The volume of personal data on mobile devices is constantly growing. Previously, there was nothing interesting in the phone besides the address book, SMS and photos. Now it stores social media profiles, bank cards, emails and much more that I would like to protect from prying eyes.
Setting a password is the simplest, but at the same time, a rather problematic method of protection. Ten incorrect input attempts will result in a complete blocking of the device, and a notification will appear on the screen: “iPhone is disconnected, connect to iTunes”. How to unlock a smartphone after its appearance, we understand this material.
In case of loss or theft, Apple has provided protection in its devices that does not allow you to bypass the password lock using the so-called brute force. The "brute force" method consists in gaining access by selecting a combination. For example, for a standard four-digit code, their number is 10,000, and for an enhanced six-digit code, one million. Let's see how it works.
- The first time the smartphone is locked for one minute after the password is typed incorrectly six times in a row.
- The next attempts can be performed at intervals of 5 and 15 minutes. After the ninth time, the iPhone is blocked for a period of one hour. During this time, you can try to write to relatives who may know the password or remember it on their own.
- If the last attempt fails, the smartphone is blocked completely. It is useless to write to Apple technical support and ask to return access to the device. The company does not store information about passwords and, accordingly, cannot help in this situation.
As you can see, accidentally locking your phone is not easy. In total, this will require at least an hour and a half of active action.
Unlocking
Despite the "formidable" appearance of the notification that appeared, nothing terrible actually happened. You just need a computer with iTunes installed and a little luck. Older versions of iOS allowed resetting the retry counter. Thus, by connecting an iPhone 4S or 5S to a PC, it was possible to ultimately unlock the device by consistently selecting combinations. In modern firmware, this "loophole" has been eliminated for security reasons. The only thing left is the possibility of restoring from a backup.
Using a backup
If you have a habit of regularly backing up iPhone contents, you can breathe a sigh of relief. When you restore from a locally saved backup, the old password is automatically reset.
- We connect the smartphone to the computer using a USB cable. With default settings, iTunes will automatically open the Device Management page. If this does not happen, press the button indicated by the arrow. In the drop-down menu, select the iPhone that you have lost access to.
- Let's move on to the "Backups" section. The area indicated by the arrow lists previous backups. If there is a local one in the list, click on the button marked with a frame.
- A small pop-up window will appear. By default, the system always selects the last copy to restore. Losing a small amount of data is inevitable even with regular backups, but it's still better than a complete erase.
Recovery mode
Not everyone creates local copies, many successfully use automatic data synchronization via the iCloud "cloud". However, when iPhone locks up due to incorrect password entry, you will still have to resort to iTunes.
- We connect the device to the PC and use the forced recovery mode provided in case of serious firmware failures. For iPhone X and Series 8, the transition to it is as follows. On the left side, briefly press the volume up and then volume down buttons. After that, on the right side, hold down and hold the power button until the picture shown in the screenshot appears, displaying the iTunes logo and the Lightning cable connector.
- For iPhone 7 owners, briefly press the Volume Down button and then hold down the Power key.
- 6S and earlier users need to press the Home and Power Off keys at the same time.
- After successfully transferring the smartphone to DFU mode, in the iTunes window, press the button indicated in the screenshot.
- A pop-up window will appear with information about the consequences of the performed actions and controls. We press the middle button in it.
As a result of the actions performed, the program will automatically update the connected device to the latest version of the OS, simultaneously erasing all data from it and resetting the access password. The smartphone can then be restored from a cloud copy or set up as new.
Auto erase
Optionally, you can configure the function to automatically erase data on ten unsuccessful attempts. As a result, it is possible to solve two problems at once: to secure personal data in case of loss of the device and to prevent it from being blocked if you yourself forget the access code.
- Open the settings and look for the area indicated by the frame in the screenshot.
- Enter the password for access to the protected OS section.
- Scroll down the opened page to the very end. We translate the automatic erase switch to the on position.
With iCloud backup set up, this setting will save recovery time and do not need to use a computer.
Possible problems
The unlocking operation does not always go as smoothly as described above. In some cases, errors may appear. Let's consider a few of the most common ones.
Find iPhone
Restoring from a local backup is impossible with the "Find iPhone" function enabled, which is one of the main security measures in case of a lost device. Thanks to its use, search by geo-location and remote wiping of data becomes available. In our case, the appearance of such a notification means that you will have to use the DFU mode to unlock.
