iPad Locked After Forgotten Passcode: How to Unlock It

If you forgot your iPad passcode, you cannot retrieve or bypass the old passcode; you must erase the iPad and set it up again. You can erase a locked iPad with recovery mode on a computer or with Find My on another device or in a browser.

After the reset, you can restore your information from an existing backup. Without a backup, data stored only on the iPad cannot be recovered.

Why is the iPad asking for a passcode you cannot recall?

The iPad passcode is the code used to unlock the screen and protect information stored on the device. It is separate from your Apple Account password, although you may need both during recovery.

An iPad may request the passcode after it restarts, after certain security changes, or when Face ID or Touch ID cannot be used. Repeated incorrect guesses trigger waiting periods and can eventually leave the iPad unavailable or in a security lockout state.

Stop guessing if you are unsure of the passcode. Apple does not provide a supported way to reveal the existing code. The standard solution for how to unlock an iPad if you forgot the passcode is to erase the device, then restore a backup or configure it as new.

What do you need before resetting an iPad with a forgotten passcode?

Prepare the following before you try to reset the locked iPad:

• A Mac or Windows computer with an internet connection for recovery mode. A Mac uses Finder on current macOS versions; a Windows computer may use the Apple Devices app or iTunes, depending on its setup.
• A compatible cable for connecting the iPad to the computer.
• Enough time for the computer to download the iPad software and complete the restore.
• Your Apple Account email address or phone number and password. Apple ID is the former name for Apple Account, so either term may appear on older screens.
• Access to another trusted Apple device or trusted phone number if account verification is requested.
• An iCloud or computer backup, if you want to restore your previous data afterward.

If you plan to erase the iPad through Find My, Find My must already have been enabled on that iPad. The locked iPad also needs to come online before a remote erase command can run.

How do you unlock an iPad with recovery mode?

Recovery mode is a special startup screen that lets a computer reinstall the iPad software. This method erases the passcode and all content currently stored on the iPad.

1. Turn off the iPad. If it is connected to the computer, disconnect it first.
2. Open Finder on a Mac, or open the Apple Devices app or iTunes on a Windows computer.
3. For an iPad without a Home button, connect the cable to the computer. Hold the top button while connecting the cable to the iPad, and keep holding until the recovery-mode screen appears.
4. For an iPad with a Home button, connect the cable to the computer. Hold the Home button while connecting the cable to the iPad, and keep holding until the recovery-mode screen appears.
5. Select the iPad when it appears on the computer.
6. Choose Restore, not Update. The computer will download the required software, erase the iPad, and install a fresh system.
7. If the download takes long enough that the iPad leaves recovery mode, let the download finish. Turn off the iPad and repeat the steps to enter recovery mode.
8. When the setup screen appears, disconnect the iPad and begin setup.

This is the supported process for how to reset an iPad if you forgot the passcode. It does not preserve data that was never backed up.

How do you erase a locked iPad with Find My?

Find My can remotely erase an iPad if the feature was enabled before the device became locked. You can send the erase command from another Apple device or from Find My in iCloud using a browser.

1. On another Apple device, open Find My and select Devices. In a browser, sign in to iCloud and open Find My.
2. Select the locked iPad from the device list.
3. Choose Erase This Device or Erase iPad, then review the warning.
4. Confirm the erase and enter your Apple Account password if requested.
5. Keep the iPad connected to power and within reach of Wi-Fi or cellular service. If it is offline, the erase remains pending until it connects.
6. After the erase finishes, follow the setup instructions on the iPad.

If the iPad does not appear in Find My, or Find My was not enabled, use recovery mode instead. Do not use third-party tools that claim to bypass the passcode or Activation Lock.

Will resetting an iPad delete your data?

Resetting a locked iPad erases the passcode along with the device’s apps, settings, accounts, photos, messages, and other locally stored information. Erasing is necessary because the passcode protects the encryption used for data on the iPad.

Information already synchronized with iCloud may return after you sign in and enable the same services. A prior iCloud backup or computer backup may restore additional apps, settings, and data. What returns depends on what was synchronized or included when the backup was created.

If no usable backup exists, Apple’s supported reset procedures cannot guarantee recovery of information stored only on the locked iPad.

How do you restore an iPad after unlocking it?

When the iPad restarts at the setup screen, choose the setup path that matches what you have available:

• Choose an iCloud backup if the iPad was backed up to iCloud. Sign in with the Apple Account used for that backup and select the appropriate backup shown on screen.
• Choose a Mac or Windows computer backup if you previously backed up the iPad to that computer. Connect the iPad, select it in Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes, and choose the restore-backup option.
• Choose to set up the iPad as new if no backup is available or you do not want to restore one.

You may need the Apple Account previously associated with the iPad to clear Activation Lock. Activation Lock is an anti-theft feature that prevents an erased device from being activated by someone who does not know the owner’s account credentials.

What should you do if the iPad still will not unlock?

If recovery mode fails, try another compatible cable or computer, update the Apple software on the computer, and repeat the recovery-mode steps carefully. Make sure the recovery screen appears before choosing Restore.

If the computer never recognizes the iPad, a button is damaged, the restore repeatedly reports an error, or you cannot complete Apple Account recovery, open {site} and use the official support options shown there. Apple may request information needed to verify ownership, but support cannot disclose or bypass a forgotten passcode.