Can you recover disabled iPad without losing data?

• To unlock a disabled iPad if you forgot the password, you can restore it with Finder or iTunes.
• You can also unlock your iPad by doing a system restore using the Find My website or app.
• You'll need a recent iPad backup to get your data back after you restore and unlock it.

If you lock your iPad using a passcode (and for your privacy and security, you should) you can rest assured that it's highly secure.

But if you can't remember the passcode — or you've entered it wrong so many times that the iPad is disabled and won't accept the passcode anymore — you can still unlock it.

Unfortunately, you'll need to reset the iPad to its factory-default settings in the process. Afterward, you can replace your data from a recent backup. Here's how to do it.

How to unlock your iPad using Finder or iTunes

If you have a recent backup, you can restore your iPad with Finder or iTunes. This will erase all the data along with your passcode, allowing you to unlock your iPad, and then replace the data from a backup.

1. On your computer, start Finder or iTunes and then connect your iPad to the computer using a USB cable.

2. Force your iPad to enter recovery mode.

• If you have an iPad with Face ID, quickly press the Volume Up button, press the Volume Down button, and then press the Power button until you see the recovery mode screen appear on the iPad.
• If you have an iPad with a Home button, press and hold both the Home and the Power buttons at the same time until you see the recovery-mode screen.

3. On your computer, select your iPad in Finder or iTunes.

• In Finder, you'll see the iPad's name in the left sidebar of the window, and you can select it from there.
• In iTunes, click the phone icon in the top left corner of the window. If there's more than one device connected, a dropdown menu will appear, and you can click on the iPad there to select it.

4. You'll then see a dialog box that says there was a problem with your iPad. Click Restore.

How to unlock your iPad using Find My iPhone

You can also use Find My to unlock your iPad. This only works if you've previously enabled this feature.

1. Go to the Find My website. Or if you have another iOS device like an iPhone, you can open the Find My iPhone app on that device.

2. Log in to your iCloud account, if you aren't already.

3. If you're using the Find My website, click the All Devices link and select your locked iPad from the list.

4. Now, select Erase iPad.

5. A window will appear, confirming that all your iPad's content and settings will be erased. To complete the restore, click Erase.  

6. If you're using the Find My iPhone app, select your iPad from the visible list of devices.

7. In the pop-up that appears below the map area, scroll down and tap Erase This Device.

8. Confirm your choice by tapping Continue.  

After the iPad is erased and restarts, you can then restore your iPad with a recent backup.

How to restore your iPad from a recent backup

1. From your iPad's initial setup screen, follow the instructions until you get to the Apps & Data screen.

2. On the Apps & Data screen, select Restore from iCloud Backup.

3. Sign into your iCloud account.

4. Enter the passcode that's been sent to one of your other Apple devices, or texted to your linked phone number.

5. After agreeing to the terms and conditions by tapping Agree, you'll get to the Choose Backup screen.

6. On the Choose Backup screen, tap on the most recent backup to select it and review its contents.

7. Tap on Continue for the backup to be installed. The length of the installation process will vary depending on the speed of your internet connection and the size of the backed-up content.

8. Follow the rest of the instructions to finish restoring the iPad.

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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