Have you ever reached home and picked up your iPad, only to discover that it has been disabled? Getting your iPad disabled can be a stressful experience and can occur through any means. Maybe your children entered the password too many times while looking to play their favorite games? Or perhaps you’ve forgotten the password you created a while back? If this sounds like you, then stick with us through the end so that you can unlock your iPad without any further issues.
iPadOS locks or disables the device as a safety measure when it thinks someone is trying to break into your device and disables the device if many wrong passwords are entered continuously. The main problem with a disabled iPad is that you can’t enter the password anymore, even though you or someone else remembers it. It isn’t a huge problem initially as the waiting time is just 5 minutes, but if you still entered the wrong password after that, your iPad will be permanently disabled and require you to connect to your iTunes. If you still can’t remember your password or don’t have any other form of getting in, you may need to erase your iPad data and reset it, which will delete your data and settings, including the passcode, so that you can log in fresh. However, this becomes a big concern for many users as losing necessary data is severe trouble. Hence, there are other options or routes that you can take so that you can have a perfectly working iPad without any data loss.
Note: If you have already backed up your iPad before, you could restore all your data and settings after resetting your iPad. However, if you had never done a backup of your iPad before and forgot your password, you would lose all your data if you reset your iPad. Well, if you’re stuck with a disabled iPad, here is a guide so that you can get your iPad unlocked without losing any crucial data.
How to unlock a disabled iPad
There are various ways to get through with unlocking your device, and here are some recommended and trusted methods for getting your iPad unlocked.
The iCloud method
Now, if you have your iCloud account logged in or you suddenly remembered your password, you can use the iCloud method to unlock your device without losing any precious data. Follow the steps below so that you face zero issues with the process.
Step 1: Head on to the iCloud webpage found here.
Step 2: Sign in through the same Apple ID and Password as your iPad.
Step 3: Now, tap on “Find My iPhone” and select your iPad from the “All devices” list.
Step 4: After you’ve selected your iPad, tap on “Erase iPad” and click on “Erase” to confirm the process. This will erase all the data and reset your iPad to the factory settings, including the screen password.
Step 5: Wait for the process to complete, and your iPad should be unlocked with no data left. Now, you can restore your iCloud backup to retrieve back all your data.
Pros and Cons of using iCloud
Pros
- Is officially developed by Apple
- iCloud is 100% secure with two-factor authentication built-in
- Can also do backups for you crucial data
Cons
- Needs your Apple ID and Password
- Requires a constant internet connection
[ Related: How to Bypass iCloud Activation Lock On iPad? ]
The iTunes reset/restore method
This is the simplest method and requires little to no effort on your side. However, it will remove all the data on the phone, and if you’re sure about this and have a backup laying around, go ahead and attempt this.
Note: Before you can go and reset your iPad, you need to boot into the recovery mode, and the steps for doing so are listed below:
For newer FaceID iPads and older Home Button iPads
1. Disconnect your iPad from the charger and make sure that it isn’t connected to your computer.
Source: Apple
2. Now, press and hold the “Top button” and either of the “volume buttons” until the power-off slider appears on the screen or just hold the “Top Button” for older iPads. Now drag the slider and turn off your iPad.
3. After turning off your iPad, connect it to your computer while holding down the “Top or the Home Button”,respectively. This will boot your iPad on the recovery mode, which allows you to unlock your iPad.
After you have reached the recovery-mode screen, you can further reset and restore your device, and if you already have a backup done, you could use that to restore all your data. This can be done by following the process below:
Step 1: Get “iTunes” running and look for your device to be connected.
Step 2: As you select your device, iTunes will automatically recognize that your iPad is in recovery mode and present you with the options to restore or update it.
Step 3: Click on restore and let the process complete. This will wipe and reset your iPad, which will remove all your data and the passcode.
Step 4: If you already have a backup, you could restore the backup or even create a new backup recommended for every user.
Pros and Cons of using iTunes or Finder
Pros
- iTunes doesn’t require a constant internet connection and only requires the firmware to be downloaded
- Can backup your iPad
- Is completely free
Cons
- Requires you to boot your iPad into recovery mode
Note: If you have followed all the steps shown, you will be rewarded with an unlocked iPad. However, if you missed anything or are still stuck with an iPad that is disabled, follow the methods listed below.
Now, if you still haven’t been able to unlock your iPad as you don’t remember any of your passwords or are stuck with some other issue, we still have another method to set you up. However, this method requires you to download a third-party application to get everything working smoothly.
The LockWiper method
iMyFone has been on a spree of releasing excellent software for all iOS devices, and LockWiper is another perfect tool that can help you unlock all your disabled Apple devices. Coming back home to a locked iPad is a stressful experience and not being able to unlock it is another situation on its all. So here we are with one of the best tools on the internet to get your device unlocked. It’s a straightforward process that requires just around five clicks to get your iPad unlocked.
