- You can reset an iPhone by putting it into recovery mode or erasing it via Find My.
- If the iPhone's password is unknown, or it's been disabled, you'll need to reset it to use it.
- Once you've reset your iPhone, you can use an iCloud backup to restore its data.
iPhones are notoriously difficult to break into. If you have a unique passcode set up, it's almost impossible for someone to get in without your permission.
But this also works the other way around. If you need to open an iPhone but don't have the password, or it's disabled, your only option to unlock it is to do a factory reset.
Luckily, there are two ways to reset an iPhone without the password so you can access it.
How to reset an iPhone using Finder or iTunes
You can use a computer to access recovery mode and reset your iPhone to get in without the password. If you have a Mac you'll be using Finder, and if it's a PC you'll be using iTunes — which you need to download first.
1. Turn the iPhone off. The exact way to do this will depend on what kind of iPhone you have:
2. Once your iPhone is off, plug it into your computer and put it into recovery mode. To do this, you'll need to press a certain combination of buttons:
3. Keep holding the button and connect the phone to your laptop. Keep holding the button until the recovery mode screen appears. It'll have a picture of a laptop with a charging cable.
4. Once ready, open Finder or iTunes and open the iPhone menu. If you're using Finder, click your iPhone's name in the left sidebar. In iTunes, click the iPhone icon in the upper-left corner.
5. You'll be shown a message saying that the iPhone has a "problem" and needs to be updated or restored. Select Restore.
Restore the iPhone, don't update it. William Antonelli/Insider6. Keep your iPhone connected to the computer as it resets and restores the iPhone. Time can vary, so be patient.
Once the process finishes, turn your iPhone on and set it up like a new device. When you're asked if you'd like to restore data from a backup, feel free to sign into iCloud and do so.
How to reset an iPhone using Find My
If you have an Apple ID account, your iPhone is probably connected to Find My, Apple's global device tracking network. This service also lets you reset and erase your iPhone without having the password for it.
1. On a computer, go to iCloud's website and log into your account.
2. In the main menu, click Find iPhone.
Open the Find My menu. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider3. You'll be given a map of all your devices. Click All Devices at the top and then select your iPhone.
4. In the pop-up menu that appears, click Erase iPhone.
Select your iPhone, then erase it from the menu. Apple; William Antonelli/Insider5. Enter your Apple ID password to erase your iPhone. You may be prompted to answer a security question if you aren't using a trusted browser.
As long as your iPhone is on and connected to the internet, it'll be reset immediately.
Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.
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William Antonelli
Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews
William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .
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With the help of the iTunes or 3rd-party tools, we can surely factory reset any iPhone without Apple ID password. We list 3 ways to factory reset your iPhone without Apple ID password. And walk you through the steps of each method. When you decide to factory reset your iPhone, all the data will be deleted. It would be better to do an iCloud backup or back up your iPhone with iTunes.
How to Factory Reset an iPhone without Apple ID Password:Method 1: Directly Reset iPhone in Settings without Apple ID PasswordMethod 2: Factory Reset iPhone by iTunes without Apple ID PasswordMethod 3: Factory Reset iPhone with iBypass TunerMethod 1: Directly Reset iPhone in Settings without Apple ID Password
The method only works on the iPhone that Find My feature is off.
1. Head to Settings > General > Reset on your iPhone.
2. Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
Method 2: Factory Reset iPhone by iTunes without Apple ID Password
If you already get the iTunes on your computer and Find My iPhone is off, it’s a good idea to try a factory reset your iPhone by iTunes without Apple ID password. However, it you are locked out of the iPhone, you have to put your iPhone to the Recovery Mode or DFU Mode before resetting it.
Step 1: Connect your iPhone to the computer and put your iPhone to Recovery Mode first.
Step 2: As long as the iTunes detects your iPhone, click on Restore iPhone… on the phone info page.
Method 3: Factory Reset iPhone with iBypass Tuner
Cocosenor iBypass Tuner is a remarkable software that could efficiently disable Find My feature without password and then remove Apple ID without Apple ID password in a few clicks. But screen lock has to be removed first.
Step 1: Download, install and launch iBypass Tuner.
Step 2: Jailbreak your iPhone.
It could be difficult to jailbreak an iPhone on Windows PC, nevertheless, iBypass Tuner does a great job in creating a jailbreak USB flash drive. And then you can jailbreak your iPhone with the USB flash drive.
See more details on:
2 Ways to Make checkra1n Jailbreak USB Flash Drive for Windows
How to Use checkra1n to Jailbreak iOS Devices on Windows PC
Step 3: Select Turn off FMI.
Step 4: Read the warning and click Start.
Check select to confirm that you have read and agreed on the service items. And then click Start.
Step 5: Change the status of FMI to OFF and click Confirm.
Click Enable to go to the query website to check on the Find My status on this iPhone.
Click Copy to copy the serial number and paste it on the check box on the website.
If the query result shows that Find My on this iPhone is OFF, it means Find My has been successfully turned off, without password.
Then, you can change the status of Find My to OFF on the program, and click Confirm.
Step 6: Remove Apple ID.
After clicking Confirm, the program will automatically remove Apple ID. And the iPhone will be restored to factory resetting.
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