How to reset your ipad when you forgot your password

Erasing all of the data on an iPad and restoring it to its factory settings is something you can do from the iPad's settings – provided you remember your passcode. If you don't remember your passcode, or you've been locked out because you entered the wrong passcode too many times, you'll need to reset it using iTunes on your computer. If you have backed up your iPad, you'll be prompted to restore your data and settings when you sign in after the reset. If you haven't backed up your data, you can recover the apps you purchased, but ​your data won't be recoverable​.

If your iPad is just frozen and not responding to your taps, rather than being locked, you can usually solve the problem with a ​hard reset​.

2022 Apple 10.9-inch iPad Air Wi-Fi 64GB

Walmart.com

From $559.00

shop now

Resetting the iPad With iTunes

Before getting started, make sure that your computer has the latest version of iTunes installed and that you have a strong internet connection. Resetting an iPad is time sensitive, and your computer will need to download and install software on the iPad. If the process takes longer than 15 minutes, it will automatically abort the process and you will need to start all over again.

Apple computers come with iTunes already, so you can open it and update it if prompted. If you have a Windows PC, you can download iTunes from the Microsoft Store if you don't already have it.

1. Open iTunes

2. Sign into iTunes on your computer. As a security measure, you will need your Apple ID and password to reset the iPad.

3. Start Recovery Mode

4. Recovery mode is what directs iTunes to either update or erase the iPad. You need to start this process before connecting the iPad to your computer. Because you'll need to hold down a button or two while connecting the iPad, connect its cable to your computer first, and then you can more easily connect the iPad once recovery mode has started. The process varies a bit, depending on which iPad model you have.

5. ​iPad with Home button​: Hold down the Top or Side button until the Power Off slider appears on the screen. Drag the slider to turn off the iPad. Then hold down the Home button while connecting the iPad to your computer. Release the Home button only after the recovery mode screen appears.

6. ​iPad with Face ID​: Press and hold the Top button and one of the volume buttons until you see the Power Off slider. Drag the slider to turn off your iPad. Continue holding down the Top button and connect your device to the computer. You can release the Top button after you see the recover-mode screen.

7. Restore the iPad to Factory Settings

8. Once the recover-mode screen appears on the iPad, iTunes should automatically launch on your computer. It will give you the option to restore or update the iPad. Click ​Restore​. Restoring the iPad can take several minutes.

How to Hard Reset an iPad

If your iPad is frozen, preventing you from unlocking it with your passcode, or if it doesn't recognize your taps or the slider doesn't work, a hard reset/hard reboot of your iPad will often do the trick. This forces the iPad to turn off and on, flushing its memory clean. A hard reset, however, ​does not delete your data​.

Press the ​Home​ button and the ​On/Off​ button at the same time. Keep holding the buttons down until after the screen turns black and the iPad starts up again. When the Apple logo appears on the screen, release the buttons.

You should now be able to access the iPad, provided you know the passcode. If you still need to erase the data and restore it to factory settings, you can do that with iTunes or from the iPad settings.

How to Erase iPad From Settings

If you are now able to open your iPad, you can erase all of your data and return it to its factory default settings without connecting it to a computer.

1. Ensure that your iPad is charged, or connect it to a power source.
2. Open ​Settings​; select ​General​ and then select ​Reset​.
3. Select ​Erase All Content and Settings​. Enter your passcode or your Apple ID password if prompted. This password is the one that's associated with your email address and used to access the App Store or iCloud.
4. Confirm that you want to erase everything on your iPad.

After several minutes, the iPad will restart, giving you the same welcome screen as when you purchased it.

If you still remember your iPad passcode, resetting it is very easy. You just need to unlock your iPad with the passcode, go to Settings → Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) → Change Passcode, enter your old passcode and then enter the new passcode to change your iPad password.

However, if you have forgotten your iPad Pro/Air/mini password, how to reset it? Here will show you 3 methods to reset your iPad passcode when forgot it.

