iPhone Unavailable No Forgot Passcode Option? 6 Fixes Here

It’s disappointing to continuously enter the incorrect screen passcode until you have to admit that you’ve forgotten the passcode. However, you’re fortunate enough to find the “Forgot Passcode” option on the screen, as it allows you to reset the passcode without data loss. Nevertheless, this is not always the case. Sometimes, you’ll find your iPhone is unavailable, but there is no Forgot Passcode option.

The reason behind the “Forgot Passcode” not showing up may vary from specific iOS versions to poor network connections. In this post, we’ll explore why your iPhone is not displaying the passcode options. And then we’ll learn how to unlock an iPhone when there isn’t a “Forgot Passcode” showing up.

Why Doesn’t My iPhone Have the "Forgot Passcode" Option?

In most cases, it’s because of the iOS version that makes the Forgot Passcode option “disappear”. This feature is only workable for iOS 17 and later versions. Besides, it also depends on the time you’ve entered the incorrect passcode, the network connection, and whether the Find My iPhone feature is enabled.

Here are other common circumstances in which you cannot see the “Forgot Passcode” option:

• For iOS 16 or earlier versions: It is the “Erase iPhone” option instead of the "Forgot Passcode" option.
• For iOS 17 and later versions: If you have disabled the Find My iPhone function, you can’t see the “Forgot Passcode” option.
• For iOS 17 and later versions: When you’ve entered the wrong screen passcodes more than 3 times, you’ll see the “iPhone Unavailable” option. However, the “Forgot Passcode” option won’t show up if there isn’t a network connection.

How to Fix iPhone Unavailable with No ‘Forgot Passcode’ Option

To sum up, the “Forgot Passcode” appears only when your iOS device is running iOS 17 or later. To enable this feature, you should enter the wrong screen passcode at least 4 times in a row. Meanwhile, “Find My iPhone” should be enabled, and the network should be connected.

It doesn’t matter if your iPhone is unavailable with no “Forgot Passcode” option. Despite using the “Forget Passcode” button to unlock your iPhone, you can also take other measures to access your unavailable or disabled iPhone.

Insert a SIM Card

As your device is unavailable or disabled, a force restart won’t bypass this security measure. If you don’t want to connect your iPhone to the computer, try inserting another SIM card. Borrow a SIM from your friend and insert it into your iPhone. And the option to erase iPhone will just pop up. This method cannot directly unlock an unavailable iPhone, but some users said it is worth trying. This is because it’s the only way that won’t cause data loss.

Unlock iPhone via BuhoUnlocker

If you find it complex to reset your iPhone via iTunes or Finder, you can give BuhoUnlocker a try. This reliable iPhone unlocker is developed to unlock your unavailable iOS device. By taking advantage of advanced algorithms and interacting with the iPhone’s firmware, it can deal with various iPhone screen lock issues, such as no “Forgot Passcode” option after consecutive incorrect passcode attempts, and the passcode not being recognized. Also, BuhoUnlocker can deal with various iPhone unlocking needs, involving removing Apple ID, bypassing MDM lock, and unlocking Screen Time passcodes.

Here is how to use BuhoUnlocker to unlock your unavailable iOS device.

Step 1. Free download and install BuhoUnlocker. Launch it on your Windows or Mac computer.

Step 2. Choose the Unlock Screen Passcode from the home screen.

Step 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the recovery mode and download the firmware. Then you can initiate the unlocking process.

Step 4. After unlocking your device, you can restore your data from a previous backup.

Use Apple ID to Reset Passcode

If your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 or later and meanwhile it has an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection, you can also reset the passcode via your Apple ID. This solution uses the enhanced security features, allowing you to reset your passcode directly from the lock screen. In other words, if you see an “Erase iPhone” option on the screen, you can also reset your screen passcode via your Apple ID credentials.

1. Keep entering the incorrect iPhone passcode until the "Erase iPhone" option appears on the iPhone Unusable screen.
2. Tap the "Erase iPhone" option.
3. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your Apple account.
4. Tap "Erase iPhone" again to erase all data and settings on your device.
5. Once the process is complete, your iPhone will restart, and you can set it up as a new one.

Unlock iPhone via iCloud

Have you enabled the “Find My” feature? If so, you can also fix the “iPhone Unavailable with No 'Forgot Passcode' option” issue via iCloud. By logging into your Apple ID on the iCloud site, you can locate your iPhone and erase your device remotely. Again, this will delete all data and settings on your device. Nevertheless, what is still available in iCloud will still be available, and what is available in a backup will be available. Although resetting through iCloud results in data loss, it’s a straightforward way to restore data from your iCloud backup.

1. Open a browser and navigate to iCloud.com
2. Sign in with your Apple ID and password.
3. Click the Find My option.
4. Click on All Devices and locate the device you want to unlock.
5. Click on Erase iPhone and enter the verification code. Wait for a few minutes to complete the procedure.

Connect to iTunes or Finder

As suggested, another reliable solution is to connect your iPhone to iTunes or Finder. As long as you have a computer with iTunes or a Mac with Finder, you can reset your device by connecting to iTunes or Finder. This method will erase all data and settings, including the screen passcode. While you may take a risk of losing data, you can restore from an iTunes backup.

1. Be sure that you have installed the latest version of iTunes or Finder on your computer.
2. Connect your phone to your computer through a USB Cable and access the recovery mode on your iPhone.
3. Open iTunes or Finder. There you will find the Update and Restore option. Just tap on the Restore button and follow the on-screen instructions step by step.
4. When you finish the restoration process, your iPhone will be unlocked.

Contact Apple Support

If none of the above resolutions work, you can contact Apple Support. Apple Support can guide you through restoring your iPhone through iTunes or Finder, or provide other solutions depending on your specific situation. It may also advise on how to avoid such a dilemma in the future, such as creating regular backups and choosing an easy screen passcode.

conclusion

Don’t feel upset when there isn’t a “Forgot Passcode” option. Following these 6 solutions, you can easily resolve the “iPhone is unavailable but there is no forgot passcode” issue. Besides, to unlock an unavailable iPhone or a disabled iPhone, you may suffer from data loss. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a backup of your iPhone data regularly to avoid data loss in situations like this. If you can access your device again, consider setting up regular backups to prevent such issues in the future.