After completing an authoritative restore, you can reanimate user data from a local or cloud copy.
iTunes won't recognize iPhone
In some cases, iTunes cannot recognize the iPhone when we try to connect to a PC with a USB cable. In the Windows operating system, an error code 0xe8000015 appears. Sometimes it is accompanied by additional textual information about receiving an incorrect response from the device. Usually this behavior is due to a mismatch between the release of iTunes and the iPhone firmware, which means you missed a major update.
- We call the menu "About the program" and look at the number of the version installed on the PC. You can always check the relevance on the iTunes page and download the latest assembly for the OS used on the desktop from it.
- Force restart iPhone. The device needs to be rebooted, not turned off and on again. The phone will still remain locked, but internal software errors will be eliminated. This operation is performed in the same way as the transfer to the recovery mode described above. Performing these steps should resolve the connection error 0xe8000015, after which you can try to restore again.
Finally
As you can see, it is quite easy to remove the security lock, while the presence of a local backup is not always a prerequisite. To be guaranteed to save your data, be sure to back up to the "cloud". In this case, even a complete reset of the device will not lead to their loss.
Video instructions
For a better understanding of how these operations are performed, watch the thematic video below.
One of the main features of Apple gadgets is the increased requirements for the security of personal data. That is why access to the device itself, as well as to various services, for example, iCloud, AppStore is protected by a lock password and a personal account. If this combination is forgotten for some reason, then the owner of the gadget will have exactly 10 attempts to enter it correctly. Otherwise, the treacherous message "iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes" will appear on the screen. How to act in such a situation and how to unlock your gadget, we will try to figure it out further.
Existing solutions to the problem
Despite the fact that forgetting a 4-digit combination is extremely difficult, in practice it is not at all uncommon. Moreover, a child can easily pick up a smartphone and replace the existing combination. Obviously, in such a situation, even in 10 attempts it is hardly possible to guess the password, unless you guess it.
To restore access to a locked gadget, you will have to reset the combination. This can be done as follows:
- Try to reset the retry counter;
- Use the iTunes service;
- Use the iCloud cloud resource.
Separately, we will have to consider the situation when the message "iPhone is disabled, connect ..." appears on the gadget with the jailbreak procedure.
Reset counter
The first possible solution to the problem is the classic manual selection of the combination. This approach has at least three obstacles:
- Firstly, any iPhone has a security system or a counter, which means that there will be only 10 attempts, and then the gadget will be disabled with a reference to iTunes.
- Secondly, manual selection of the correct combination is from the field of probability theory. Using simple arithmetic calculations, you can determine that it may take up to 60 days or more to iterate through a 4-digit combination.
- Thirdly, to carry out the procedure, you need another gadget, preferably a PC, which is authorized in iTunes and synchronized with the problem smartphone.
The option, of course, is dubious, but since it already exists, it is worth considering. The first step is to connect both gadgets via a USB cable and launch the application on your PC. When the program recognizes the smartphone, you need to start synchronization.
After that, the message "iPhone is disconnected, connect ..." should disappear. A regular reboot will not give such a result, and this must be taken into account.
Removing restrictions through iTunes
This method allows you not only to reset the attempt counter, but to completely reset the lock password. When the notification “iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes” appears, the first step is to turn off the gadget and activate the DFU mode (Device Firmware Update). To do this, simultaneously press and hold the central button (Home) and the power button (Power) for about 10-20 seconds. After that, the "Power" button is released, but the central one will have to be held until the gadget is fully turned on.
In this mode, you need to connect your smartphone to a PC using the bundled data cable (USB). It will not work to unlock the gadget via a wireless connection and this must be taken into account. ITunes should recognize the device in recovery mode - a notification will appear on the screen asking for confirmation.
The use of cloud technologies
Any modern Apple gadget has the ability to activate the "Find ..." function and geolocation mode. If it is activated, and the smartphone itself is connected to the Internet when the message "iPhone is disabled ..." appears, then you can unlock it through the iCloud cloud resource, from any computer or phone.
On the official website of the service, in the appropriate tab, you will need to select the problem gadget. Recall that you can sync via iCloud several different Apple products, which will be displayed in the list of devices.
Next, a map of the area will open with the location of the smartphone and a menu in the upper right corner of the screen. Here you should select the "Erase iPhone" icon, which activates the process of deleting all user data, including the set passwords.
