The story of the FBI's unsuccessful attempts to hack the Texas shooter's iPhone has spread all over the world. On the one hand, this shows the reliability of iOS as an operating system, and on the other, it serves as a warning to inattentive users. In this material we will tell you how to unlock iPhone 4S and other older models. We will not compete with the FBI in hacking practices. It is assumed that you perform all operations with your own smartphone.
Locking a phone can mean several actions. The simplest one, which the user encounters every day, involves protection from unauthorized access. The screen can only be unlocked by entering a numeric password. Without it, you can only make an emergency call to the rescue services. The call is free and can be made even with a negative balance.
This was done in case something happens to the owner of the smartphone. The person who finds it will be able to call for help even when the display is locked. You don't need to know the password for this. Additionally, to help doctors, the user can enter the necessary data into the electronic medical record in advance.
In addition to blood type, you can indicate chronic diseases and note intolerance to certain drugs. For emergency communication with relatives, a contact telephone number is indicated.
Thus, using the capabilities of the general lock screen, the iPhone owner can protect himself in case of unforeseen circumstances. To eliminate the possibility of guessing a password at random, there is a function to erase data after ten unsuccessful typing attempts. This option is activated by the user independently in the security settings.
If you manage to forget a given combination of numbers, but remember your Apple ID account information, you can reset your smartphone this way and then restore it from an iCloud backup.
iTunes
Synchronizing your iPhone with your computer is one of the purposes of iTunes. macOS has it built into the operating system, but Windows users can install it separately. Unlocking a normally working smartphone for which the user has forgotten the password is performed in one step. To do this, you need to connect to your PC using a USB cable. When the program recognizes the phone, select “Browse” in the navigation menu.
At the top of the main window, in the general information about the smartphone field, a marked item will appear. By clicking the “Restore” button, we start downloading the latest version of the OS - in this case it is iOS 11.2. The time it takes to receive it from Apple servers depends on the speed of the connection used. There is no user intervention required during the recovery phase, so you can leave your iPhone connected to your PC and do other things. After the flashing is completed, the data stored in memory remains unchanged, only the access code is reset.
Recovery Mode
If for some reason you cannot restore your iPhone using the method described above and remove the forgotten lock, you will have to sacrifice its contents. With regular synchronization with iCloud configured, the maximum you will lose is the data of the last 24 hours. In this case, you need to connect your smartphone and then put it into recovery mode. This is done in exactly the same way as a forced reboot.
For iPhone 4S (model A1387), press the power and home buttons simultaneously. The iTunes and cable logos will appear on the screen to indicate a successful connection. If you release the power button and hold only “Home” when the display goes dark, the iPhone will enter DFU mode. In both cases, iTunes will be able to find the device, download the necessary firmware and start its installation.
A lost device can be locked remotely using the Find My iPhone feature. It also allows you to erase data if necessary. You can use this option from any other Apple device or through a web browser. In the action menu, select the marked item and erase the data, returning the smartphone to its original factory state. After this, you can restore the data using iTunes if the backup is stored on your computer, or via iCloud if it is in the cloud.
You can perform this operation for devices linked to the same Apple ID or connected by family sharing.
Foreign mobile operators can sell iPhones with a contract. By purchasing such a device, you automatically become a subscriber for a period of one or two years. During this period, you pay the operator the cost of the device and services with a slight discount. This is a unique type of purchase in installments without obtaining a loan. The problem is that until the contract with the operator expires, you cannot use another SIM card on it, since its activation fails.
This is the most unpleasant type of blocking, which you cannot disable on your own. This is usually encountered when purchasing second-hand “gray” devices. Help in solving this problem is provided by specialized offices, which will need the IMEI of your smartphone from you. You can find it in the settings in the “General” group. In addition, to save time, it is advisable to know the foreign operator. The procedure for so-called “unlocking” a smartphone takes up to 20 days, and the cost varies from one to 10–12 thousand rubles.
Finally
The main condition for successful unlocking is knowledge of the Apple ID data. When buying secondhand, you should definitely make sure that the smartphone is unlinked from the previous owner’s account and reset to factory settings.
Video instructions
You can see how the described unlocking methods work in the overview video below.
Hello friends! Not long ago I bought my wife an iPhone 7, but she is a forgetful lady and a problem arose: how to unlock an iPhone if you forgot your password? At that moment I realized what the next topic of my article would be.
