Fixed: iPhone Won’t Accept Correct Passcode for Screen Unlock/Apple ID Reset

iPhone correct passcode not working can happen in different situations. For example, you were using your iPhone one minute, and a few minutes later, you can’t open it with your correct passcode. Or you woke up and found that your iPhone can’t be opened with the correct passcode, just because your device automatically updated to the latest system last night. Whatever your situation is, don’t worry, this article can help you. password reset, you can also find the answer here.

Easy Fixes for iPhone Correct Passcode Not Working for Screen Unlock

Sometimes, a simple action can get your iPhone to start accepting the correct passcode again. Below are some methods that have been proven effective through user practice.

Fix 1. Unlock iPhone When Battery is Almost Dead

This is a fix from the Apple forum. It helped some users solve the problem of iPad won’t unlock with correct passcode. Although it is aimed at iPad devices, it is also worth trying on iPhone.

Step 1: Let your iPhone drain until it shuts down.

Step 2: Charge your iPhone with its charger and cable via a wall outlet.

Step 3: When the battery level is between 1% and 2%, try to unlock your device. If successful, continue charging your phone until its power reaches 100%.

Step 4: Finally, restart your iPhone, following the Fix 1 above.

Fix 2. Try the Correct Passcode After a Few Hours

Some users online have reported that their iPhones did not accept the correct screen passcode. However, after waiting for a few hours or even a day, they were able to use the passcode to access their phones again. If you’re not in a hurry, you can try waiting as well.

Fix 3. Restart iPhone

If your iPhone suddenly can’t be opened with the correct passcode, then this method is worth a try.

iPhone with No Home Button (with iPhone 8 Inclusive):

• Press down the Volume Up and Side buttons at the same time.
• Hold both buttons until your iPhone displays an interface with three options. Drag the slider labeled Slide to Power off.
• Once done, your iPhone will go off. Wait a few seconds, then hold down the side button to turn on the iPhone.

For iPhone with home button: iPhone 7/7 Plus/6 and Older Models

• Press down the Side/Top button. 
• Keep holding until a screen with the Slide to power off icon and other options will come up. Kindly drag the icon to the right and your iPhone will go off.
• Using the same keys, you can power on the iPhone after waiting a while.

After rebooting, unlock your iPhone with the correct passcode again and you will find the issue is gone.

Fix 4. Reset iPhone Passscode with Previous One

If you have changed your password in the past 72 hours, don’t miss this method. This method allows you to use the old passcode to reset a new one. Better yet, no data loss will occur during the passcode reset process.

What You Need for This Way:

• Your iPhone is running iOS 17 or later.
• You have changed the iPhone passcode in the past 72 hours and you remember it.
• You haven’t expired the previous iPhone passcode in Settings.

How to Unlock iPhone with Previous Passcode

Step 1: Enter wrong passcodes continuously on your iPhone screen until you see Forgot Passcode? option in the lower-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Choose Enter Previous Passcode and type your old passcode to access your iPhone. Once you get into your device, set a new passcode.

Further Fixes for iPhone Won’t Accept Correct Passcode for Screen Unlock

If the above methods don’t work for you, don’t worry, here are some methods that can help you get into your iPhone without entering the correct passcode, at the cost of sacrificing your device’s data and settings.

Method 1. Use iPhone Reset/Reset iPhone Feature

Best for: You want to fix the issue without computer.

How this way works: Factory reset your iPhone and thus your screen passcode is wiped, using the iOS security mechanisms and iCloud services.

What You Need:

• iOS 15.2 or later is installed on your iPhone.
• Your iPhone is network-connected.
• You remember the Apple ID and password signed on the iPhone.

How to Use(for iPhone 17 or later):

Step 1: Type wrong passcodes 5 times consecutively on your iPhone screen and tap Forgot iPhone? in the bottom right screen.

Step 2: Select iPhone Reset > Start iPhone Reset.

Step 3: Input your Apple ID to erase your phone.

After that, you can set up your iPhone as new and set a new passcode for it.

If your iPhone is running iOS 15.2 to iOS 17(not included), tap Erase iPhone instead of Forgot Passcode option and then directly enter your Apple ID to start the erasing.

Fix 2. Use Passixer

Best for: You want an easy and secure way to fix the issue.

How this way work: Passixer iPhone Unlocker can help fix the passcode not working on iPhone issue by removing the passcode from your iPhone, so you can unlock your iOS device without passcode.

More About Passixer:

Passixer also enables you to get into your locked iPhone/iPad when you meet the problems like unresponsive/broken iPhone screen won’t accept the passcode. Additionally, you can use Passixer to remove Apple ID from iDevice without password and with Find My on, bypass iCloud Activation Lock without password and previous owner, or delete Screen Time restrictions without data loss, etc.

Key Features

• Unlock iPhone/iPad locked with forgotten 4/6 digits passcode and unworkable Face/Touch ID.
• Remove unknown passcode from second hand iOS devices.
• Remove iTunes backup encryption setting, allowing you to create a new iTunes backup.
• Get rid of MDM Restrictions to use iOS/iPadOS without others controlling.

What You Need:

• A Windows or Mac device.
• Passixer iPhone Unlocker.
• A certified cable for connecting your iPhone and computer.

Steps to Unlock iPhone Using Passixer

Step 1: Install and run the Passixer software on your computer. Once the quick start page opens, select Wipe Passcode.

Click Start when the next screen loads up. After that, connect the iPhone to your computer system using a USB cable.

Step 2: Passixer will analyze your iPhone and display some details about it on your screen. Look through the details and ensure it matches that for your device. After that, click on Start to install the firmware package to unlock the iPhone.

