My iPhone 15 Plus worked normally all day yesterday, including unlocking with my usual passcode. It was charging overnight, and this morning it required the passcode after the update, but it suddenly says the code is incorrect. I have only ever used two possible passcodes, and neither is being accepted. Each attempt is increasing the lockout time. Face ID is not available until the phone is unlocked, so I cannot use that instead. I do not know whether I have an automatic cloud backup, and the Apple Account connected to the phone uses an old compromised email address that I can no longer access. Is there anything I can try before the phone has to be erased?
4 Answers
Stop trying random combinations for now, since each failed attempt increases the lockout period and repeated failures can eventually trigger an erase setting if it was enabled. Let the timer finish, then carefully try the code you know is correct. You can also force-restart the phone using volume up, volume down, then holding the side button until the Apple logo appears. A restart usually will not bypass the passcode, but it is a safe troubleshooting step.
If you recently changed the passcode, newer iPhone software may show a “Forgot Passcode?” option after several failed attempts. That can sometimes let you use the previous passcode for up to 72 hours, provided the required account and Find My conditions are met. Look for that option on the unavailable or security-lockout screen rather than continuing to guess.
If the phone never accepts the passcode, the official recovery path is to erase it and set it up again. That removes the data currently stored on the device, but anything included in an automatic cloud backup, computer backup, or synced service may be recoverable afterward. Because the Apple Account is also inaccessible, recover that account before erasing if possible; activation protection may require the account credentials after the reset.
An iOS update should not normally change a passcode by itself, so the most likely explanations are a recently changed code, an input mistake, or a less common software issue. Apple Support or an Apple Store can confirm the recovery options, but they cannot bypass the security passcode or extract protected data without the correct credentials. Bring proof of ownership and any purchase information you can locate.
I do not have access to the old email linked to the account and I am not sure whether automatic backup was enabled. I will stop entering codes and ask Apple to help with account recovery before attempting an erase.