What does LockWiper offer?
LockWiper has four different uses, but the primary concern is to get your iPad or iPhone unlocked. The various services are:
- Unlock iPad from Screen Lock: LockWiper helps you remove any password from a disabled iPad by restoring it to the latest firmware and OS. However, this will erase all your data and reset your iPad.
- Unlock iPad from iCloud Account: LockWiper also helps you instantly remove any Apple ID and iCloud accounts from your iPad without needing the password regardless of whether “Find My iPad” is turned on or off. You can also switch the Apple IDs and enter a new one without being tracked or blocked due to the previous account.
- Unlock iPad Restrictions: There is also a function to quickly recover from all restrictions or even erase the “screen time passcode” without losing or deleting any crucial data.
- Unlock iPad from MDM: You can also easily bypass any MDM locks on your iPad without requiring a username or a password.
How to unlock an iPad from the disabled lock screen
Getting your iPad unlocked is a simple, straightforward process with LockWiper at your side. The entire process will take you no more than 30 minutes at max, and the cherry on top is that it even supports the latest iPadOS 14 without any issues or bugs on the way. The step-by-step guide is listed below to follow it not to face any other problem thoroughly.
Note: Get your iPad backed up through iTunes before you attempt any of the steps to secure all your data so that you can restore it later on. This process will also update your iPad to the latest available version of the iPadOS.
Step 1: Firstly, download and install LockWiper on your PC or Mac, then launch it, wait for everything to load up, and finally click on “Unlock Screen Passcode” and “Start” to begin the first stage of the unlocking process.
Step 2: Now, connect your iPad to your Mac or PC using the lightning cable and click on “Next”. This is where your iPad will be automatically recognized by LockWiper and will show you a prompt to “Download”, which will start to download the latest firmware package.
Step 3: LockWiper will now start downloading the firmware package and then verify everything to be correct. Now, tap on the “Start to Extract” button when the download completes.
Step 4: After the package is downloaded and extracted, click on the “Start Unlock” button and confirm the unlock process. This will start the unlocking process to remove the disabled iPad screen by flashing and restoring the latest package. This will remove all data and reset your iPad to the stock factory settings.
Step 5: After a few minutes, the process will be completed, and your iPad will be free to use as usual. You can now begin the restoring process by restoring all your data from an iCloud or iTunes backup.
Pricing
LockWiper comes with three pricing structures regarding the individual plan, and they are:
1-Month plan – $29.95 (recommend for all regular users
1-Year plan – $39.95
Lifetime plan – $59.95
Pros and Cons of using LockWiper
Pros
- Easy to use with a straightforward, fast unlocking process
- Can unlock all iPads on every version of iPadOS
- Has various other features such as removing any iCloud account and MDM unlocking
- The trial free version is limited
Cons
- Requires a third-party application to be downloaded
- Has expensive plans that are generally not recommended for budget-constrained users
iPad unlocking: some general FAQs
Which is the best way to unlock a disabled iPad?
There is no best way to unlock your iPad as everyone may face different difficulties. However, we feel like the iTunes method is the most accessible to everyone, and the cherry on top is that it is officially supported and completely free. However, if nothing works for you, LockWiper is your best bet and would work for any iPad available on the market.
How many times can I try my iPad passcode?
You can enter the wrong password around six times, after which your iPad would be disabled for a set amount of time. You can attempt to enter the passcode about ten times at max, after which your iPad would automatically be permanently locked or erased.
What happens after ten failed passcode attempts iPad?
If you still keep on entering the incorrect passcodes ten times and auto-erase is enabled, your iPad would be either permanently disabled or erased and reset to the factory image. This will remove all your crucial data and send an iTunes and iCloud notification that your device is reset to the stock firmware for security concerns.
How long is the iPad disabled after the wrong passcode?
Initially, any iPad is firstly locked for just a minute, but if you still keep on entering incorrect passcodes, the disabled time would continually increase from five minutes to an hour and finally to even being permanently disabled.
What is the default passcode for an iPad?
There is no default passcode for an iPad, and you will have to use iTunes to backup and restore it as a new device which will erase all your data and the passcode. This is a factory reset, so complete a backup before attempting it if you don’t want to lose all your data.
How do you put an iPad into recovery mode?
Getting into the recovery mode is different comparing which iPad model it is. However, it generally requires you to press and hold the Volume button or Home button, with the power button at the top of the device until it restarts. Keep this up and connect the iPad with a Mac or Windows machine to boot the iPad into recovery mode.
[ Further reading: Top iPad Data Recovery Software for Mac and Windows (Free and Paid) ]
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