Despite the fact that most iPhone models have finger scanners, many people continue to use digital passwords out of habit. There are also owners of phone models 4 and 4s, which do not have a built-in fingerprint scanner. Plus, there is a possibility of glitches in the scanner. This is why thousands of people are still faced with the problem of a forgotten password.
1. How to unlock iPhone if you forgot your password: 6 ways
After the tenth attempt, your favorite iPhone is blocked forever. The company tries to protect phone owners as much as possible from data hacking, so it is quite difficult to recover the password, but it is possible. In this article we will give as many as six ways to unlock your iPhone if you forgot your password.
Important! If you haven't synced any of your data before attempting the reset, it will all be lost.
1.1. Using iTunes from a previous sync
If the owner has forgotten the password on the iPhone, this method is recommended. Forethought in recovery is very important and if you are lucky enough to have a backup copy of your data, there should be no problems.
For this method you will need a computer on which synchronization with the device was previously carried out.
1. Using a USB cable, connect your phone to your computer and wait until it appears in the list of devices.
3. Now you need to wait, iTunes will synchronize the data for some time. This process may take a few hours, but it's worth it if you need the data.
4. When iTunes reports that synchronization is complete, select "Restore data from iTunes backup." Using backups is the easiest thing you can do if you forgot your iPhone password.
5. The program will display a list of your devices (if there are several of them) and backup copies with their creation date and size. The creation date and size determine how much of the information will remain on the iPhone; changes made since the last backup will also be reset. Therefore, choose the latest backup.
If you are not lucky enough to have a backup of your phone in advance or you do not need the data, read on and choose another method.
1.2. How to unlock an iPhone via iCloud
This method only works if you have the Find My iPhone feature set up and activated. If you are still wondering how to recover your iPhone password, use any of the other five methods.
1. First of all, you need to go to the link https://www.icloud.com/#find from any device, no matter whether it is a smartphone or a computer.
2. If you have not previously logged into the site and saved a password, at this stage you need to enter your Apple ID profile information. If you have forgotten your account password, go to the last section of the article regarding how to reset your iPhone password for Apple ID.
3. At the top of the screen you will see a list of “All devices”. Click on it and select the device you need, if there are several of them.
4. Click “Erase (device name)”, this will erase all the phone data along with its password.
5. Now the phone is available to you. You can restore it from an iTunes or iCloud backup or re-set it up as if you just bought it.
Important! Even if the service is activated, but access to Wi-Fi or mobile Internet is disabled on the phone, you will not be able to use this method.
Without an Internet connection, most methods for hacking an iPhone password will not work.
1.3. By resetting the failed attempt counter
If your gadget is locked after the sixth attempt to enter the password, and you hope to remember the password, try resetting the counter of incorrect attempts.
1. Connect your phone to your computer via a USB cable and turn on iTunes. It is important that Wi-Fi or mobile Internet is turned on on your mobile phone.
2. Wait a little while the program “sees” the phone and select the “Devices” menu item. Then click “Sync with (name of your iPhone).”
3. Immediately after synchronization begins, the counter will reset to zero. You can continue to try to enter the correct password.
Do not forget that the counter cannot be reset simply by rebooting the device.
1.4. Using recovery mode
This method will work even if you have never synced with iTunes or enabled the feature to find your iPhone. When you use it, both the device data and its password will be deleted.
1. Connect your iPhone via USB to any computer and open iTunes.
2. After this, you need to hold down two buttons at the same time: “Sleep mode” and “Home”. Keep them on for a long time, even when the device starts to reboot. You need to wait for the recovery mode window. On iPhone 7 and 7s, hold down two buttons: Sleep and Volume Down. Hold them for the same long time.
3. You will be prompted to restore or update your phone. Select recovery. The device may exit recovery mode if the process takes too long, then repeat all the steps again 3-4 times.
4. Once the recovery is complete, the password will be reset.
1.5. By installing new firmware
This method is reliable and works for the vast majority of users, but requires selecting and downloading firmware, which weighs 1-2 Gigabytes.
Attention! Carefully select the source for downloading the firmware. If there is a virus inside it, it can completely break your iPhone. You will no longer be able to find out how to unlock it. Do not ignore antivirus program warnings and do not download files with the .exe extension.
1. Using a computer, find and download the firmware for your iPhone model with the .IPSW extension. This extension is the same for all models. For example, almost all official firmware can be .
2. Log into Explorer and move the firmware file to the folder at C:\Documents and Settings\username you are using\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates.