• Reset iPad with iTunes
• Reset iPad from iCloud.com
• Hard reset iPad from Recovery mode

Reset iPad with iTunes

If you have synced your iPad with iTunes on a computer, and have made a backup of your iPad, you can reset your iPad and then restore it with iTunes backup.

1. Open iTunes, and connect your iPad to the computer with USB cable.

2. Sync and make a up-to-date backup for your iPad.

If the iCloud Backup is turned off on your iPad, your iPad will be synced with iTunes automatically once you connect it to the computer you have synced before. If it doesn't sync automatically, you can click on "Sync" (or Apply) button to begin the sync process. Wait for your iPad to sync, and click on "Back Up Now" to make an up-to-date backup for your iPad.

If it is the first time to connect your iPad to this computer, you are required to enter passcode on your iPad screen. Connect your iPad to another computer that you have synced before, or go and see the other methods below.

3. Click on "Restore iPad", and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your iPad to factory settings.

4. After resetting, swipe "Slide to set up" to open your iPad. On the Set Up screen, tap on "Restore from iTunes backup".

If don't want to restore your iPad, select "Set Up as New iPad", and follow the on-screen instructions to set a new passcode and set up your iPad.

5. Go back to iTunes and select your iPad, and choose the latest backup to restore your iPad. If you also forgot iTunes backup encrypted password, get iTunes Password Tuner to help to you recover your iTunes backup password.

6. After restoration, go to your iPad, tap on Settings → Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) → Turn Passcode On, and enter your desire passcode to reset a new passcode on your iPad.

Reset iPad from iCloud.com

If "Find My iPad" is turned on in your iPad, you can go to iCloud.com to erase the data and passcode from your iPad. And then you can unlock your iPad without passcode.

1. Open the web site iCloud.com/find and sign in with your Apple ID and password on a computer. Connect your iPad to this computer with USB cable.

2. Click on "All Devices" on the top of web page, and select your iPad.

3. Click on "Erase iPad" to clear the data and passcode on your iPad.

4. After erasing, your iPad reach to the "slide to set up" screen, swipe to unlock your iPad without security code.

5. If you have backed up your iPad to iCloud before, select "Restore from iCloud backup". After the restoration, go to Settings → Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) → Turn on Passcode to set a new passcode on your iPad.

6. If do not want to restore your iPad, select "Set Up as New iPad", and follow the set up instructions to set a passcode on your iPad.

Hard reset iPad from Recovery mode

If the two methods above don't work for you, you may need to hard reset your iPad from Recovery mode. This method will erase all data and settings including passcode from your iPad, and can't help you to restore your iPad from backup. But with an iPad as new is better than an iPad as a brick.

To hard reset you iPad from Recovery mode:

1. Power off your iPad and connect it to computer with USB cable, and then open iTunes.

2. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home button at the same time until you see the Recovery mode screen.

3. Go to iTunes, you will see the dialog box with Restore and Update. Click on "Restore", and follow the dialog to restore your iPad.

4. Wait for the restoration process to finish. When your iPad reach the set up screen, select "Set Up as New iPad", follow the guide to set up your iPad, and set a new passcode for your iPad again.

Resetting your iPad will clear your passcode, allowing you to unlock your iPad without passcode and access it. And then you can reset a new passcode on your iPad.

Tips: When you reset a new passcode on your iPad, please enter a passcode that is easy for you to remember, but hard for others to guess. In case of forgetting your iPad passcode again, make a note of the new password. Or sync and backup your iPad with iTunes.

Related Articles

• Forgot iTunes backup password? How to extract contacts from encrypted iTunes backup
• Unlock iPhone 7plus/7/6plus/6s without the passcode when forgot password
• Back up your iPad Pro/Air/mini to iCloud or computer with iTunes
• Restore your iPad Pro/Air/mini from iTunes or iCloud backup
• 4 Ways to Unlock a Disabled iPhone 4/4s with or without iTunes/iCloud/Computer