How to unlock your iPhone if you forgot your passcode

Protecting your iPhone® with a passcode is essential for keeping your personal info safe. But if you're locked out because you forgot yours, we can walk you through a few different ways to get back in.

Here at Asurion, we help people learn more about their tech every day. From fixing an iPad that's charging slowly to getting a printer back online, we can help you get the devices you rely on most back up and running fast. Here's how to unlock your iPhone without your passcode.

Unlock your iPhone with iCloud

If you know your Apple ID and password, you can sign into iCloud® on another device to unlock your iPhone without your passcode.

1. Go to iCloud.com on another device and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
2. Select Find My, and sign in if you're prompted.
3. When you see a map and list of your devices, choose the iPhone you need to unlock and select Erase This Device.
4. Enter your Apple ID and password—your iPhone will be erased, then you can set it up as a new device or restore it from your last backup.

Unlock your iPhone with the Find My app

You can use the Find My app on another iPhone, iPad, or Apple device to erase your phone and bypass the Lock Screen if you need to unlock your iPhone without the password—here's how.

1. Open the Find My™ app on your iPhone, iPad, or other Apple device—sign in if prompted.
2. Choose your iPhone from the list of devices, then select Erase This Device.
3. Once your iPhone is erased, you'll be able to set it up as a new device or restore it from backup.

Unlock your iPhone with iTunes or Finder on a Mac or PC

Forgot your iPhone passcode? We've got your back. For this method, you'll need a computer and a charging cable. If you have a PC, you'll need Windows 8 or newer and iTunes. If you're on a Mac® that doesn't have iTunes®, you can use Finder®.

Turn off your iPhone

Make sure your iPhone isn't plugged into your computer, then press and hold the correct buttons on your iPhone to shut it down:

• For iPhone X or later and iPhone SE® (2nd Gen): Press and hold both the Side button and the Volume Down button until you see the power off slider.
• For iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus: Press and hold the Side button until you see the power off slider.
• For iPhone SE and iPhone 6s and older: Press and hold the Side or Top button until you see the power off slider.

Drag the slider to turn off your iPhone—wait about a minute for it to turn off completely.

Put your phone in Recovery Mode

Press and hold the correct buttons on your iPhone after connecting your iPhone to your computer:

• For iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone X, or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Side button.
• For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side and Volume Down buttons at the same time.
• iPhone 6s or older devices (devices with a physical Home button): Press and hold both the Home and the Side buttons at the same time.

Keep holding the correct buttons until you see the Recovery Mode screen on your iPhone, then release it. If you see the passcode screen, turn off your iPhone and start over.

Restore your iPhone

1. Look for your iPhone in Finder or iTunes on your computer.
2. Select Restore when you see the option to Restore or Update—if more than 15 minutes pass and your iPhone exits the Recovery Mode screen, let the download finish, then turn off your iPhone and start over.
3. Disconnect your iPhone from your computer.