Q: phone disabled

If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support covers three different ways to unlock the device. Which one are you using?

Hi michnmike

The support article provides several different ways to to erase your device.

Step 2 of which option?

If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

Put the device in Recovery Mode.

Erase your device with recovery mode

If you've never synced with iTunes or set up Find My iPhone in iCloud, you'll need to use recovery mode to restore your device. This will erase the device and its passcode.

1. Connect your iOS device to your computer and open iTunes. If you don't have a computer, borrow one from a friend, or go to an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.
2. While your device is connected, force restart it: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. Don't let go when you see the Apple logo — keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen.
   
   
3. When you see the option to Restore or Update, choose Restore.
   
   iTunes will download software for your device. If it takes more than 15 minutes, your device will exit recovery mode and you'll need to repeat steps 2 and 3.
   
   
4. Wait for the process to finish. Then you can set up and use your device.

If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

IF you can't enter a passcode, try using recovery mode.

If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple Support

If you mean something else, please explain what it is.

Is it in Recovery Mode?

The screen should look like this:

And iTunes is open? Are you getting a message on the screen about recovery mode?

If not, try unplugging the USB cable from the computer and then plug it back in? Do you get a message?

When you perform the forced restart of the phone, while it is still connected to iTunes, that image should appear on the phone. If that is the image that you see, you should also see this on the iTunes screen on the right. So you are not seeing this?

I will jump out now and let axeman help. You are in good hands and I don't want to confuse things any further.