3. Now connect your device to your computer via USB cable and log into iTunes. Go to your phone section (if you have multiple devices). Each model will have a full technical name and you can easily find yours.
4. Press CTRL and "Restore iPhone". You will be able to select the firmware file that you downloaded. Click on it and click “Open”.
5. Now all we have to do is wait. Eventually the password will be reset along with your data.
1.6. Using a special program (only after jailbreak)
If your favorite phone was hacked by you or the previous owner, all the methods above will not work for you. They will lead you to install the official firmware. You will have to download a separate program called Semi-Restore for this. It won't work if you don't have the OpenSSH file and the Cydia store on your phone.
Attention! At the moment the program only works on 64-bit systems.
1. Download the program from https://semi-restore.com/ and install it on your computer.
2. Connect the device to the computer via a USB cable, after a while the program will recognize it.
3. Open the program window and click the “SemiRestore” button. You will see the process of clearing devices of data and passwords in the form of a green bar. Wait, the mobile may reboot.
4. When the runner “crawls” to the end, you will be able to use the phone again.
2. How to reset your Apple ID password?
If you don't have your Apple ID account password, you won't be able to sign into iTunes or iCloud and reset. All methods of how to recover a password on an iPhone will not work for you. Therefore, you will first need to recover your Apple ID password. Most often, the account ID is your email.
1. Go to https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=signin and click the “Forgot your Apple ID or password?” button.
2. Enter your ID and click on “Continue”.
3. Now you can reset your password in four ways. If you remember the answer to your security question, select the first method, enter the answer and you will be given the opportunity to enter a new password. You may also receive a password reset email to your primary or backup account email. If you have another Apple device, you can use it to recover your password. If you have enabled two-step verification, you will also need to enter the password that will be sent to your phone.
4. Once you reset your password using any of these methods, you will need to update it in other Apple services.
Which method worked? Perhaps you know life hacks? Share in the comments!
It is quite rare for situations in which a user has forgotten the iPhone screen lock password. Typically the password is simple and the user unlocks the graphical lock in graphical mode.
This password itself is necessary to ensure that the smartphone cannot be hacked by unauthorized persons. Enabling this password means that it will be impossible to use the phone or even get to its desktop; the phone will only display the status bar, date and time.
However, the lock screen does not block the ability to connect to the “control center”, through which you can connect to an already known Wi-Fi network, bypassing the lock, and also turn on a flashlight, calculator and video camera.
How to unlock your iPhone
Bypassing the iPhone lock password is extremely difficult, since Apple has paid maximum attention to ensuring the security of the devices they produce.
Even a relatively simple four-digit code can lock a device so that it will be much easier to sell it for spare parts than to hack it. Not to mention the fact that you can enter a long password, which could take a hacker a lot of time to unlock.
In most cases, the owner of the device knows how to reset the lock password on an iPhone without much difficulty, since information about this possibility is provided by Apple itself when registering the device on iTunes in the user’s name.
However, unlocking your iPhone through this service means losing all the content on your phone, so it's best to keep a backup of your important data.
The number of attempts to enter the password is limited, and if you are persistent enough in this matter, you can still achieve a complete locking of the device, in which it can only be unlocked through iTunes.
It’s hard to imagine that the user himself would lead to this, but this happens from time to time. And the only way out in case of complete loss of the password is either to check all available combinations or to completely reset the data mentioned above.
Resetting the counter of incorrect attempts to enter passwords
If the user (or anyone else) has entered the wrong password into the iPhone's lock screen for long enough, there is an option to reset the counter. If the device contains extremely important data and the user has a rough idea of what the password should be, this method will be justified, but manually guessing the password will take a very long time.
To do this, you need a USB cable and a computer with access to an iTunes account with which the smartphone has been synchronized at least once. Having all this, it follows:
- Connect the device to the PC via a USB cable.
- Synchronize the device through “settings” in the “Overview” tab.
Once the synchronization process begins, the device's temporary lock will be removed. Turning it off and using a hard reset on your iPhone will not achieve the same effect.
How to disable iPhone lock screen password
The iPhone screen lock security password can be disabled if the user so desires. Most often, this is justified when giving the device to a child, who may accidentally lock the device when the password is enabled. To do this you need:
- open Phone Settings, and then go to the “Touch ID and Password” menu, here you should;
- click “Turn off password” and confirm this action;
- enter a valid password and decide on your iCloud keychain.
