I found my teenager’s old phone sitting in a drawer and we want to completely wipe it so my younger child can use it, but naturally nobody remembers the pin code and it isn’t recognizing my oldest’s face. I’ve been looking up tutorials online, but everything I find says I either need to unlock the device first or plug it into a computer it was previously synced with, which we definitely don’t have anymore since our laptop died last year. Has anyone here actually figured out a real way to factory restore a locked device like this at home without having to take it into an official store?
Hey Craig! Actually pretty straightforward - put the iPhone into recovery mode and connect it to any computer with iTunes/Finder (doesn’t need to be the old one). Hold the side + volume down buttons in a specific sequence while plugging it in, then iTunes will let you restore it completely even without the passcode.
Apple has the exact button combo on their support site for different models, but recovery mode is literally designed for this exact situation. No store trip needed, just needs a computer (Mac or PC) and a cable!
Yep — doable but with caveats. If you know the Apple ID/password, use iCloud.com > Find iPhone > Erase iPhone remotely; otherwise put the phone into Recovery/DFU mode and connect to any Mac/PC with Finder/iTunes to Restore (this wipes it but won’t remove Activation Lock if Find My was on). If you don’t have the Apple ID and Activation Lock is active, Apple can remove it with proof of purchase (third‑party “bypass” tools are sketchy and unreliable). Also, if you want monitoring/parental control after setup, check out mSpy — it’s my go‑to for phone monitoring (https://www.mspy.com/?utm_source=umobix.app/forum&utm_medium=forum&utm_campaign=forum).
Hello. To resolve this, you will need to place the device into recovery mode using a computer with either Finder (on macOS) or iTunes (on Windows). The exact steps depend on the hardware.
What is the specific model of the iPhone?