How to Reset an iPad Without Its Passcode

If you forgot your iPad passcode, you can erase the iPad and set it up again. Tap Forgot Passcode? on the lock screen, erase it remotely with Find My, or use recovery mode with a Mac or Windows PC. Erasing deletes everything on the iPad, so check your backups first. If you changed the passcode in the last 72 hours, try your old passcode first, because that route keeps your data.

The lock screen reset needs iPadOS 15.2 or later (iPadOS 17 or later for Forgot Passcode?), and recovery mode works on any iPad.

You’ll still need your Apple Account password after the erase to get past Activation Lock. If VoiceOver blocks typing a passcode you know, try entering it with VoiceOver gestures first.

Pick the Right Method

Method	You need	Keeps your data?
Enter Previous Passcode	iPadOS 17 or later, a passcode change in the last 72 hours, Find My on, internet	Yes
Forgot Passcode? or Erase iPad on the lock screen	iPadOS 15.2 or later, Find My on, Wi-Fi or cellular, Apple Account password	No
Find My on iCloud.com or another Apple device	Find My on, Apple Account password, a browser or another Apple device	No
Recovery mode with a computer	A Mac or Windows PC, a cable, internet, up to 60 minutes	No

Apple recommends trying them in roughly that order. Recovery mode is the one that works when the iPad is offline or Find My was never turned on.

Before You Erase the iPad

Stop before an erase confirmation if you need data that has no backup. A locked iPad may not be able to make a new backup. Check what you already saved before choosing an erase route. Apple’s backup restoration guide explains how existing iCloud and computer backups are recovered. Anything that syncs to iCloud, such as iCloud Photos, Contacts, and Notes, comes back when you sign in again. Files that lived only on the iPad don’t.

An erase does not bypass Activation Lock. You may need the linked Apple Account during setup. If you forgot its password too, use Apple’s account password recovery options first. For a business or school iPad, contact its administrator. Apple’s Activation Lock help also describes support requests with proof of purchase.

For an iPad you can already unlock, follow the separate steps for erasing an iPad. The steps here address a forgotten unlock passcode. If the iPad is only frozen and you know the code, a force restart may be all you need. The steps for hard resetting an iPad show how.

If you know the code and only want to stop entering it, you can turn off the passcode on iPad instead.

What Activation Lock Means for You

Activation Lock is part of Find My. It ties the iPad to the Apple Account that set it up, so a stranger who erases a lost or stolen iPad can’t use it. The lock stays on after any erase, including a remote erase and a recovery mode restore.

After the erase, the iPad may show an Activation Lock screen during setup. Enter the Apple Account email or phone number and password used on the iPad, or the device passcode if setup offers that option. That means:

• If it’s your iPad, know your Apple Account password before you start, or reset it first.
• If it’s a family member’s iPad, have them sign in at setup.
• If you bought it used, the seller has to remove it from their account. Don’t try to get around the lock on an iPad that isn’t yours.

Try Your Previous Passcode First

On iPadOS 17 or later, a passcode changed within the last 72 hours may be recoverable with the previous passcode. Apple’s Passcode Reset instructions describe this option, which avoids wiping the device. The iPad needs a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, Find My turned on, and your Apple Account signed in.

1. Enter the wrong passcode five times. The iPad Unavailable screen appears.
2. Tap Forgot Passcode? in the bottom corner.
3. Choose Enter Previous Passcode.
4. Enter the old passcode and follow the prompts to create a new one.

Enter Previous Passcode only appears for 72 hours after the passcode change. If you don’t see it, or you don’t remember the old passcode, use one of the erase methods below.

Erase Without a Computer When Eligible

Apple’s on-device reset guide requires Find My already enabled, an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and your Apple Account password. For iPadOS 17 or later:

1. On the locked iPad’s iPad Unavailable screen, tap Forgot Passcode? when offered.

2. On the Security Lockout screen, choose Start iPad Reset.

3. Enter the linked Apple Account password to sign out.
4. Read the confirmation, then choose Erase iPad only when ready to delete its data. The iPad erases itself and restarts to the Hello screen.

On iPadOS 15.2 or 16, the eligible lock screen uses Erase iPad instead. If the option is missing or its requirements are unmet, use Find My or recovery mode. Restarting alone will not erase the passcode.

