How to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data- 3 easy ways

The methods for iPhone disabled bypass.

how to unlock a disabled iPhone

How to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data

‘iPhone disabled how to unlock’ is a query you may sometimes hear from iPhone users. In this post, I am going to show how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data and without a computer or passcode.

‘iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes’ message mostly occurs as a result of passcode problems of the device. It usually means that you forgot the passcode on your iPhone and you entered the wrong passcode too many times for which the iPhone is locked out to protect itself against possible hacking attempts. Now let’s see what are the methods for iPhone disabled bypass without losing data.

A passcode protects the contents of your iPhone from unauthorized access. When you set up a password to power on your iPhone to secure your device and you enter the wrong passcode five times in a row, you’ll be locked out for 1 minute with the message – iPhone disabled, try again in 1 minute. The waiting period mentioned in the message depends upon the number of incorrect passcodes entered in a row.

For 5 incorrect passcode entries in a row, the waiting period is 1 minute. If you get it wrong again you’ll be escalated to the next waiting period. The more times you get it wrong your waiting period increases and things get harder. If you do reach the 10th incorrect guess of your passcode, the iPhone will eventually be locked out and you’ll see the message – iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes.

The messages of waiting periods against an increasing number of incorrect passcode entries are as follows:

5 incorrect entries in a row – iPhone disabled try again in 1 minute
7 incorrect entries in a row – iPhone disabled try again in 5 minutes
8 incorrect entries in a row – iPhone disabled try again in 15 minutes
9 incorrect entries in a row – iPhone disabled try again in 60 minutes
10 incorrect passcode entries – iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes

Now let’s see when due to incorrect passcode entries your iPhone is disabled how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data.

How to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data?

If you had no backup of your iPhone before you forgot the passcode, there isn’t a way to recover data from a disabled iPhone unless you unlock it.

However, there are methods for iPhone disabled bypass to regain access to your device, even if it is locked out. Now let’s see when the iPhone is disabled how to bypass iPhone disabled without a passcode and regain access to your device.

You can unlock a disabled iPhone that is locked out due to a wrong passcode entry by following one of the three methods mentioned below:

Here are three different ways to bypass disabled iPhone.

 1. How to Unlock iPhone with iTunes (via iTunes backup);

2. How to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes or a computer;

3. How to unlock iPhone when disabled using iCloud (if you don’t have access to a computer);

1. How to enable a disabled iPhone with iTunes backup

If you have previously synced your device with iTunes, there is not going to be much of a problem to go for iPhone disabled bypass and reset your device without losing data.

Here are the steps to follow on how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data with iTunes:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the computer that you have previously used to synchronize your device and you have an iTunes backup of your iPhone;

Step 2: Next, start iTunes and put your iPhone in Recovery mode. To do this,  follow the steps below depending on the model of your iPhone;

 i. For iPhone 8 or later versions, press the Volume Up button followed by the Volume Down button. Next press and hold the Power button (Side button) until you see the ‘connect to iTunes’ screen. Of course, you already have connected your phone to iTunes;

 ii. For iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds and swipe right the ‘Power off’ slider that appears. Finally, press and hold the Volume Down until you see the ‘connect to iTunes’ screen;

iii. For iPhone 6s or older, press and hold the Power button for 3 seconds and swipe to right the ‘Power off’ slider that appears. Finally, press and hold the ‘Home button’ until you see the ‘Connect to iTunes’ screen.

Step 3: Depending upon the version of the operating system running on your iPhone, you might see the passcode screen. If you see the screen simply reboot your iPhone;

Step 4: When you see an alert message appearing on your screen stating that an iPhone in Recovery mode has been detected, choose ‘Restore’ when you see the option to Restore or Update. Your computer downloads software for your iPhone and begins the restore process;

how to unlock iPhone with iTunes

Step 5. After the Restore process completes your iPhone will be reset to its factory settings;

Step 6. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to restore your iPhone with the recent backup.

