Reset iphone 11 to factory settings without passcode

• You can reset an iPhone, even without the password, by putting it into "recovery mode" or erasing it via Find My.
• If you don't know what an iPhone's password is or it's been disabled, you'll have to reset it to use it.
• Once you've reset your iPhone, you can use an iCloud backup to restore its data.

iPhones are notoriously difficult to break into. If you have a unique passcode set up, it's almost impossible for someone to get in without your permission.

But this also works the other way around. If you need to open an iPhone but don't have the password, or it's disabled, the only way to unlock it is to factory reset it.

Luckily, there are two ways to reset an iPhone without using its password.

How to reset an iPhone using Finder or iTunes

Firstly, you can use a computer. If you've got a Mac you'll be using Finder, and if you've got a PC you'll be using iTunes (which you need to download first).

1. Turn the iPhone off. The exact way to do this will depend on what kind of iPhone you have:

2. Once your iPhone is off, plug it into your computer and put it into recovery mode. To do this, you'll need to press a certain combination of buttons:

3. Keep holding the button(s) until the recovery mode screen appears. It'll have a picture of a laptop with a charging cable.

4. Once ready, open Finder or iTunes and open the iPhone menu. If you're using Finder, click your iPhone's name in the left sidebar. In iTunes, click the iPhone icon in the upper-left corner.

5. You'll be shown a message saying that the iPhone has a "problem" and needs to be updated or restored. Select Restore.

6. Keep your iPhone connected to the computer as it resets and restores the iPhone. This could take up to 20 minutes, so be patient.

Once the process finishes, turn your iPhone on and set it up like a new device. When you're asked if you'd like to restore data from a backup, feel free to sign into iCloud and do so.

How to reset an iPhone using Find My

If you have an Apple ID account, your iPhone is probably connected to Find My, Apple's global device tracking network. This service also lets you reset and erase your iPhone without having the password for it.

1. On a computer, go to iCloud's website and log into your account.

2. In the main menu, click Find iPhone.

3. You'll be given a map of all your devices. Click All Devices at the top and then select your iPhone.

4. In the pop-up menu that appears, click Erase iPhone, and then confirm your choice.

As long as your iPhone is on and connected to the internet, it'll be reset immediately.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at .

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One good thing about owning an iPhone is that you can be sure that your data is very secure, as long as you have a passcode in place. If someone gets ahold of your phone, they can theoretically make use of it, but only after all the data has been deleted—which means the photos of you doing that silly pose in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa will never be seen by the public eye (it’s better that way, really). 

There’s absolutely no way of preserving your data if you forget your code, so if you are not currently locked out of your iPhone, we encourage you to follow our steps for backing up your data – pronto. 

The second caveat is that if you want to know how to reset an iPhone without a passcode and computer, you’ll need to have the Find My iPhone feature enabled. But, in case you don’t, we’ll show you how to reset an iPhone without a passcode through iTunes via a computer, as well. 

Read on to find out how.

Why You’ll Have to Reset Your iPhone if You Lose Your Passcode 

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