How to change my iphone passcode if i forgot it

If you have forgotten your iPhone password or passcode then you need a PC or Mac to recover it.

We keep passwords or passcodes on our smartphones for safety and security reasons. May it be an Android device or an iOS this feature is available in every smartphone now-a-days. But what if you yourself forget your iPhone password? How will you be able to unlock it? If you enter a wrong passcode on your iPhone Lock Screen too many times in order to open it, an alert lets you know that your iPhone is disabled. Here is what you need to do in such a situation.

As per the information provided by Apple on its support page, if you can't remember your passcode when you try again, you need to use a computer to put your iPhone in recovery mode. However, it is important to note that this process deletes your data and settings, including your passcode, giving you access to set up your iPhone again. After you erase your iPhone, you can restore your data and settings from backup.

And if you did not take the back up earlier, you can set up your iPhone as a new device and then download any data that you have in iCloud. Here is how to get your iPhone into recovery mode so you can erase it and set it up again. Step-by-step guide.

How to put iPhone recovery mode on:

Step 1: Make sure that you have a computer (Mac or PC): If you are using a PC, make sure that it has Windows 8 or later, and that iTunes is installed. You also need the cable that came with your iPhone, or another compatible cable, to connect your iPhone to the computer. If you do not have a computer and you cannot borrow one, you need to go to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for help.

Step 2: Turn off your iPhone: Unplug your iPhone from the computer if it is connected. Turn off your iPhone using the method for your iPhone model.

Step 3: Put your iPhone in recovery mode: If you have an iPhone X or later, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus then use the Side button. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus use the Volume down button. iPhone SE (1st generation), and iPhone 6s and earlier use the Home button. You need to Press and hold the correct button for your iPhone while immediately connecting your iPhone to the computer. Do not let go of the button and keep on holding it until you see the recovery mode screen on your iPhone, then let go. It can be noted here that if you see the passcode screen, you need to turn off your iPhone and start again.

Step 4: Restore your iPhone: Locate your iPhone in the Finder or in iTunes on the computer that it is connected to. Choose Restore when you see the option to Restore or Update. Your computer downloads software for your iPhone and begins the restore process. If the download takes more than 15 minutes and your device exits the recovery mode screen, let the download finish, then turn off your iPhone and start again.

Step 5: Wait for the process to finish. Disconnect your iPhone from the computer, then set up and use your iPhone.

You want to protect the information that you have on your iPhone, so you have set a passcode on the device. As with all passwords, it should be easy for you to remember and hard for others to guess. iPhone passcodes are 6 digits long and you need to have assigned one to use some of your phone’s functionality.

You Forgot Your iPhone Passcode

What can you do if you forget the passcode to your iPhone? Perhaps its an iPhone that has not been used for a period of time and you can’t recall the code. Maybe you shouldn’t have had that last tequila last night because now you can’t remember anything, including the code to access your phone. Whatever the reason, now you can’t open your iPhone.

Unfortunately, your options are limited. If you enter an incorrect passcode 6 times in a row the phone will disable itself. This security feature that is designed to prevent unauthorized access to your iPhone leaves you with little room for error if you are guessing among various passcodes that you think you might have used. Once you get the “Disabled” message, there’s not much to do except erase your iPhone and restore the data.

What to do if Your iPhone is Disabled

Your only real recourse in the event that your iPhone becomes disabled is to erase the phone and restore it as best you can. Hopefully, you have been backing it up to iTunes or the Cloud. If not, you are faced with the project of losing all of the data on your phone.

Of course, you will be able to restore all of your purchased apps from the App Store or iTunes, but any photos, videos, and other data that you created will be lost if there is no backup available from which to restore. While it might be too late to consider this at the moment if your iPhone is already disabled, you really need to regularly backup all of your electronic devices. Your phone is no exception.

Options if You Forgot Your iPhone Password

There are three different methods that you can use to erase your iPhone and either restart from scratch or restore from a backup.

Way 1: Recovering a Disabled iPhone from an iTunes Backup

If you backup your phone through iTunes, here are the steps necessary to restore it from a backup.

Way 2: Using the Cloud if You Forgot Your iPhone Passcode

To erase your iPhone using the Cloud in preparation for restoring with a Cloud backup, follow these steps:

Way 3: Using Recovery Mode to Erase the Data on Your iPhone

Follow these steps to put your iPhone into Recovery Mode and erase all of its data:

At this point, you will need to set up your iPhone from scratch unless you have a backup. If you did have a backup, you probably would not be using Recovery Mode anyway. You essentially have a new iPhone in your hands and you can set it up as you like. Recover all of your purchases from the app store and iTunes. This cantata a while depending on the number of apps you had installed and the speed of your Internet connection.

Don’t Forget Your iPhone Passcode!

At most, you should go through this kind of emergency iPhone recovery only once. After that, you need to choose a passcode that is easier for you to remember, while still being difficult for anyone else to guess. And if you weren’t or aren’t making backups of your iPhone, you now have no excuse to continue your negligent behavior. Back it up!

Jeff Cochin

Jeff Cochin is a data management and recovery expert. He also serves as a technical writer, testing and reviewing tech solutions in various fields. Jeff Cochin is a professional data management, warehousing and recove...

Read full bio

Jeff Cochin is a data management and recovery expert. He also serves as a technical writer, testing and reviewing tech solutions in various fields. Jeff Cochin is a professional data management, warehousing and recove...

Read full bio

Approved by

Brett Johnson

This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.

This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.