I lost my iPhone passcode, how do I reset it?

If you’ve forgotten your iPhone passcode, you’ll need to reset your iPhone using one of the following methods. This will erase the device and allow you to set it up again, either from a backup or as a new iPhone. Here are the steps:

Method 1: Using a Computer (Finder or iTunes)

1. Connect your iPhone to a computer (Mac or PC).
   1. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, open Finder.
   1. On a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier, or a PC, open iTunes.
2. Put your iPhone in recovery mode:
   1. For iPhone 8 or later: Press and hold the Side button and one of the Volume buttons until the power off slider appears. Turn off the iPhone, then press and hold the Side button while connecting it to the computer. Keep holding the button until you see the recovery mode screen (a cable pointing to a computer or iTunes icon).
   1. For iPhone 7 or 7 Plus: Press and hold the Side button until the power off slider appears. Turn off the iPhone, then press and hold the Volume Down button while connecting it to the computer. Keep holding the button until the recovery mode screen appears.
   1. For iPhone 6s or earlier: Press and hold the Side button until the power off slider appears. Turn off the iPhone, then press and hold the Home button while connecting it to the computer. Keep holding the button until the recovery mode screen appears.
3. Restore your iPhone:
   1. In Finder or iTunes, you’ll see a message that your iPhone is in recovery mode and needs to be restored. Choose Restore. This will erase your iPhone, install the latest iOS version, and remove the passcode.
   1. After the restore process is complete, you can set up your iPhone again.

Method 2: Using iCloud (Find My iPhone)

If you have Find My iPhone enabled, you can erase your iPhone remotely:

1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
2. Click on Find iPhone.
3. Select your iPhone from the list of devices.
4. Click Erase iPhone. This will erase your iPhone and reset the passcode.
5. After erasing, you can restore your iPhone from a backup or set it up as new.

Method 3: Using the Apple ID website (Newer iOS Versions)

In iOS 15.2 or later, if you enter the wrong passcode too many times, you may see a “Erase iPhone” option at the bottom of the lock screen. Here’s how to use it:

1. Enter the wrong passcode several times until you see the Erase iPhone option.
2. Tap Erase iPhone, then confirm you want to erase your device.
3. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your account.
4. Your iPhone will be erased, and you can set it up again.

After the reset, you can either restore from a backup or set it up as a new iPhone.