If you changed your iPhone passcode within the last 72 hours and use iOS 17 or later, try your previous passcode first—it may let you regain access without erasing the phone. Otherwise, Apple’s supported recovery options erase the iPhone: reset it from the lockout screen if it meets Apple’s requirements, or use recovery mode with a computer. You can restore your data during setup if you have a backup.
Try your previous passcode first
If you recently changed the passcode, Apple’s Passcode Reset feature may let you use the old one. On iOS 17 or later, the previous passcode remains usable for 72 hours after the change. This is the option to try first because it can restore access without erasing the iPhone.
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- On the Lock Screen, enter the wrong passcode until the iPhone displays an unavailable message.
- Tap Forgot Passcode?, then tap Enter Previous Passcode.
- Enter the old passcode and follow the prompts to set a new one.
Apple describes this 72-hour window in its Passcode Reset guidance. If the old passcode is not accepted or the window has expired, use one of the erase-and-reset methods below.
Reset the iPhone from the lockout screen
This option is available on iOS 15.2 or later when Find My was enabled before the lockout, the iPhone has an active cellular or Wi-Fi connection, and you know the Apple Account password associated with it. It permanently erases the data and settings currently on the iPhone. Afterward, set up the device again and restore from a backup if one is available.
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- From the unavailable or Security Lockout screen, tap Forgot Passcode? if that option appears.
- On iOS 17 or later, tap Start [Device] Reset, enter the Apple Account password to sign out, then choose Erase [Device]. In iOS 15.2 or iOS 16, Apple says an Erase [Device] option appears when the required account, network, and Find My conditions are met.
- Follow the prompts. When the iPhone restarts, complete setup and restore from a backup if available.
Apple’s instructions for erasing a locked iPhone also explain eSIM handling. On iOS 17 or later, you can choose whether to retain or delete the eSIM during erasure. If the iPhone uses an eSIM and runs iOS 16 or earlier, contact your carrier before resetting and ask for a QR code to set it up again.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Erase and restore the iPhone with a computer
If the lock-screen reset is unavailable, Apple’s recovery-mode procedure uses a Mac or Windows PC, an internet connection, and a cable that can charge the iPhone. The process erases the phone’s current data. Apple says to allow up to 60 minutes; that is an estimate for the procedure, not a guaranteed completion time.
- Use Apple’s model-specific recovery-mode instructions to identify the button sequence for your iPhone. Apple gives different instructions for Face ID models, iPhone 8 and later model groups, iPhone 7 models, and iPhone 6s and earlier.
- Connect the iPhone to the computer with a cable that can charge it, then put it into recovery mode using the sequence for that model.
- On a Mac, open Finder and select the iPhone. On Windows, open Apple Devices and select the iPhone.
- Choose Restore and follow the on-screen instructions. When the restore is complete, set up the iPhone and restore a backup if available.
If the iOS download takes more than 15 minutes and the iPhone leaves the recovery screen, let the download finish. Then turn off the iPhone and repeat the recovery-mode steps. Apple recommends visiting an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if you cannot borrow a computer.
What happens to your data?
The previous-passcode method is the only route here that may avoid erasing the iPhone. Both reset options erase current data and settings. You can recover data only if it is available through a backup or other Apple-supported restore option during setup; the erase itself does not recover files that were not backed up. Apple’s reset guidance covers the on-device erase and computer restore outcomes.
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