It will be possible to leave your data protected in Apple services while keeping your own device relatively open. It is also not difficult to lock your iPhone back by repeating the above algorithm of actions, adjusted for enabling the password rather than disabling it.
The longer and more complex the password, the more secure your iPhone is from unwanted access. But such protection can also work against you if you forget your password one day.
What to do if this happens? The main thing is not to panic: you can easily unlock your iPhone if you know how to do it.
Unlocking via iTunes
Recovery with data preservation
To reset your password while preserving all other information, open the “Devices” section in iTunes and find your iPhone in the list.
The password will be reset, and all other information will remain in place.
Recovery without saving information
If the first method fails or does not load completely, personal data will have to be sacrificed - the device settings will be reset to the state as after purchase.
- Download on your computer and update it to the latest version.
- Enter the iPhone into DFU mode: connect the device using a USB cable to the PC and turn it off by simultaneously pressing and holding the “Home” and “Power” buttons. After the screen turns off, release the "Power" button while continuing to hold "Home".
It may take a few seconds before a message appears in the iTunes window that the connected iPhone is in recovery mode. The smartphone screen will still remain turned off. - Click the "Restore" button in iTunes. The program will download the latest firmware and restore the iPhone. During the recovery process, a logo and a loading bar will be displayed on the device’s screen.
When the recovery is complete, the iPhone can be booted without a password.
If you previously saved a copy of your settings and personal data in iTunes, you will have the option to transfer them to your phone.
Using this method, you can unlock any version of iPhone - 4, 4s, 5 and others.
Unlock via iCloud
The next method also erases all user data from the smartphone. You can restore them only if you remember to first save a backup copy in iCould or iTunes.
To be able to unlock an iPhone through, you must first install the ““ program on the device.
Directly to remove the lock, you will need access to the Internet - on the device itself (via a SIM card or Wi-Fi) or on the computer to which it is connected.
Procedure:
- Make sure the locked iPhone has Internet access.
- From any device connected to the network, go to the “Find iPhone” application on the iCloud website and make sure that the service “sees” your device and is in “online” status (there should be a green circle opposite the iPhone model in the “All devices” section).
- Click on the icon of the locked phone and select the “Erase iPhone” option in the menu that opens.
- In the confirmation window, click the “Erase” button again.
- In the next window, enter your password and click “Done.”
After this, the process of erasing settings will begin. At this time, a loading bar and an apple will be displayed on the iPhone screen.
Important! When the erasure is complete, you can restore your personal information from the backup. The setup assistant will help you with this.
Find My iPhone will help you unlock both iPhone 6, and older models.
Unlocking iPhone after jailbreak
Both of the methods described above will most likely not suit owners of jailbroken smartphones, since they involve installing official firmware.
And this leads to the inability to connect the device to your cellular operator and the loss of other advantages of jailbreak.
Fortunately, it is possible to unlock an iPhone running iOS 5 or higher without updating the firmware using the free SemiRestore app.
The OpenSSH component must be installed on the iPhone, which can be downloaded from the Cydia store.
The SemiRestore utility is installed on a computer (the manufacturer claims support for Linux, OS X and Windows XP(SP3)-8.1 operating systems).
During the factory reset process, it deletes all personal data of the owner without losing the jailbreak.
Unlock procedure:
- Download SemiRestore from the official website and install on your PC.
- Using a USB cable, connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Launch SemiRestore and wait for it to recognize your smartphone.
- If recognition was correct, click the “SemiRestore” button in the main utility window - this will start the process of clearing data on the iPhone.
04.09.2016
Many users of Apple branded devices prefer to provide their gadget and the information it contains with additional protection by setting a complex password on the lock screen. However, such an unpleasant situation can happen to each of us when the iPhone password is hopelessly forgotten.
To avoid future problems and wasting time restoring it, it is best to write it down and store it in a safe place. What to do if you forgot your iPhone password? Apple, taking care of the security and preservation of confidential information and funds, has taken great pains to provide a fairly complex password reset process that allows the user to be identified as the owner of the device. Therefore, we can say with confidence that Apple’s security system is impeccable. The solution to the problem depends on the model of the apple product. It is also necessary to consider which password was forgotten. There are several types of them on iPhone:
- From the lock screen;
- From an Apple ID account;
- On restrictions.
What to do if you forgot your iPhone password for the lock screen and the device is locked?
