How to reset a locked iPhone or iPad without a computer in iOS 15.2

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Reset locked iPhone or iPad without a computer
A Mac or PC is no longer required.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

iOS and iPadOS 15.2, which made its official public debut on Monday, makes it easier than ever to reset a locked iPhone or iPad.

You no longer need a Mac or PC to get into a device after forgetting your passcode — so long as you remember your Apple ID and password. Here are the steps you need to follow to perform a reset successfully.

It’s now easier than ever to reset a locked iPhone

Prior to the iOS 15.2 update, the only way to reset a password-locked iPhone or iPad was to put it into recovery or “DFU” mode, then restore it using a Mac or PC. That proved incredibly tricky if you didn’t own a Mac or PC.

Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Apple has made it so that you can now reset a locked iPhone or iPad without additional hardware using some fairly straightforward steps. But there are a few caveats to bear in mind.

Because this feature is new to iOS 15.2, the device you want to reset must be running this update — or a later version of Apple’s software — before you get locked out. The device must also have an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

How to reset a locked iPhone or iPad in iOS 15.2

As long as those conditions are met, and you remember your Apple ID password, you can reset a locked iPhone or iPad by following these steps:

  1. Enter any passcode on the device’s Lock Screen until you see a Security Lockout message that asks you to try again later.
  2. Tap the Erase iPhone or Erase iPad button in the bottom corner of the screen.
  3. Tap Erase and then Erase again to confirm.
  4. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your account.
  5. Tap Erase again to permanently delete all data and settings.
  6. Wait for your device to restart, then follow the setup instructions.

If you have a recent iCloud backup, you can now restore from that to recover the data that was deleted. You will also be prompted to set up a new passcode, and it’s a good idea to make sure it’s one you won’t forget again in the future.

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