Select your device in iTunes and choose the most recent iTunes backup of your iPhone mentioned in Step 1. Make sure not to disconnect the phone from your computer or turn it off during the restore process or else, you will have to start the backup and restore process all over again;

Step 7: Once the restore process is complete, your passcode will be erased from your iPhone and all of your data will be restored from the recent backup mentioned above. You should now be able to access the device without any problem;

2. How to unlock a disabled iPhone without iTunes

If you have no access to a computer to use iTunes/iCloud you can unlock the disabled iPhone by using the ‘Find My iPhone app’ on another iPhone. Here’s how to unlock iPhone when disabled without iTunes using the Find My app:

Step 1: Start the ‘Find My iPhone’ app on another iPhone. If the app is not available on this iPhone go to the App Store and search and download the app;

Step 2: After installing the app, run it and log in with your iCloud account and password;

Step 3:  Next, select ‘Devices’ and you will see all iOS devices that share your same iCloud account. Choose the disabled iPhone from the list;

Step 4: Tap on ‘Actions’ at the bottom of the screen and you will be offered three options;

Step 5: Choose the ‘Erase this device’ option and confirm that you want to erase your device;

Step 6: Once your iPhone has been erased, you may set it up again as a new iPhone;

Step 7: Restore all previous settings and data from your recent iCloud backup (you may lose some data if you have not backed up your iPhone through iCloud recently);

You should now be able to use your iPhone again without any problems and this time, hopefully, you will set up a passcode you are able to remember;

3. How to go for iPhone disabled bypass using iCloud service

In case you have no access to any computer you are to take the help of iCloud service to bypass disabled iPhone. Now let’s see how to open a disabled iPhone using iCloud service.

Prior backup of your iPhone to iCloud is required to unlock the disabled iPhone with the help of iCloud service. Creating an iCloud backup is incredibly easy. The steps below show how to backup iPhone to iCloud,

1. Connect the iPhone to a WiFi network;

2. For iOS 8 or later,

Go to Settings > iCloud > Backup;

For iOS 7 or earlier,

Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup;

3. Under Backup turn iCloud Backup ‘on’ if it is ‘off’;

4. Tap the ‘Back up now’ tab. Make sure you remain connected to your WiFi network until the backup process is complete;

5. You can make sure that the backup has been completed successfully by tapping Settings > iCloud > Storage& Backup > Manage Storage;

6. Select your device and the backups should appear in the details section with the time and size of the backup;

By default, you get 5GB of cloud storage for free, but if you require more storage the iCloud plan prices are reasonably cheap. If you don’t have enough iCloud storage to back up your device, a message will come up that you can’t back up because there’s not enough storage available. In such a case either you can upgrade your iCloud storage plan or delete your older backups that you don’t need anymore.

Once the backup of your iPhone is available in iCloud follow the steps below on how to unlock a disabled iPhone using iCloud, when you have no access to a computer. This restore and unlock process would wipe the hard drive clean on your iPhone and your passcode will also be erased in the process.

Follow the steps below  on how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data using iCloud

Step 1: Launch ‘Settings’ from your iPhone;

Step 2: Tap ‘General’, then scroll down and tap ‘Reset’;

Step 3: Choose ‘Erase All Content and Settings’;

Step 4: When your phone restarts, you’ll be prompted to enter your Apple ID and to restore a previous backup;

Step 5: Tap ‘Restore from iCloud’ and choose the backup that you’d like to use;

Step 6: The restore process can take some time to complete, as it needs to wipe the hard drive clean on your iPhone and then restore all your data from the iCloud backup you created previously. Your passcode will also be erased from your iPhone during the restore process. You should now be able to use your iPhone again without any problems and this time, hopefully, you will set up a passcode you are able to remember;

You may also like to read this related post: Bypass iPhone security lockout in easy steps

Frequently asked questions

Now that I have explained how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data before I conclude, let me also reply to some of the related questions often asked by iPhone users.

How to jailbreak disabled iPhone without losing data?

Follow the steps below to jailbreak disabled iPhone without losing data:

1. Connect your iPhone to iTunes using the USB cord;

2. Click the “Sync” button on the main iTunes screen for your iPhone;

3. Right-click iPhone in the left-hand column and select the option “Restore From Backup”;

4. Choose the backup that you just created and confirm that you want to factory restore from the backup to remove the passcode from your iPhone;

5. Now, your iPhone is no longer disabled due to a forgotten passcode;

6. Open the “Settings” on your iPhone and tap ‘General’ and go to ‘About’. Scroll down to locate your firmware version;

7. Choose the jailbreak software you want to use compatible with your firmware version (Common jailbreak software includes Greenpois0n, Redsn0w, and Sn0wbreeze);

8. Download and install the jailbreak software on your computer;

9. Turn your iPhone off and Plug it into your computer using the USB cord;

10. Open the jailbreak software on your computer and follow the on-screen prompts to put your iPhone into DFU mode;

11. Once in DFU mode, the jailbreak software takes over and jailbreaks your iPhone;

12. Now, your disabled iPhone restarts when the jailbreak is complete;

What happens if iPhone is disabled?

