How to Wipe/Erase an iPhone without Passcode for Free?

iPhone asked for a passcode when doing factory resetting? If you want to wipe it without the passcode you have come to the right place.

This post describes 3 easy to follow methods using screenshots and detailed steps so you can reset your iPhone without any hassle.

Best of all, the methods mentioned here are 100% free so you don’t have to pay for expensive tools.

How to Wipe an iPhone without Passcode?

The following 3 proven techniques can also help you wipe an iPad/iPod touch without passcode.

1Using iCloud Find My iPhone

You can wipe your iPhone by simply going to the iCloud website. This is by far the quickest and easiest way to erase your iPhone without passcode but it only works if:

• You have enabled the Find My iPhone option on your iPhone
• You know your Apple ID password

If you’re not eligible to use this method, you should try one of my other suggestions.

From your computer or another mobile device:

Step 1. Visit iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID and password.

Step 2. Click the Find iPhone option on the next page.

Step 3. Then choose your iPhone from the All Device list. Click on your iPhone, there will be an option “Erase“. Click on that.

Step 4. It will ask for the Apple ID password, enter it to confirm. Then your iPhone will be wiped.

The whole process will take no longer than 3 minutes. It’s quick and easy and works on all modern iPhones running with iOS 7 and above.

2Using iTunes (Recovery Mode)

For this method to work you need to have iTunes installed on your computer.

What you need

• A lightning cable
• The PC or Mac you use to wipe your iPhone

To wipe your iPhone without passcode:

Step 1. Open iTunes on your computer. Make sure your iPhone isn’t connected to your computer.

Step 2. Put your iPhone into recovery mode. The steps depend on the model, if you don’t know the iPhone model, see this Apple’s guide.

Step 3. Once your iPhone is in recover mode, there will be a pop-up window says “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.”

Step 4. Click on the Restore button. iTunes will start download firmware package for your iPhone. The time of download will depend on the size of firmware and the speed of your Internet.

Note that if the download process takes more than 15 minutes, your iPhone will exit recovery mode automatically, you’ll have to repeat the above steps to put your iPhone into recovery mode.

Step 5. After downloading the firmware package, iTunes will refresh your iOS and completely factory reset your iPhone. The whole process won’t ask for the passcode.

3Using iTunes (DFU Mode)

Can’t put your iPhone into recovery mode? Or iTunes just can’t wipe your iPhone? Don’t worry, you can also wipe your iPhone without passcode in DFU mode.

Here is how:

Step 1. Launch iTunes and connect your iPhone to computer via a USB cable.

Step 2. Here is how to put your iPhone into DFU mode.

Step 3. If your device is in DFU mode, there will be a pop-up window says “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.”

Click on the OK button to close that window.

Step 4. Then click on the Restore iPhone button to download the firmware packge for your iPhone. iTunes will wipe your iPhone and update it to the latest iOS version.

FAQs on How to Wipe an iPhone/iPad without Passcode

How do you wipe an iPhone without the passcode?

I prefer using iCloud because it’s easy and fast, no firmware download required. But this way will require the Apple ID password.

If you don’t know this, just try to wipe your iPhone in Recovery or DFU mode with iTunes.

Is it possible to wipe a locked iPhone?

Of course yes! With iCloud or iTunes, you can easily wipe a passcode screen-locked iPhone for free.

Except for the free methods, some third-party iPhone passcode unlocker can also factory reset a locked iPhone. But it’s not free.

How to Wipe an iPhone without Apple ID password?

You can put your iPhone into Recovery or DFU mode and then factory reset it with iTunes if you don’t have the Apple ID password.

But if the Find My iPhone option is enabled, your iPhone will be locked by iCloud Activation Lock. You’ll need to bypass Activation Lock before using it.

Can I erase iPhone when it’s disabled?

Yes you can wipe it with iTunes, but this will erase all your iPhone data. But don’t worry, you can still unlock a disabled iPhone without losing data for free.

What is iPhone DFU mode?

iPhone DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode allows your iPhone to be restored from any state. It’s widely used to unlock a disabled iPhone, jailbreak and restore the OS without automatically installing the last version.

What is iPhone Recovery Mode?

Recovery Mode allows you to reboot your system and get a fresh start without any issues.

It is often used to reflash the iOS of your iPhone when the iOS system is somehow damaged or the device is undergoing an upgrade via iTunes.

The Bottom Line

This is all about how to wipe an iPhone without passcode.

If you found this guide helpful please take a moment to share this article by using the buttons at the bottom of this page. I’d really appreciate it.

Also, if you still can’t erase iPhone with the above method, just leave a comment below. I’ll try my best to help you out.