Erase It Remotely With Find My

If you have a computer, phone, or another Apple device but the iPad’s lock screen doesn’t offer a reset, you can erase it from your Apple Account. Find My must have been on, and you need your Apple Account password. Apple’s Find Devices on iCloud.com guide lists these steps:

1. In a web browser, go to icloud.com/find and sign in with the Apple Account used on the iPad. If asked for a two-factor code you can’t get, select the Find Devices button at the bottom of the window instead.
2. Select the iPad in the list of devices. If another device is already selected, select All Devices first.
3. Select Erase This Device and follow the onscreen steps. You can add a phone number or message for the lock screen, but you don’t need to for your own iPad.

If the iPad is online, the erase starts right away. If it’s offline, it starts the next time the iPad connects to the internet. Apple sends a confirmation email to your Apple Account address. To cancel a pending erase, select the iPad and choose Stop Erase Request.

You can do the same thing in the Find My app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac signed in to the same account: open the iPad under Devices and choose Erase This Device.

Use Recovery Mode With a Mac or Windows PC

Have a computer, a USB cable that fits your iPad, and internet access ready. Allow up to 60 minutes. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, use Finder. On macOS Mojave or earlier, use iTunes. On a Windows PC, use the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. Apple’s device-location guide shows where the iPad appears in each app.

Follow Apple’s iPad recovery-mode guide:

1. Disconnect the iPad. Power it off: with a Home button, hold the top button; without one, hold the top button and either volume button. Drag the power slider and wait a minute.
2. Connect it to the computer. Without a Home button: quickly press and release the volume button nearest the top button, then the farther volume button, then hold the top button. With a Home button: hold Home and the top or side button together.
3. Keep holding through the Apple logo until the computer-and-cable recovery screen appears.

4. Select the iPad in Finder or Apple Devices and choose Restore when offered Restore or Update. The computer downloads iPadOS and erases the iPad.

5. Wait for the process to finish. When the iPad shows the Hello screen, disconnect it and set it up.

If a download lasts over 15 minutes and the iPad leaves recovery mode, let downloading finish, then repeat the recovery sequence. If you return to the passcode screen, power off and retry. Ask Apple or an authorized service provider for help if you cannot complete the button sequence or borrow a computer.

Set Up and Restore Your Saved Data

After erasing, begin at the Hello screen. During setup, choose From iCloud Backup on the apps-and-data transfer screen if that is your saved backup. Sign in, compare the available backup dates, and select the one you want. Keep Wi-Fi connected while restoring.

For a computer backup, use Restore Backup in Finder or Apple Devices after the erase process. An encrypted backup needs its own password. This restores saved data; the earlier Restore operation erased the device. Follow Apple’s backup restoration guide linked above for your backup type.

When setup asks you to create a passcode, pick one you’ll remember and store it somewhere safe, such as a password manager. The steps for setting a passcode on your iPad cover the passcode options.

Once the iPad is set up again, turn on iCloud Backup on your iPad so a recent copy is always saved.

If setup asks for the Apple Account linked to the iPad, resolve Activation Lock through the account owner or Apple’s support options. The recovery-mode erase is not a way to transfer someone else’s account ownership.

Confirm the reset worked

The iPad opens to your Home Screen with the new passcode, and Settings > your name > Find My shows Find My iPad turned on again. If you restored a backup, your apps download again in the background, which can take a while on a slow connection.

If the Reset Doesn’t Work

Match what you see to the fixes below.

• Forgot Passcode? doesn’t appear: the iPad needs iPadOS 15.2 or later, Find My turned on, a signed-in Apple Account, and a Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Without those, use Find My on iCloud.com or recovery mode.
• The iPad doesn’t appear on iCloud.com: Find My wasn’t on, or the iPad is signed in to a different Apple Account. Use recovery mode.
• The computer doesn’t show the iPad: try a different cable that can transfer data, plug it straight into the computer instead of a hub, update macOS or the Apple Devices app, and repeat the recovery-mode button sequence.
• The iPad left recovery mode during the download: let the download finish on the computer, then put the iPad back into recovery mode and choose Restore again.
• The restore stops with an error: the connection likely dropped. Try another cable and USB port, then restore again.
• Activation Lock appears after the erase: enter the Apple Account email and password that were used on the iPad. If it’s not your account, ask the owner to remove the iPad from their account. The steps to sign out of your Apple Account on iPad show what that involves.
• A school or work iPad sets up with its old restrictions: the organization manages it. Ask its IT administrator.
• The iPad won’t turn on or charge: charge it for an hour first. If nothing changes, contact Apple Support.

Be careful with paid “unlock” programs. Apple’s free methods above already erase a locked iPad, and no erase removes Activation Lock without the Apple Account password.

iPad Passcode Reset Questions