How to Reset an iPad with iTunes

To reset an iPad with iTunes when you cannot enter the passcode, place the iPad in recovery mode and choose Restore on the computer. Restoring removes the passcode and all on-device data, then lets you set up the iPad again or recover an available backup.

When do you need to reset an iPad with iTunes?

You may need to reset an iPad with iTunes after forgetting the passcode, entering the wrong passcode too many times, or seeing an unavailable or disabled message. Recovery mode is also useful when you cannot erase the device through Find My or complete Apple ID account recovery.

A reset does not reveal, remove, or change the forgotten passcode. Instead, iTunes erases the iPad and installs the current compatible iPad software. This is Apple’s standard procedure for regaining access to a passcode-locked iPad.

If the iPad still accepts its passcode and appears normally in iTunes, you may be able to restore it without recovery mode. A locked or disabled iPad generally must enter recovery mode because it cannot approve the computer as trusted.

What do you need before you reset an iPad in iTunes?

• A Mac or Windows computer with a current version of iTunes. On newer Mac computers, Finder performs the same restore process instead of iTunes.
• A working USB cable that fits the iPad and computer.
• An internet connection on the computer so it can obtain the required iPad software.
• The Apple Account email address and password previously used on the iPad. Apple Account is the current name for what was formerly called an Apple ID.
• An iCloud or computer backup, if you want to recover personal data after the reset.

A computer does not need to be trusted when the iPad is restored in recovery mode. Recovery mode is a special startup state that allows Finder or iTunes to reinstall the device software even when the normal screen is locked.

How do you reset an iPad with iTunes in recovery mode?

1. Open iTunes on a Windows PC or an older Mac. On a newer Mac, open Finder instead.
2. Connect the iPad to the computer with its USB cable.
3. Put the iPad into recovery mode using the instructions for its model.
4. For an iPad without a Home button, press and quickly release the volume button closest to the top button. Press and quickly release the other volume button. Then hold the top button until the recovery-mode screen appears.
5. For an iPad with a Home button, hold the Home button and the top or side button together. Keep holding them after the Apple logo appears, and release them when the recovery-mode screen appears.
6. Locate the iPad in iTunes or Finder. When the computer offers Update or Restore, select Restore.
7. Leave the iPad connected while the computer obtains and installs the software. Follow the prompts shown in iTunes or Finder.
8. When the Hello screen appears on the iPad, disconnect it if instructed and begin setup.

These steps also answer searches such as “how to reset iPad on iTunes,” “how to reset iPad in iTunes,” and “how to reset an iPad with iTunes.” The button names may differ between iTunes and Finder, but Restore performs the reset.

How do you unlock an iPad with iTunes without the passcode?

To unlock an iPad with iTunes without its passcode, you must restore it. There is no Apple procedure in iTunes that preserves the data while removing an unknown passcode.

• Restore erases the iPad, reinstalls its software, and returns it to the setup screen.
• Erase describes the removal of content and settings. During an iTunes recovery-mode restore, erasing is part of the Restore process.
• A backup is a separate saved copy of compatible settings and data. It can be restored after the iPad has been erased.

Data stored only on the locked iPad cannot be recovered through this procedure if no backup exists. Information already synchronized with iCloud may return after you sign in, depending on the services previously enabled on the iPad.

How do you set up an iPad after the iTunes reset?

1. Start at the Hello screen and follow the language, region, and network prompts.
2. Sign in with the Apple Account previously associated with the iPad if Activation Lock requests it.
3. Choose an iCloud backup or a computer backup when the setup process offers a restore option.
4. If no usable backup exists, choose the option to set up the iPad as new.
5. Create a new passcode and finish the remaining setup prompts.

Restoring a backup can return supported apps, settings, and data contained in that backup. Setting up as new gives you a clean installation and does not recreate data that existed only on the erased iPad.

What should you do if iTunes does not recognize the iPad?

• Confirm that iTunes and the computer’s operating system are current, then restart both the computer and iPad.
• Reconnect the cable directly to a working USB port. Check the connectors for damage or debris.
• Repeat the recovery-mode button sequence and keep holding the required button until the recovery screen appears.
• If the iPad leaves recovery mode before the software finishes obtaining, let that process finish and then place the iPad in recovery mode again.
• If an error code appears during Restore, record the exact code. Update the computer, check the USB connection, restart the devices, and try the restore again using Apple’s guidance for that code.

Do not disconnect the iPad merely because the screen changes or the Apple logo appears. Interrupting an active restore can leave the iPad waiting for recovery mode again.

When can’t iTunes fix a locked iPad?

iTunes cannot remove Activation Lock. Activation Lock is Apple’s ownership protection that requires the Apple Account previously linked to an iPad through Find My.

If the setup screen requests an account belonging to someone else, that account holder must remove the iPad from the account. If you are the owner but cannot sign in, use Apple’s account-recovery process or contact Apple Support directly. Apple may require valid proof of ownership.

Contact Apple Support when the computer repeatedly cannot detect the iPad, recovery mode cannot be reached, restore errors continue after Apple’s standard troubleshooting, or the iPad has possible physical damage. An iTunes reset cannot repair damaged buttons, cables, ports, or internal hardware.