I Tested Dr.Fone Screen Unlock, Here's My Honest Review

As an editor who likes testing various advanced programs, I refuse to publish content without firsthand testing.

So, when I was asked to review Dr.Fone Screen Unlock, I cleared a weekend, grabbed my test iPhones, and walked through its main features.

Based on several rounds of testing, I’d like to share how each feature resolves specific iOS issues. Here is what happened and how I felt.

Install & Subscribe

I downloaded Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock from Wondershare’s official site. It was quick to install the software on my Windows 10.

However, the moment I launched the program, it became clear that I could only use the “free” version to scan my iPhone. The “Unlock” button was grayed out until I paid for it. Then I invested in an annual license and moved on.

Unlock Screen Passcode

My first goal was to bypass a 6-digit passcode without data loss.

I launched the software and connected my disabled iPhone to the computer. It took about 10 seconds to recognize my device. Then I followed the instructions to put my iPhone into recovery mode.

Dr.Fone automatically detected my model and iOS version. After reading the notice, I clicked to download the firmware that matched my device.

After downloading the firmware and verifying the information, I clicked “Unlock Now” to initiate the process.

Then, a warning window appeared, which required me to type the code to confirm that I would accept a complete data wipe.

About 10 minutes later, the screen lock was removed and my iPhone rebooted to the “Hello” screen. There was no doubt that my data was gone.

Across 5 attempts, Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock never bricked anything, but it never kept its data intact. The average time from launch to swipe to start was 12 minutes on iOS.

The screen-unlock feature just promises that it can easily unlock my iOS device after a few clicks, but I think it’s just a guide to factory reset my iPhone - I’ll lose all data. Considering I can freely factory reset my device for free, the license I pay for is less valuable.

Remove Apple ID

Dr.Fone Screen Unlock is also known for removing Apple ID when I forget the login credentials or password. As one of my testing devices is below iOS 11.4, I didn’t need to perform a factory reset. This has protected my device from data loss.

For another testing device, I would encounter data loss. It didn’t matter because I could back up the data beforehand.

Overall, it’s a trustworthy toolkit, and I appreciate the effectiveness and ease of use of this feature. It might be a bit technical to deal with the recovery mode or DFU mode, but Dr.Fone provides detailed instructions to guide me through these steps.

However, some Apple users complained that their phone was still locked to the previous owner after removing the Apple ID. It occurred when they set up the device. They were stuck on the iCloud activation lock page, but only to find that the iOS version was not supported.

Remove MDM Profile

When I attempted to transfer WhatsApp chats from my iPhone to an Android device, I was prevented by an MDM profile. Then I had to remove the MDM restrictions.

After clicking on the “Unlock MDM iPhone” option, I saw two options: Bypass MDM” and “Remove MDM.” “Bypassing” means bypassing the MDM restrictions this time, while “Removing” means completely erasing it from my device. As I didn’t need to fully reset the device, I chose the bypass option.

Next, I was asked to deactivate the Find My feature. Following the instructions, I navigated to iCloud and disabled the Find My feature.

Finally, I successfully bypassed the MDM restrictions on my iPhone. The process was smooth and effective. And there was no data loss.

Nevertheless, I also heard that some users had reported that their iOS versions were not supported. Technically, Dr.Fone claimed to support iOS devices from iOS 7.0 to the latest iOS 18, but it might encounter errors in real cases.

The bad news was that it failed to offer a satisfactory after-sales service when you encountered issues with the MDM profile. It might deny a refund without any explanation, even after providing evidence of the MDM lock.

Unlock Screen Time Passcode

Another feature I frequently use is unlocking the Screen Time passcode on iPhone, since I often forget the screen time passwords for my apps.

On the home screen, I chose the corresponding feature and began the process. Again, I was required to toggle off the “Find My” feature.

Afterwards, I took the on-screen instructions but tried three times to complete the unlocking process.

After Several Rounds of Testing, Here’s What I Think

According to my tests, I think it’s efficient to use Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock to unlock my iPhone locks. As most features only work when the “Find My” feature is disabled, you can check whether it’s toggled off in advance.

This also suggests that it’s more challenging to remove Apple ID, MDM profile, and Screen Time from a previous owner’s device, unless you know his or her Apple ID credentials and password. In other words, it’s better to use Dr.Fone to unlock your own iOS device.

Besides, you should check whether your iPhone model and iOS version can match the requirements of the specific feature before making a purchase. If you don’t want to encounter potential compatibility issues and trigger a dispute, make sure your device can match the requirements.

Additionally, don’t feel upset when you fail to unlock your device. The support team might refuse to refund, so give it another try when it fails to work.

Why Do I Use BuhoUnlocker as an Alternative to Dr.Fone?

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock doesn’t support all devices or operating system versions as it advertises. This may lead to potential compatibility issues and refund disputes. Especially, it’s less stable when working on the latest Apple models and iOS versions. Besides, I tried to contact the support team when I failed to unlock the Screen Time passcode. Unfortunately, I neither received an effective solution nor a refund.

Considering the compatibility issues, unstable performance, and lagging after-sales service, I turned to BuhoUnlocker at last. This all-in-one iOS unlocker provides a smoother unlocking experience when I seek to unlock screen passcode, MDM profile, Apple ID, and Screen Time passcode. The process was successful on my first try. And when I reached the customer support, they were responsive and efficient. In a word, BuhoUnlocker can not only achieve what it promises, but also assist in time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock offers a comprehensive solution for Apple users to unlock iOS locks. However, it has notable drawbacks when dealing with specific models and iOS versions. A group of users has reported the compatibility issues, so this doesn’t seem like a random event or coincidence. Moreover, I failed to get an effective response and assistance when encountering technical issues. For these reasons, I choose to explore more reliable alternative tools like BuhoUnlocker.