[2 Ways] How to Unlock iPhone without Passcode or Face ID

Jerome Mills
Last updated: Feb 20, 2023

Summary: This guide will show you how to unlock your iPhone without a passcode or Face ID. 

One of our readers sent us feedback telling us that he has really important information stored on his locked iPhone 11 Pro (not in use anymore), but he forgot the password since he usually uses Face ID. However, Face ID stopped working, and he couldn't remember the old password. Is there any way to unlock his iPhone without a passcode or Face ID? The quick answer is YES. Read on this article to find out the detailed manuals.

[2 Ways] How to Unlock iPhone without Passcode or Face ID

How Can an iPhone Get Locked or Disabled?

Whether you cannot hold your iPhone firmly to enter the passcode, or it's just in your pocket and you touch the screen randomly, your iPhone will get locked if you enter the wrong passcode too many times. You may see an alert showing that your iPhone is disabled, try again in XXX minutes.

iPhone Disabled or Locked

For sure the simplest way to unlock an iPhone without a passcode or Face ID, is to wait for the time and enter the correct passcode. If you forget it and are unable to get into your iPhone using Face ID, there are some Apple recommended methods to do so.

How to Unlock iPhone with iTunes

While there are a number of methods out there claiming they can unlock an iPhone without a pin code or Face ID. For instance, a trick TikTok clip explains it could enter the Camera or Calculator app from the Control Panel without unlocking the phone. After giving it a try, you'll find it's nothing but an illusion that you can use certain apps without getting full access to your device.

Instead, the official way to unlock an iPhone without a passcode or Face ID is using iTunes or Finder app on your computer, which is able to put your iPhone in recovery mode and allow you to erase your iPhone, thus giving you access to set it up again.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Turn off your iPhone.

    • For iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and later, including iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), you can press and hold both the sidebutton and the Volume Down button until the Power Off slider appears.
    • For iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 6, press and hold the side button until the Power Off slider appears.
    • For an early model of iPhone, like the iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5s, and iPhone 4s/4, press and hold the top button until the Power Off slider appears.
  2. Drag the Power Off slider to turn off your iPhone, then wait a minute to ensure that this iPhone is completely shutting down.

  3. Put your iPhone in recovery mode.

    • For an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and later, including iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), press and hold the Side button for your iPhone while immediately connecting your iPhone to the computer. Hold the button and don't let it go.

      iPhone X  Later Recover Side Button
    • For an iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, use the Volume Down button.

      iPhone 7 Recovery Volume Down Button
    • For an iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 6s, and earlier models like iPhone 5s/5c/5/4s/4, use the Home button.

      iPhone 6s Earlier Recovery Home Button
  4. Keep pressing and holding the correct button per your device until you see the Recovery Mode screen on your iPhone, then release the button.

  5. On your computer, open iTunes on Windows or Finder app on macOS > connect your iPhone to this computer with a USB cable.

  6. iTunes or Finder will ask you to Update or Restore your iPhone > Choose Restore and give it the time to complete the process, which usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

    unlock-iphone-with-itunes.jpg
  7. Wait for the process to finish > Disconnect your iPhone from the computer > Set up and use your iPhone as normal. This way, you can unlock your iPhone without a passcode or Face ID.

How to Unlock iPhone with BuhoUnlocker

Don't have iTunes installed on your computer? Or simply not a fan of iTunes? Don't worry. You can use an expert iPhone Passcode Unlocker software like BuhoUnlocker. It's made to help you get into your locked or disabled iPhone without entering your passcode or Face ID. Here are detailed steps.

Here's how to use BuhoUnlocker to unlock your iPhone:

  1. Download, install and launch BuhoUnlocker.
  2. Select Unlock Screen Passcode, then click Start Unlock.
    Select Unlock Screen Passcode
  3. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
  4. Follow the onscreen insturctions to put your iPhone into recovery mode.
    Put iPhone in Recovery Mode
  5. Download the latest firmware for your iPhone, click Start Unlock, and wait for the unlocking process to complete.
    Download iOS Firmware for iPhone
  6. When your device restarts, set it up.

Conclusion

Now can you unlock your iPhone with our suggestions above? Do you have a better solution to unlock your iPhone without a passcode or Face ID?

By the way, BuhoUnlocker works much more than an average iPhone Passcode Unlocker program. It also helps remove your Apple ID password and other types of Apple limits. Give it a try here.

Jerome Mills

I am Jerome Mills, a passionate enthusiast of all things Apple. I'm expertise in crafting tech-related articles, with a portfolio of more than 100 articles covering various Apple products like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.