“I plan to give away my old iPhone 6S to my Mother. But I forgot the passcode. I tried several times but it shows 'iPhone is disabled'. How can I unlock it?”  

We generally set a passcode on our iPhone to protect it from being used by others. But sometimes we might forget the passcode. It is really frustrating that we keep the data and information safe and secure in our iPhone, but we are locked out. If you forget your iPhone password, the only way to use it again is to reset your iPhone. There are different methods depending on different situation. 

Method 1. Restore Locked iPhone with iTunes 

If you have synced iPhone with iTunes in the past, you can restore your iPhone through iTunes on the computer you synced your iPhone with, so that you don't have to enter the password when you launch iTunes. 

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer which you synced with last time, and launch iTunes.
2. Wait until the automatic sync and backup finish. If the device does not automatically sync to iTunes, do it manually.
3. Go to Summary, click "Restore iPhone" on the right panel.
4. When you reach the setup screen, click "Restore from iTunes backup". Choose the most relevant backup and click "Restore".

Now all the data including passcode of your iPhone are wiped and replaced by the backup file. You can access your iPhone again and set a new password.

Method 2. Reset Locked iPhone with iCloud

If you never synced with iTunes before, you can try erasing your iPhone with iCloud. This method requires you have an iCloud account and have enabled "Find My iPhone" on your iPhone. Make sure you have synced your iPhone with iCloud in the past, otherwise you will lose all the data in your iPhone.

1. Go to icloud.com/find and log in with your Apple ID.
2. Click Find My iPhone > All Devices.
3. Select the device you want to erase, then click "Erase" to wipe out all settings and contents including passcode on that device.
4. Use Setup Assistant on your iPhone to restore the latest backup file from iCloud.

During the process of erasing your iPhone with iCloud, keep your devices connected to a stable WiFi.

Method 3. Reset Your iPhone with Recovery Mode

Under several conditions, you may need to use Recovery mode to restore your device: If you've never synced with iTunes or backed up to iCloud, if iTunes ask you to enter your passcode, or if you didn't enable Find My iPhone on your device. Recovery Mode will erase all of your data including your passcode from your iPhone, and install the latest version of iOS.

Follow these steps to restore an iPad or iPhone from Recovery Mode:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer, and launch the newest version of iTunes.
2. Force restart your iPhone, and keep holding the buttons until the recovery mode screen appears.
3. Click "OK" on the pop-up message, then you will see two options: Restore and Update. 
4. Select "Restore", iTunes will now start downloading the software for your iPhone. If the process takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode. Just repeat previous steps to try again.
5. After the process is finished, you can set up your iPhone as a new one.

Method 4. Unlock Your iPhone with Third-party Tool without Passcode

What can wen do if all above methods failed? Don't worry! FoneGeek iOS System Recovery can help you. It is a third-party iOS repair tool that can fix a wide range of system glitches on iPhone or iPad, including activate Touch ID failure, iPhone black screen of death, iPhone stuck on Apple logo, iPhone stuck in Recovery mode, etc. It is compatible with all iOS devices including iPhone XS/XS Max/XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/7/6s/6 Plus, iPad Pro and iPod touch. It also supports the latest iOS 12. 

How to unlock a disabled iPhone without passcode:

1. Download and install FoneGeek iOS System Recovery on your computer. Connect your iPhone to computer with USB cable.
2. After your iPhone is recognized, choose "iOS System Recovery". 
3. Click "Start", and follow the steps to put your iPhone into a DFU mode or Recovery Mode. 
4. Check and confirm the information of your iPhone, then click "Repair" to download the firmware. 
5. After the firmware is downloaded, follow the instructions to unlock your iPhone and you can use your iPhone again. 

The Bottom Line 

Now you got 4 methods to restore your iPhone after you forgot iPhone password. A forgotten passcode will not stop you from using your iPhone in the future. But You should notice the importance of backup. If you have to reset your passcode but don’t have a backup, you will lose your precious data in your iPhone. So keep a good habit of backing up your iPhone regularly, no matter with iTunes, iCloud, or even third-party tool like FoneGeek iOS Data Backup & Restore. As To the password, it is indeed important to protect your privacy. So set it strong but memorable. You can make it.