The “iPhone is disabled” message comes up after you have entered the wrong passcode several times on your device. As a security measure, the operating system of your iPhone disables your device so that no one can access your private information in your iPhone.

Can I unlock disabled iPhone without restoring it?

Yes, there is a way for iPhone disabled bypass without restoring it.

iCloud contains the ‘Find My iPhone’ feature which can be used to erase your iPhone to remove your forgotten password. Erasing your iPhone using Find My iPhone only erases all content and settings including your passcode but does not restore your iPhone to factory settings. To unlock disabled iPhone without restoring follow the steps below.

(To do this you need a computer or smartphone with internet access)

Step 1: Sign in to iCloud using your Apple ID in a web browser on your computer. The Apple ID should be the same as the one used on your iPhone. Once signed in, click the ‘Find iPhone’ option;

Step 2: On entering the ‘Find My iPhone’ page, select your iPhone and click ‘Erase iPhone’. Now all your data and settings will be deleted, including your forgotten passcode;

Step 3: Now, you need to activate the erased iPhone with an Apple ID account;

How to reset a disabled iPhone with iTunes?

If you want to know how to reset a disabled iPhone with iTunes to the factory settings, follow the steps below:

Step1. Connect the disabled iPhone to your laptop with the help of a USB cable;

Step2. Tap iPhone and go to the Summary tab. You will have an iTunes backup of your iPhone;

Step3. Once the backup is created, click on “Restore”;

Step4. If “Find My iPhone” is enabled disable it;

Step6. Next, tap on “Restore and Update” when asked to restore your iPhone to Factory Settings;

Step7. All the data on your phone including the passcode will now be erased;

Step8. Click on “Restore from iTunes backup” to restore all data from the previously created backup;

How to unlock a disabled iPhone without a computer?

Here’s how to unlock a disabled iPhone  without a computer:

1. Log into the ‘Find My iPhone’ site via iCloud;

2. Access your Apple account by entering your Apple ID and password;

3. From the drop-down list of devices select your iPhone;

4. Click ‘Erase iPhone’;

5. Now ‘Confirm’ your action;

6. After a successful erase process, your iPhone will restart;

How to unlock an iPhone if the touch-screen doesn’t work?

1. Go to Settings > Touch ID & Pass-code;

2. Make sure that iPhone Unlock or iTunes & App Store is ‘ON’, and that you’ve enrolled one or more fingerprints;

3. Try enrolling a different finger;

Can I back up a disabled iPhone without iTunes?

Yes, you can back up a disabled iPhone when iTunes can’t recognize your device. To do this you need to take the help of a tool – ‘Tenorshare iCareFone’ which is the best free iPhone backup tool. Follow the steps below to backup data using the above tool when iPhone is disabled:

1. Install Tenorshare iCareFone on your computer;

2. Run the program and connect the iPhone to your computer via a USB cable;

3. On the main interface select ‘Backup & Restore’;

4. Now select the files you want to backup or select all;

5. Next click ‘Backup’;

6. Once the backup process is finished, click ‘Restore to device’ or ‘Export to PC’ to save the backup data either on your iPhone or computer. Thus you can recover data from disabled iPhones without iTunes backup;

How to bypass iPhone disabled without passcode?

Here’s how to unlock an iPhone without the passcode:

If you can’t remember the passcode, use a computer to put your iPhone in recovery mode. Recovery mode will allow you to erase the phone and give you access to set it up again. After erasing your iPhone, you can restore your data and settings from a recent backup. In case, you didn’t back up your iPhone, you can set it up as a new device by downloading the data that you have in iCloud.

How to unlock a disabled iPad without iTunes 

If your iPad is disabled due to entering the wrong passcode too many times and you can’t remember your passcode, you need to use a computer to put your iPad in recovery mode. This process deletes your data and settings, including your passcode, giving you access to set up your iPad again.