At the same time, you need to remember that you can only log into iCloud and confirm the data deletion procedure with a password for your AppleID account. After rebooting, the request for the security combination will not follow, and all lost documents and programs can be restored through the cloud service (if, of course, a backup copy was previously created).
Jailbreak and password reset
If the notification “iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes” appears on the smartphone screen, and the gadget itself has been jailbroken before, then you can remove the lock only under certain conditions. Formally, this is only one condition - iOS version up to 4.0 and no higher. In this case, there will be no need to even restore the phone, since everything can be solved by one of two simple manipulations.
Modern gadgets implement many approaches to protecting personal information. Apple products are no exception. And even if the attempt to gain unauthorized access fails, the owner of the device will suffer from this in the first place. So, "iPhone is disabled, connect to iTunes": how to unlock and where to start?
Causes of occurrence
At the moment, there are no cases of such a problem occurring due to software errors. This means that the culprit of the blocking is a person from your environment. For example, a work colleague wanted to rewrite an important contact in his phone book, or a jealous wife was trying to find evidence of cheating. But in most cases, children are to blame, whose curiosity sometimes borders on sabotage.
It is worth noting that on the seventh version of iOS, after entering six incorrect combinations, you can try to enter the password again after 1 minute, after nine attempts the smartphone will turn off for an hour, and after the tenth the message “iPhone is disconnected, connect to iTunes” will appear on the screen.
Attention! Depending on the OS version, the device lock time may increase.
How to fix "iphone is disabled, connect to itunes" error?
Fortunately, this problem can be easily solved. There are a number of ways to do this.
Reset attempt counter
The essence of this option is to connect the iPhone to the computer and then synchronize it. This will make it clear to the system that the device is in the possession of the owner and will reset the counter. For this you need:
Attention! Connect the device only to the PC that has already synchronized with the device. Otherwise, the method may not work.
If this option did not work, go to the next item.
Restoring from a backup
This method is ideal if you regularly create backups in iTunes and the password was not on the device at the time of the backup. Also, this method is suitable when you remember your previous password set at the time of the backup.
So, you need to do the following:
If there is no copy or it is also password-protected, then a radical option remains.
Zero iPhone
Here the name of the item speaks for itself. To completely reset iPhone via iTunes, you need to do the following:
The end of the process will mark a complete restart of the device.
Attention! Use this option only as a last resort. All data from the phone will be deleted!
These are all the existing ways to fix password problems. Now you know what to do if the message “iPhone is disconnected, connect to iTunes” appears on the screen. If you know other methods - share them in the comments.
The iTunes cord and icon on the iPhone screen may suddenly appear during the iOS firmware update. This error means that during the installation process the Internet connection was interrupted or there is not enough memory on the phone to install additional components.
If after updating the iPhone asks to connect to iTunes, you will not be able to use the phone normally. The device stops responding when trying to turn on and start the desktop. Let's take a closer look at how you can easily fix the update problem and restore the phone to work.
Among the reasons for the error are the following:
- Incorrect installation of new firmware;
- Sudden disconnection of the cord while updating the phone via iTunes;
- An error occurred while trying to jailbreak;
- Broken or shifted Wi-Fi module chip.
Standard recovery methods
If you encounter a similar software problem, try restarting Recovery Mode first. The fact is that the image of the cord and the iTunes icon means that the recovery mode is running on the iPhone, however, due to a software error, it cannot be completed. Press the Home and Power buttons simultaneously for 15 seconds. Then the phone will be turned on again, and the error will disappear.
Rollback to backup. For this method, you need to connect the iPhone to the iTunes desktop application. Then open the main window of the program and in the "Restore" field, roll back the phone to a previously made backup copy. It will take 15-20 minutes.
In most cases, all the above recovery methods will be able to resolve the error and the iPhone will automatically restart. However, there are several more reasons why the iPhone asks to connect to iTunes.
Exiting the Recovery Loop
The cable and the iTunes mark can mean not only an active recovery mode, but also an “eternal cycle” of attempts to do the same recovery, that is, Recovery Loop. In the second case, the phone is not so easy to get out of this state, because instead of the operating system, the smartphone reloads the error screen.
You can exit Recovery Loop using the Tiny Umbrella utility. After installing the application on your PC, you need to connect your iPhone to your computer. The utility will automatically recognize the connected device. Then follow the instructions that appear in the main program window to complete the setup. Another app that fixes the endless Recovery Loop is RedSn0w. Connect iPhone to PC. In the main window of RedSn0w, click on "Extras" - "Recovery fix".
