Forgot iPhone 11 passcode? Here're ways to regain access

So, you forgot the passcode to your iPhone 11 and desperately need to gain access? We'll show you how to unlock and access your iPhone 11 without passcode.

Alex Griffith Updated on Feb 21, 2025 4:02 PM

If you've tried a lot of ways but have found them to be confusing or not working to open iPhone 11 when forgetting the passcode, consider trying iPhone Unlocker. This tool earns its spot on the best screen unlocking apps list, allowing you to remove various of screen locks at ease.

Forget passcode to iPhone 11 — Apple asks you to erase and reset the device to set it up again.

Knowing Apple's security policy and how to get your iPhone 11 unlocked if you have forgotten the passcode is super important. Sometimes, you forget the passcode simply because you haven't used the old iPhone 11 for too long, or you changed the passcode days ago and now can't remember what the new one is.

Thankfully, unlocking the iPhone 11 if you forgot your passcode is possible and easy, and Apple have put a lot of thought into making it simple. You will have to face the consequences, though. You will have to factory reset iPhone 11 to be able to use it again. That's why you should always make regular backup plan to secure your data.

What to do if you forgot your iPhone 11 passcode

The overall process for each way will differ, but there are a few similar steps for resetting an iPhone 11 if you've forgotten the passcode and can't get past the lock screen. You'll always need to take these steps.

Recognize your locked iPhone 11 while connecting to computer, the device itself, or via iCloud Find My remotely
Perform a factory reset on the device
Set the iPhone 11 up again, and restore data from backup if you have
Use your iCloud credentials associated with iPhone 11 to reactivate it.

Way 1. If you forgot iPhone 11 passcode and saw unavailable or Security Lockout screen

Apple explains what to do when you forget passcode and are locked out of an iPhone 11 that says iPhone Unavailable or Security Lockout. This only appears when you enter incorrect passcodes multiple times in a row.

Keep in mind that, you should know your Apple account and password. This will enable you to erase iPhone 11 and reset your passcode if you forget it.

Here's how to use Apple ID and password to reset your device when you forgot iPhone 11 passcode, according to Apple instructions:

1. Make sure your iPhone 11 is running iOS 15.2 or later.

2. Enter random passcode to the phone screen at least 5 times until you see an "Erase iPhone" option. If your iPhone 11 has iOS 17 or later, you should see "Forgot Passcode" in the bottom corner of the screen.

3. Tap "Erase iPhone" or "Forgot Passcode?"

4. Select "Start iPhone Reset" to confirm.

5. You will be asked to enter your Apple ID password, It's required to verify your account for erasing the iPhone 11 forgotten passcode.

Keep in mind that this won't work with other accounts that are not synced with this iPhone 11.

6. Tap "Erase iPhone" and follow the instructions.

7. When you're finished, set the iPhone 11 up again. Apple notes that you will have to start it from scratch if you don't have a backup of data, and set a new passcode.

This method may or may not work depending on which iOS software your iPhone 11 is running.

Also: How to transfer photos from PC to iPhone without iTunes

Way 2. If you forget iPhone 11 passcode and have enabled iCloud Find My iPhone feature

Apple comes with a Find My iPhone in iCloud to track down, lock, or remotely erase any Apple devices connected to the same iCloud account. Once enabled, you can sign into to iCloud Find My website and then follow these steps to reset the device when you can't remember the passcode on iPhone 11.

1. Make sure your iPhone 11 does have a working Internet connection.

2. Go to Find My iPhone website using a computer or any other mobile with a web browser, located at icloud.com/find.

3. Sign into with your Apple ID and password. You'll then see all of your Apple devices sharing the same account.

4. From "All Devices" menu, find the iPhone 11 you forgot the passcode to and click on it.

5. Go ahead and click "Erase iPhone." iCloud Find My iPhone has two another features you can take advantage of.

6. Confirm "Erase iPhone" and then enter your Apple ID password.

Wait for it to remotely erase everything on your iPhone 11 and perform a factory reset.

Also: How to unlock Samsung phone when forgetting password

If you forget passcode to an iPhone 11, you can always log into iCloud to reset it remotely. Sadly, this feature needs to be turned on proactively to take advantage of it.

Way 3. If you can't remember iPhone 11 password, connect it to computer and use iPhone Unlocker

Given you have a computer nearby, it doesn't matter a Mac or PC, you may use a dedicated program to reset the iPhone 11 when you forgot the passcode. If you're on the hunt for a solid app, iPhone Unlocker is definitely worth considering.

It's an excellent all-in-one suite that's super easy to use and packed with tools for different tasks. These tools enable you to tackle with various of screen locks, including the ability to wipe 4/6-digit passcodes, Face ID, Touch ID, remove Apple ID you forgot, and bypass Screen Time password. Another big win for iPhone Unlocker is that it can remove the MDM (Apple Mobile Device Management) lock.

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for Windows | for macOS

If you're locked out of your iPhone 11 and have forgotten passcode, you can use the iPhone Unlocker to erase the passcode. Here's how.

Step 1: Select "Wipe Passcode" tool

Load the iPhone Unlocker application and, from its main window choose "Wipe Passcode."

A new window will open asking you to connect your iPhone 11 to computer. If the device isn't detected, you may click "Device connected but not recognized" to fix it.

Step 2: Review the device information

Go on and confirm your phone information. You won't necessarily touch it.

Step 3: Download iPhone 11 suitable firmware

When you click the "Start" button after confirming your information, it will begin downloading iOS firmware for your iPhone 11 for later use.

Step 4: Start to reset iPhone 11 passcode

Once downloaded, click "Unlock" on the screen. A small warning box will pop up asking to confirm the permanent deletion of all your data and installation of the latest iOS software.

Enter "0000" to confirm, and then click "Unlock" again.

Note it might take a couple of minutes to complete the job.

Your iPhone 11 will reboot after erasing the forgotten passcode and data, allowing you to set up again and restore all things from a recent backup.

See: Text messages disappear from iPhone

Way 4. If you forgot the iPhone 11 passcode, connect to iTunes and use Recovery mode to restore it

If you have a Windows computer with iTunes on it, and has the application updated to the latest version, you can try to force the locked iPhone 11 to launch Recovery mode after connecting to your computer and when you see the "Restore & Update" dialog, click the Restore option there to restore your iPhone 11 and unlock the forgotten passcode.

Here is how to enter Recovery mode when you forget passcode to iPhone 11.

1. Get your iPhone 11, computer, iTunes or Finder, USB cable ready

Obviously, the process has to work by a computer. Either a PC or Mac is OK.

2. Turn off iPhone 11 and get into recovery mode

Press and hold Side button and either Volume button until power off slider appears. Drag the slider to right to power off the phone.

Then press Side button and keep holding on it, and connect the phone to computer. Keep holding the button until you see the recovery mode screen.

3. Restore your iPhone 11

When iTunes or Finder detects your iPhone in recovery mode, it should open automatically. If not, launch the app on your computer manually and locate your phone from the left side of the Finder window, or click the device icon on the top of the iTunes window.

Afterwards, it should give you a message with the option for "Restore" and "Update."

Choose Restore to reset iPhone 11 to factory settings if you forgot the passcode.