Step 3: After the download is completed, enter 0000 and click Unlock to proceed.

Step 4: Screen unlocking will start immediately using the newly installed firmware package. Wait till your iPhone is unlocked then you can disconnect the device from the computer and use it without hindrance.

Fix 3. Use Apple Devices App or iTunes

Best for: You want to fix the issue without special requirements.

How this way works: Restore your iPhone to the factory settings so that the screen passcode is deleted and you get a normal iOS.

What You Need:

• A Windows PC with iTunes or Apple Devices app installed.
• A workable USB cable for the connection between iPhone and Windows.

How to Use:

Tip: Apple Devices app is compatible with Windows 10 or later and works similar to iTunes.

Step 1: Install and run iTunes or Apple Devices app on your computer. Ensure the app version is the most recent one so the process can go smoothly. Once done, grab the locked iPhone and put it in recovery mode using any one of the following guides that suits your iPhone model:

iPhone 8/X and Later models

• Press down the Volume Up key and release.
• Hold down the Volume Down button too and release it also.
• Now, press down the Side button. Keep holding until you have the recovery mode screen on your iPhone.

iPhone 7/7 Plus

• Press down the Volume Down and Power buttons together at the same time.
• Continue holding down the aforementioned buttons until the recovery mode logo appears.

iPhone 6/6S and Earlier models

• Hold down both the Home button and Power button together simultaneously.
• Release both keys when you see the recovery mode screen.

Step 2: While still holding the last key from the recovery mode process, connect the iPhone to your computer using a USB cable to establish the connection with iTunes. When the iTunes app detects your iPhone is connected in recovery mode, it will suggest that you restore or update your device. Click Restore.

If you are using Apple Devices app, you need to choose Restore and Update option instead.

Step 3: Click on the Restore icon again to erase your iPhone and fix the correct passcodes not working on your iPhone.

Fix 4. Use iCloud.site

Best for: You want to solve the issue without installing any software.

How this way works: Wipe a device remotely with Find My feature.

What You Need:

• Find My iPhone is enabled.
• You have another internet-accessible device with a browser installed.
• You have the Apple ID and password used on the iPhone.

How to Use:

Step 1: Visit the official webpage for iCloud.com and hit the black Sign In icon found at the bottom of the screen displayed. Type the correct details, and click the right icon to proceed.

Step 2: Next, a notification will be directed to any of the devices linked to your Apple ID. Please, click Allow to grant permission, copy the 2FA code and enter in the space provided if required.

Step 3: Now, that you’ve successfully signed into your iCloud account, swipe down to where you have Find My and click on it.

Step 4: A screen with all the devices connected to your Apple ID will appear. Scroll through the list and click on your locked iPhone to proceed.

Step 5: Select Erase This Device and provide your Apple ID password to confirm you are the authentic owner of the account. Once done, your iPhone will be wiped and you can use it without passcode.

Fix 5. Use Find My App

Best for: You want to resolve the trouble with inbuilt apps.

How this way works: Apply the Find My iPhone feature to wipe all personal content from your iPhone, including the screen passcode.

What You Need:

• An Apple device installed with Find My app.
• The Apple ID and password used on the locked iPhone.
• Stable network connection.

How to Use:

Step 1: Launch Find My app on another reliable iPhone, iPad or Mac(iPhone is taken as an example here).

Step 2: Switch to Me tab and tap Help a Friend. Next, hit Use a different Apple Account.

Step 3: Sign into iCloud with the Apple ID used on your own iPhone.

Step 4: Select your iPhone from the device list and hit Erase This Device. Follow the onscreen steps to complete the erasing process.

Tip: If you have a trusted device signed in with your Apple ID, simply open the Find My app, select Devices, and then choose your iPhone to restore it.

Workable Fixes for iPhone Passcode Not Working for Apple ID Reset

In the newer iOS versions, you can use your screen passcode in the Settings app to change or reset your Apple ID password, which is very convenient, especially if you’ve forgotten your Apple ID password. However, some users have reported that when attempting to reset their Apple ID password, the screen passcode they entered is incorrectly recognized. In other words, the iPhone does not accept the correct screen passcode. If you encounter this issue, try restarting your iPhone. If the problem persists, try the solutions below to reset your Apple ID password without the phone passcode, depending on your situation.

Fix 1. Reset Apple ID Password on Another Trusted Device

If you remember your original Apple ID password and just want to set a new one, you can update your password on a trusted device(below is an example using a Mac).

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the top pane and choose System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Step 2: Select Apple ID in the shown window.

Step 3: In the sidebar, choose Password & Security. Then, click Change Password in the right section.

Step 4: Enter your device passcode and hit Allow.

Step 5: Type a new password twice and hit Change to save it.

Fix 2. Reset Apple ID Password via Apple Site

If you forget your Apple ID password and don’t have a trusted device, you can reset your password on the web. Here are the steps to follow.

Step 1: Go to iforgot.apple.com and click Reset Password.

Step 2: Input your Apple ID and enter the provided code.

Step 3: Choose to reset the password through emails or security questions. Then, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the password reset job.

Note: If you have enabled 2FA for your Apple ID, the trusted device is necessary for your password reset.

Final Words

Correct passcode not working is a problem you will likely face as an iPhone user. So when you experience such, panicking isn’t the next thing. Instead, use the solutions provided in this post to unlock your iPhone when it doesn’t accept your passcode. We’ve introduced 7 stress-free solutions you can use to fix your iPhone passcode not working. However, Passixer is our preferred option to reclaim control of your iPhone. The software unlocks your device without a hitch.