Broken Wi-Fi chip. What to do in this case?
If all the methods described above did not help you solve the problem, we can say that the Wi-Fi connection module on the iPhone is damaged. During an attempt to activate the device, the system cannot find Wi-Fi. Next, the recovery mode and the window for connecting to iTunes are turned on.
To fix the problem, you can roll the existing chip. Remember that poor performance can damage more important components of the phone, such as the CPU.
It is impossible to replace the chip separately, since immediately after the first attempt to turn on the iPhone, the phone will not be able to identify the authenticity of the part. As a result, you will receive a non-working "brick" that can no longer be restored. The only effective repair method is to replace the motherboard with an iPhone.
Hello everyone! Friends are good. And friends-pranksters - this is "how it will turn out." Although, in my case, too, probably good. Why? Because they constantly keep me from getting bored and often throw up some ideas for the next article. They will take it and do something "like" - even stand, even fall. For example.
More recently, I had the imprudence to leave the phone out of my field of vision (I will never do this again), and they decided to conduct an experiment on my iPhone (there is nothing else to do!) - repeatedly enter the wrong password from the screen lock. So what? It's so interesting and fun - we all laugh together! Comedians, damn it.
But we all know perfectly well what result such actions lead to.
First, the message “iPhone is disabled. Repeat in 1 minute. " But this is far from the limit! After all, if you continue to enter the code incorrectly, then the interval begins to grow and increase to 5, 15, 60, etc. minutes.
I will say right away that I was relatively lucky - I "snatched" only a 15-minute block.
But this whole situation made me think, but what to do with a long period of time - also wait? Or are there any other options to unlock your device? It turns out there is. And more than one! Which? I'll tell you everything now. Go!
So, the message about blocking “iPhone is disabled. Repeat after ... ”may appear for two reasons:
- Repeated and constant incorrect password entry.
- Disconnecting the battery and, as a result, resetting the date and time on the iPhone.
The reasons are different, the result is the same - the device is locked. You just have to wait or ...
Method number 1. Get correct date and time data
Works if your iPhone writes about some incredible time intervals. Something like “iPhone is disabled. Please try again after tens of millions of minutes. "
As you understand, it is impossible to reach such values by simply brute-force password search. Why does this inscription appear? It's simple - when the battery is disconnected, the time on the iPhone is reset, the phone thinks that it is in the past and offers to enter the password in the future many, many years later.
What should be done in this case? There are two options:
- Put a SIM card with a working mobile Internet.
- Connect to a known Wi-Fi source.
What is going to happen? The iPhone will receive data on the current date and time via the Internet, and the blocking message will disappear. However, it is worth making a reservation that all this will work only when the iPhone settings are set to automatically detect the date and time.
Did you set the time manually? Smoothly moving on to the next method ...
Method number 2. Reset Incorrect iOS Password Attempts Counter
Typically used for small timeouts. And this method would definitely help in my case - I would not have to wait time to try again to enter the password.
So how do you reset the counter?
Everything. We take the iPhone in hand and see that the inscription “iPhone is disabled. Repeat in ... ”disappeared. It doesn't matter how many minutes you had there. You can try again to enter the correct password and unlock the gadget.
You ask: "If everything is so simple, then why all the other options?" The fact is that this method will work only with a trusted computer (the iPhone was synced with it earlier).
If there is no such computer, then all that remains is ...
Method number 3. Restore firmware
The most reliable means of dealing with any problems. No wonder they say: “Any problems with the iPhone? Restore the firmware and everything will go away. " How to do it?
Thus, we install a "clean" firmware - of course, there will be no "iPhone disabled" warnings (as well as screen lock passwords).
However, it is worth remembering the disadvantages of this unlocking method:
- If the "Find iPhone" function was enabled on the device, then after the firmware you will need to enter the Apple ID and password. Don't remember this data? ...
- All information will be deleted from the iPhone - the backup copy will save.
- The iOS version will be installed the latest - there is nothing you can do about it. This is Apple's policy when updating devices through iTunes.
As you can see, the problem is not so terrible and insoluble - you can fight it. Moreover, there are a lot of ways - from the simplest (wait or reset the counter) to cardinal and decisive (restore the software). You just need to choose the one that is right for you!
P.S. Still have questions? Feel free to write in the comments - we will try to figure it out and find the right solution! Too lazy to write something? You can always "like" or click on the buttons of social networks - the author will be pleased :) Thank you!