The lock screen password is designed to protect your device data. If you enter the wrong password six times in a row, the device is blocked for a while, after which the message “IPhone is disabled” appears on the screen.
If you can’t remember your password, you can use three methods:
- Using iTunes;
- “Find iPhone” function;
- Use recovery mode.
Using iTunes
iTunes will help solve the problem if the device was previously synchronized with this program. To recover your password you need to:
- Turn off the device;
- Connect the iPhone to the PC using the USB cable included in the package;
- Enter the device into Recovery Mode;
- Open iTunes;
- When the message “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode...” appears, click the “OK” button;
- After this, you need to restore the device by clicking on the “Restore iPhone” button.
- If a message appears asking you to check for iPhone software updates, click the “Check” button.
- After this, you will be prompted to restore factory settings, and the old data and password will be deleted. You must click on the “Restore and Update” button
- When the iOS assistant asks for settings and recovery of contacts and other data, select “Recover from iTunes copy.” This method is appropriate if you have previously synchronized data. Otherwise, it will not be possible to restore personal data, and you can use the “Set up iPhone as a new device” option.
An iPhone restored in this way with factory settings or restored from a backup will no longer contain the screen lock password.
Find My iPhone feature
If the Find My iPhone function was enabled on the device, you can remotely erase all data, including removing the password. To do this, you need to go to the link icloud.com/#find, check whether the function is enabled. At the top of the browser, find the “All devices” menu item, select yours and click on the “Erase” button. Deleted data can be restored from a backup using the Settings Assistant.
Use recovery mode
Recovery mode will help if you have not previously synchronized your device with iTunes, the Find My iPhone function has not been enabled, or if you do not have access to a computer. In order to put the device into recovery mode and delete data and password, you must disconnect all USB cables from the device. Turn off your iPhone and press and hold the Home button until the Connect to iTunes screen appears. After this, the program should report that a device has been detected in recovery mode, click the “OK” button, and restore the iPhone.
What to do if you forgot your iPhone password for your Appstore account?
Apple ID is a username that is used to perform various actions with the iPhone: allows you to access the support website, make purchases in the iTunes Store, Apple Store, and use the iCloud service.
- You need to open the page https://appleid.apple.com/ru/, go to the “Reset Password” page
- Enter the ID and click on the “next” button. If your Apple ID is forgotten, you need to follow the “Find Apple ID” link, where you will be asked to enter information - full name, e-mail, click on the “next” button.
- To reset your password, you must complete one of the suggested steps:
- answer the security question, enter a new password and click on the “Reset password” button;
- pass authentication by e-mail (in this case, the password will be sent to the main or additional e-mail address specified during registration), follow the link in the letter and enter a new password, reset the password;
- follow two-step verification (if it was previously enabled). To do this, you must enter a trusted device to which the confirmation code will be reset. Enter the recovery key, specify a new password and click on the “Reset password” button.
If none of the proposed methods work and you cannot recover your password, you can contact Apple support www.apple.com/ru/support/ or call +7 495 5809557.
Features of solving the problem if you forgot the password on IPhone 4, 5, 6
Recovering a forgotten password on iPhone 5 and 6 has no fundamental differences; to do this, just follow the instructions described above. Resetting a password on an iPhone 4 with an older operating system has its own characteristics.
Password recovery on iPhone 4
If you lose your screen unlock password, you can reset the password by synchronizing your device with your computer, which will allow you to recover data without using the screen password.
- Enter the device into DFU mode. To do this, you need to reboot - press the power button and “Home” for ten seconds.
- When the logo appears on the screen, release the Power button while holding the Home button. After this, an image of the USB connection will appear on the screen and a prompt to enable iTunes.
- A message appears about restoring the device; you must click on the “Restore” button.
After performing the restore, the phone will be reset to factory settings and all data stored on the device will be lost. Therefore, the best way to secure your data is to save backup copies that will allow you to restore contacts and media files.
It is worth noting that the Internet offers a lot of methods designed for devices with the operating system IOS 5.1, 6.1, which allows you to bypass problems in the Apple security service by dialing the emergency number, and then dropping the call and blocking the device. There are also software based on the iPhone’s ICCID vulnerability, for example the Chinese SAM program. Today, all system errors in older versions of the IOS operating system have been eliminated by the developers, so these methods do not work and are unsafe, so using them is not recommended.
It is best to use legal and proven methods, only they can be considered reliable and highly effective.
