This wikiHow teaches you how to reset a forgotten Apple ID password or remove it from your iPhone and iPad so you can create a new passcode on your device.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Reset Apple ID Password
Step 1. Visit iforgot.apple.com
Type https://iforgot.apple.com into the address bar of your desktop or mobile web browser.
Step 2. Enter your Apple ID
Your Apple ID is the email address you use to sign in to iTunes or the App Store.
Step 3. Enter the characters shown in the security image
The image appears just below the Apple ID column.
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If you don't know the Apple ID you're using, click “ Forgot Apple ID?
” and enter your first name, last name and email address.
Step 4. Click Continue
Step 5. Enter the phone number associated with the Apple ID
Step 6. Click Continue
Step 7. Specify a password reset method
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choose "Reset from another device" if you can access devices that use the same Apple ID, such as a Mac computer or another iOS device.
This is the fastest and most widely used method
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choose "Use trusted phone number" to use the phone number associated with the Apple ID.
This method may take up to several days, depending on the account information you provided
Step 8. Click Continue
Step 9. Begin the account recovery process
Follow the process based on your chosen password reset method:
- If you previously selected " Reset from another device ” on one of the devices associated with your Apple ID, select “ Allow ”.
- If you previously selected " Use a trusted phone number ", click " Start Account Recovery ", choose " Continue ”, then enter the verification code into the trusted contact number you selected earlier.
Step 10. Click Continue
Step 11. Confirm account information
You may be asked to confirm the following information, depending on the information you linked to your Apple ID and the security preferences you previously set:
- “ Birth Date " (date of birth)
- “ Credit card information ” (credit card information)
- “ Email Address ” (email address, for Apple IDs that don't have a "@icloud.com" domain address)
- “ Security Questions ” (security question)
Step 12. Click Continue
Click the button once you have confirmed all the requested account information.
Step 13. Reset password
- If you choose " Reset using another device ” or answering a security question, you will be asked to create a new password for your Apple ID.
- If you choose " Use a trusted phone number ”, go to the account recovery link sent via text message once the account is ready to be restored, then enter your Apple ID.
- If you choose to receive your password by email, click the password reset link included in the email from Apple.
Step 14. Enter the new password
Type the new password in the appropriate field and re-enter the same password in the field below it.
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Your password must be:
- have a length (minimum) of 8 characters
- have (at least) 1 digit
- have (at least) 1 uppercase letter
- have (at least) 1 lowercase letter
- not loading spaces
- does not load consecutive characters three times (eg yyyy)
- does not resemble Apple ID
- not a password that was previously used last year
Step 15. Select Next or Continue
Now, you've reset your Apple ID password and can sign in to your account using the new password on the Apple website or on your iOS device.
Method 2 of 2: Enabling Recovery Mode on iOS Device
Step 1. Press and hold the “Sleep”/”Wake” button
It's on the top right side of the device.
Hold down the button until you see a switch labeled "slide to power off" at the top of the screen
Step 2. Slide the "power off" switch to the right
After that, the device will be turned off.
Step 3. Connect the device to the desktop computer
Use the USB cable that came with the device purchase package.
Step 4. Open iTunes
This app is marked by a musical note icon.
iTunes may start automatically when you connect the device
Step 5. Press and hold the “Sleep”/”Wake” button
Keep holding the button.
Step 6. Press and hold the “Home” button
This circular button is on the front of the device.
- On devices with “3D Touch” features (e.g. iPhone 7), press and hold the volume down (“volume down”) button instead of the “Home” button.
- Simultaneously, hold down the “Sleep”/” Wake” button and the “Home” or “Volume Down” button until you see the warning message “iTunes has detected an i[device] in recovery mode” on the computer screen, and the iTunes logo and USB icon /lightning on device screen.
Step 7. Click OK
It's in the lower-right corner of the dialog box.
Step 8. Click Restore
It's in the lower-right corner of the dialog box.
- This process will erase all data and settings from the device so that the default/factory settings will be restored to the device and you can enter a new passcode.
- When prompted for the reset process, select “Set-up as a new device”. Restoring the settings/backup files to the device will also restore the forgotten passcode.