After you erase your iPad, you can restore your data and settings from the iTunes backup. If you didn’t back up your iPad, you can set it up as a new device and then download any data that you have in iCloud.

Can the Apple store unlock iPhone?

Apple Store can’t unlock your iPhone but may be willing to perform a reset of your device. However, if you want the Apple Store to reset your device, you’ll need a receipt or other proof that you’re the owner of the device.

You may also like to read this related post: How to delete everything on iPhone without password – 3 easy methods

Conclusion

On going through the post it would be clear that there is no cause for worry when you get the message – iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes,  due to a wrong passcode entry several times on your device. If the above steps on how to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data are properly followed it should not be difficult to go for iPhone disabled bypass without data loss.

To follow the steps to resolve the issue of iPhone disabled how to unlock, all you need is a computer system with iTunes installed on it or to set up the iCloud backup service on your Apple device.

Although it might take some time to restore all of the information back onto your device after you unlock the disabled iPhone, eventually, you should be able to use your iPhone again without any problem bypassing the passcode.

Next time you run into a problem having found that your iPad or iPhone is disabled because you forgot the passcode on your iPhone, you need not worry about how to unlock iPhone in different conditions

You might also like to read: iPhone not connecting to WiFi – try these easy fixes 


An engineer with passion for writing on Technolo gy. My Blog https://www.the-tech-addict.com mainly covers Tips& How-to-guides relating to Computer, Internet, Smartphones, Apple iDevices, and Green energy.

10 Responses to “How to unlock disabled iPhone without losing data- 3 easy ways”

  1. Dean

    Apr 12. 2017

    To unlock ur iPhone that won’t turn on or charge how can u use the ICloud solution to fix ur iphone? If u have no computer can u download latest version of iTunes from your Android tablet N then use a duel wall charger plug N plug both devices into charger unit number use 2 different usb cables N plug both into my Belkin wall unit surge protector wall unit to fix iPhone4s using the iTunes method to fix iphone 4s charging not N power on not problem as have no access to a computer

    Reply to this comment
  2. linda

    Jun 01. 2018

    I didn’t forget my passcode. I turned off my phone after use and when I turned it back on the message came up that iphone is disabled connect to iTunes. I did that and my laptop doesn’t recognize my phone which is odd because I use that laptop a lot especially with my phones. I really don’t want to lose my pictures and videos of my kids.

    Reply to this comment
    • qwan romano

      Feb 15. 2019

      hey have you found any solutiin yet to this

      Reply to this comment
    • Sharif

      Feb 16. 2020

      Hi
      I just have the same issue that you had a few years ago
      Can you please tell me if you find any solution!
      I really don’t want to lose my kid pictures and videos
      My son is 15 months and I have all the memories from him
      Which I don’t wanna lose !

      Reply to this comment
    • De

      Feb 28. 2022

      My iPad Pro 10.5 say “ iPad disabled connect to iTunes” but I only attempted to enter my passcode in once. I accidentally hit one wrong number because I have big fingers. I didn’t even attempt my passcode 10 times. My last backup was 4/2020 because I didn’t have enough storage to backup my photos/videos after. I don’t understand why my iPad is disabled. I don’t know what to do.

      Reply to this comment
  3. Vi Shay

    Jun 06. 2020

    This just happened to me couple days ago too, and i still can’t find a fix, except i see a lot of unlock software around but im not sure which to use and if its safe T.T Help Please!

    Reply to this comment
  4. Eleonora

    Jun 17. 2021

    My phone ran out of charge, and when I charged it, the screen said that the phone was disabled even though it didn’t ask me to enter a password even once. I don’t want to lose data

    Reply to this comment
    • sonia bill

      Jan 05. 2022

      contact Bryan he helped me with the same problem too contact him via ###bryanwhyt2@gmail.com

      Reply to this comment
  5. aimi moore

    Jan 05. 2022

    I had the same issue with my iPhone 12 till I found this hacker who bailed me out. You may reach him at bryanwhyt2 @gmail. com.

    Reply to this comment
  6. DK

    May 11. 2022

    You can also reset iPhone passcode by TunesKit iPhone Unlocker. It’s an outstanding iOS unlocking tool that can help you factory reset your iPhone/iPad/iPod without entering any passcodes.

    Reply to this comment

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