iOS and iPadOS 15.2, which made its official public debut on Monday, makes it easier than ever to reset a locked iPhone or iPad.
You no longer need a Mac or PC to get into a device after forgetting your passcode — so long as you remember your Apple ID and password. Here are the steps you need to follow to perform a reset successfully.
It’s now easier than ever to reset a locked iPhone
Prior to the iOS 15.2 update, the only way to reset a password-locked iPhone or iPad was to put it into recovery or “DFU” mode, then restore it using a Mac or PC. That proved incredibly tricky if you didn’t own a Mac or PC.
Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Apple has made it so that you can now reset a locked iPhone or iPad without additional hardware using some fairly straightforward steps. But there are a few caveats to bear in mind.
Because this feature is new to iOS 15.2, the device you want to reset must be running this update — or a later version of Apple’s software — before you get locked out. The device must also have an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
How to reset a locked iPhone or iPad in iOS 15.2
As long as those conditions are met, and you remember your Apple ID password, you can reset a locked iPhone or iPad by following these steps:
- Enter any passcode on the device’s Lock Screen until you see a Security Lockout message that asks you to try again later.
- Tap the Erase iPhone or Erase iPad button in the bottom corner of the screen.
- Tap Erase and then Erase again to confirm.
- Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your account.
- Tap Erase again to permanently delete all data and settings.
- Wait for your device to restart, then follow the setup instructions.
If you have a recent iCloud backup, you can now restore from that to recover the data that was deleted. You will also be prompted to set up a new passcode, and it’s a good idea to make sure it’s one you won’t forget again in the future.