iPhone before you lost access.
Open iCloud Find Devices. Sign in to your Apple Account. If a verification-code screen appears, select Find Devices to access that service without supplying the code.
Open All Devices if needed to display the device list. Select your iPhone. Then choose Erase This Device.
Complete the onscreen confirmations. If the iPhone is offline, the erase waits until it reconnects. If Find My wasn't enabled or you can't complete the remote erase, use recovery mode with a computer.
Recover your Apple Account password too
A forgotten Apple Account password blocks the lock-screen erase and prevents activation when Activation Lock requires those credentials.
Your Apple Account password and iPhone screen passcode are separate credentials. To change the account password using another trusted iPhone or iPad, open Settings on that device.
Tap [your name]. Open Sign-In & Security. Select Change Password. Authenticate with that trusted device's passcode to complete the password change.
Without a trusted device, start account recovery at iforgot.apple.com. Follow any security delay or recovery waiting period shown during the process.
Changing the account password leaves the locked iPhone's screen passcode unchanged. Use one of the reset methods above afterward; recovery-mode restore does not bypass Activation Lock.
Bring back your backup after the reset
A compatible saved backup restores data after the erase. During setup, choose From iCloud Backup on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen. Sign in to your Apple Account. Select the backup you want to restore.
For a computer backup instead, select the iPhone in Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes. Choose Restore Backup. Select your saved backup. Click Restore.
Enter the encrypted-backup password when requested. Restoring a backup brings back saved data after the erase; it doesn't remove the forgotten screen passcode on its own.
Get help when recovery mode won't work
If you can't borrow a computer or the iPhone's buttons won't let you enter recovery mode, visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. They can help complete recovery, but that assistance does not provide a passcode bypass that preserves local data.
For a work or school iPhone, contact your administrator before erasing it. Passcode removal that preserves data is available for eligible previously managed devices with the required enrollment and usable management credentials.
If your administrator can't clear the passcode, use a consumer erase method above or visit Apple for recovery assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Reset All Settings factory-reset an iPhone?
No. Reset All Settings preserves content and is not a factory erase. The Erase All Content and Settings option in Settings requires authentication, so it isn't a general solution for a forgotten passcode.
Will a force restart remove the passcode?
No. A force restart does not factory-reset the iPhone or remove its passcode.
Does an ordinary computer factory restore delete the eSIM?
No. Apple's ordinary computer factory restore retains the eSIM. That procedure requires an accessible, authenticatable iPhone; use recovery mode when the screen passcode is forgotten.
Can Siri or Emergency Call tricks unlock my iPhone?
Apple provides no supported screen-passcode bypass through Siri, Apple Intelligence, Voice Control, or Emergency Call tricks.
Will ten wrong passcode attempts automatically erase my iPhone?
Only if Erase Data was enabled beforehand. With that setting enabled, ten consecutive failed passcode attempts erase the iPhone. Lockout delays apply, and you cannot enable the setting after losing access.