A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
1 Year for Only $10!
1 Year for Only $18!
1 Year for Only $10!
1 Year for Only $18!
RD.COM Tech Personal Tech Smartphone
Perhaps you recently changed your iPhone’s passcode to secure your information, but now you can’t remember the new one and find yourself locked out of your own phone. As frustrating as it can be to have a disabled iPhone, rest assured that there are several iPhone hacks and iPhone tricks to get back in.
While you most likely got locked out of your phone through your own actions, it’s possible someone else locked it without your knowing, in which case you’ll want to learn how to delete iPhone apps and how to lock apps on iPhone. But first, it’s essential to know how to unlock an iPhone without a passcode, either for yourself or someone else—and possibly even save a life.
There are several situations when you might need to unlock an iPhone without a passcode:
Not being able to get into your iPhone can be frustrating and maybe even a bit scary, depending on the situation. If this happens to you, try one of these strategies to unlock it. Be aware that using these methods will factory reset your phone, but restoring your data is as easy as logging into iCloud with your Apple ID and password. That’s why it’s a good idea to back up your data to iCloud regularly. It’s too late to do it once you’re locked out of your phone.
Cornelius Fichtner, tech expert and president of OSP International, broke down the steps to use iTunes or Finder to unlock an iPhone without a passcode. Apple has changed things for users with macOS Catalina or later. For those running older operating systems or PC users, iTunes can still be used to unlock an iPhone.
Another way to unlock an iPhone without a passcode is through Apple’s Find My feature. While the Find My app has many benefits, it can also open you up as a target for scammers, so be aware of that, though generally, the benefits outweigh the risks. Fichtner breaks down how to unlock an iPhone using Find My.
You may see third-party apps advertised to unlock an iPhone without a passcode, but they’re not necessary when Apple gives you other, safer tools to unlock your iPhone. “It is possible to unlock an iPhone with third-party software, but I’d advise against it. Use iTunes or Finder,” says Eric Florence, cybersecurity consultant at SecurityTech.
Alex Hamerstone, advisory solutions director for TrustedSec, a company specializing in information security, agrees. “They’re basically all just scams,” he says. “Even the FBI has famously struggled to unlock iPhones when investigating mass shooters and other criminals. If a company has actually been able to crack Apple’s encryption for the iPhone, they’re not going to sell it for a few dollars online.”
“The best-case scenario,” Hamerstone says, “is these sketchy apps take your money and you get nothing in return. If all you lose is the few bucks you paid for the app, then consider yourself lucky. What is more likely, however, is that they will steal your account data, personal information or financial information for further crimes and scams.”
Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy, also weighs in: “While several apps claim to unlock your iPhone, it is best to stick with Apple’s recommended trilogy of using iTunes/Finder/Find My to unlock the device. While there are fairly reputable companies that offer utilities that can unlock your iPhone, be aware that the app may be sending data back to the developer, which could lead to a violation of your privacy and device security.”
Consensus: Stick with their recommended methods or visit your local Apple store to get help. Don’t try to solve this yourself by downloading apps or tools you find online.
There are hacks for everything these days, like using hidden smartphone codes to disable call waiting or get better reception. Other hacks will teach you how to restart a frozen iPhone, how to turn off read receipts and how to hide text messages on an iPhone. Not enough hacks for you? Check out TikTok, which has already convinced us that we need a desk vacuum, but has the ultimate trick for unlocking an iPhone without a passcode.
This TikTok video is easy and foolproof. You can practice doing this on your own iPhone by covering the camera so Face ID doesn’t work.
Unlock an iPhone without a passcode by doing the following:
Sources:
Our Brands
We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices.
We recommend our users to update the browser.