How to Fix iPhone Passcode not Working

In today's fast-paced digital world, our smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. We rely on them for communication, information, and even as a security tool to protect our personal data. The iPhone, in particular, is known for its robust security features, and the passcode is a crucial element of that security. However, what do you do when your iPhone passcode stops working, leaving you locked out of your device?

In this article, we will explore the common reasons behind this issue and provide a comprehensive troubleshooting guide to help you regain access to your iPhone.

Part 1. Why is your iPhone passcode not working?

Before diving into solutions, let's understand why your iPhone passcode might not be working. There can be several underlying causes, and identifying the specific issue is the first step toward resolving it.

Incorrect Passcode Entry: Entering your screen password incorrectly more than ten times, whether it's due to mischievous children or accidental input while in your pocket, can lead to your iPhone becoming disabled, and you will be shown iPhone is disabled connect to iTunes.

Software Glitch or Bug: iPhones, like any other electronic device, are not immune to software glitches or bugs. A corrupted system file or a malfunctioning app could potentially interfere with the passcode function.
iOS Updates: Sometimes, an iOS update can disrupt your passcode settings. This is usually due to conflicts between the new iOS version and your device's existing settings.
Disabled Device: If you or someone else enters the wrong passcode multiple times, your iPhone might become disabled for security reasons. This can result in the passcode not working, and you'll see a message asking you to connect to iTunes.
Hardware Issues: In rare cases, hardware problems such as a malfunctioning home button or touchscreen can render the passcode input ineffective.

Part 2. Troubleshooting iPhone passcode not working

Now that we've identified some of the possible causes, let's move on to the solutions. According to your situations, choose one of the following solutions to help yourself out.

Unfortunately, if your iPhone passcode not working, you may need to reset iPhone to factory settings to remove iPhone passcode and start over again. Therefore, to avoid data loss, it is suggested to skip to the next part to create a full iPhone backup before troubleshooting.

Reset iPhone from iCloud website

Remotely erasing your iPhone with iCloud is a step-by-step process that can help you remove the passcode if you have forgotten your passcode or your iPhone passcode not working. Here are the steps you can follow.

Step 1. Open a web browser and go to the website of iCloud > Sign in with your Apple ID and password.

Step 2. Click Find My button > All Devices > From the drop-down menu, choose your iPhone.

Step 3. Finally, click Erase iPhone. This will erase your iPhone and the passcode will also be removed.

Restore iPhone via iTunes

If you have already synced your iPhone with iTunes, this method can work for you. Restoring an iPhone will erase all the settings, including your iPhone screen password, so you will no longer be bothered by it. Here are the detailed steps for how to erase your iPhone and restore it from iTunes backup:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer you have synced with.

Step 2. Open the latest version of iTunes > Click the Device tab > Choose Summary > Tap Restore iPhone... option to factory reset iPhone.

Step 3. Click Restore to confirm the operation. And it will erase all data on your device and install the latest iOS on your iPhone.

If you don’t have an iPhone backup on iTunes, you must put your iPhone into recovery mode introduced in the next solutions.

Restore your iPhone using recovery mode

If you have never synced your iPhone with iTunes or set up Find My iPhone in iCloud, then you need to put your iPhone into recovery mode to erase the old passcode and create a new one.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer. Put your iPhone into recovery mode. The steps are slight different depending on the model of iPhone you’re using:
>> For an iPhone 8 or later : Press the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons, then briefly hold down the Side (or Top) button until the recovery mode screen appears.
>> For iPhone 7/7P: Simultaneously press and hold the Side (or Top) and Volume Down buttons.
>> For iPhone6, SE, and older: Hold down the Side (or Top) and Home buttons together until the recovery mode screen is shown.

Step 2. Open iTunes > Click the phone icon in the upper-left corner > When a prompt appears, click Restore and wait for the process to finish.

Step 3. Once your iPhone enters recovery mode, iTunes will detect it. Proceed by selecting Restore from the menu to continue the process.

Step 4. Once iTunes downloads the latest iOS firmware, follow the on-screen prompts to proceed with the device restoration.

After the restoration, you’ll be prompted to choose whether to set up your iPhone as a new device or restore it from a backup. And your issue passcode not working on iPhone can be fixed.

Bonus: Backup and restore iPhone without data loss

It has been frustrating enough when you encounter iPhone passcode not working suddenly. Don’t forget to backup your iPhone in advance to avoid any data loss while troubleshooting.

To reduce the risk of data loss to minimize, we’d like to recommend you FoneTool. It helps backup everything on your iPhone, and you won’t be limited by how much space you have available. Free download the tool by clicking the icon below, and follow the steps below to backup your iPhone to PC.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to computer using USB > Launch FoneTool, and click Phone Backup from the left pane > Click Get Started under Full Backup.

Step 2. Switch on Enable Backup Encryption if needed > When asked, enter and verify your password to encrypt iPhone backup > Click OK to continue. Please keep your password in mind, since it will be used to access the backup files in the future.

Step 3. Modify the backup storage path if needed. Finally, click Start Backup to begin the backup process.

When you need to restore the encrypt backup for iPhone from FoneTool, just get to the Backup History page > locate the backup files > Click the restore icon > Enter your backup password to restore it.

Conclusion

If you encounter issues such as iPhone passcode not working, passcode input errors on iPhone, or an iPhone that is refusing the correct passcode, there are several different but equally effective ways to resolve these problems. Select the most suitable option based on your specific situation. If you have any questions about these methods or would like to share any new ones that you have found, please feel free to contact us.