How do I access my old iPad if I forgot the password?

Depending on how old that iPad model is, I wouldn't even bother with this old iPad, any longer!

Having to reset the device to a new device state now, and for these 8 and 9-year old iPads, this act of the complete device reset means a certain level of operational “death”to these very old iPads, for good, after the fact.

You will no longer be able to retrieve many of the older third party apps that are installed on these older iPads any longer from the Apple iOS App Store for good now!

If you never, ever backed up this device ever to both a new and older version of the iTunes application for Mac and Windows PC computer, where you could save the data and an older iTunes versions where you could still save both the actual apps AND app data, as well, any iOS device restoring processes, that end up happening to these old iPads, will render these old iOS devices nearly useless, now!

Most common users do not know this because Apple does NOT want users to know this, but there is still a special older version of iTunes, for Mac and Windows PC ( iTunes 12.6.5.3 ) that still saves the entire app file for later retrieval when doing a computer/iTunes backup with any iPad/iOS version that this version of iTunes will recognise.

Also, you could install another older version of iTunes ( anything from iTunes 12.1 to 12.4 ) that will, also, still save apps from older 8 and 9-year old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models.

Failing to do, OR NOT being able to do an older iPad backup to an older, compatible version of iTunes, on a computer, OR the inability to be able to the backup these older iPad models after a device has already malfunctioned or failed, means that the full erase and reset of these old iPad models will rendered these old iPad models virtually useless, as there are no more older apps available in the iOS App Store for these older iOS devices, any longer and all older apps, that were installed on these 8 and 9-year old iPads, will become irretrievable forever!

If your iPad is disabled, or you have forgotten your iPad passcode, you’ll need to follow this process:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211078

You’ll need access to either a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS).

You’ll also need your AppleID and associated password. If these have also been forgotten, they can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com

To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

• Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
• Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
• Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID

Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.

More information about recovery of your AppleID:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354

More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487

When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com

These old iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are, virtually, 8 and 9-years old, now.

The amount of older, compatible, available apps for these old iPad models has dwindled significantly since the beginning of 2020!

Getting older versions of apps for these old iPad models, initially from Apple’s iOS App Store is getting very difficult and very problematic and this issue is getting, painfully, much worse, now, in 2020!

As of the beginning of 2019, many, MANY third party app developers are all more quickly and completely permanently dropping older app support for all old 7, 8 and 9-year iPads that are running 2-3 year old and earlier iOS versions ( iOS 10 and earlier ).

Third party app developers are removing all of their older, legacy versions of their apps from Apple's App Store servers, now.

Third party app developers no longer want to support these 8 and 9-year old or older iOS devices, any longer!

Older versions of apps are, soon, going to be gone for good, now!

These old iPads are now reaching their complete end of life and support cycles.

So finding older versions apps for older iPads, while still possible, currently, will be a very tough challenge, now, in 2020.

Old iPads that can no longer be upgraded/updated will have NO MORE APPS AVAILABLE for initial download, at all, soon, from the Apple iOS App Store, for such old iOS devices in the very near future.

Older versions of apps for these older iPads will be completely gone, at some point, in the very foreseeable future.

Old 8 and 9-year old iPads will be pretty much obsolete by the end of the 2020 year!

Again, it is what it is, today, in the year 2020!

You will never get any more older versions of popular apps for these old iPads, any longer.

The apps that these old iPads already have on them, and still work, will be the apps these iPads will be stuck with!

Basically, these old iPad models are just good for FaceTime and somewhat limited Web browsing via some other, more up to date third party Web browsers and NOT using that nearly 4-year old iOS Safari Web browser.

So, this is REALLY NOW the time to seriously consider a new or discounted, refurbished iPad from Apple or other Apple authorised resellers.

A lot has happened with iPad and iOS in 7-9 years and in the past 2 to 3-1/2 years since iOS 9 and 10.

As an example and compared to that nearly 8-years old iPad 4th generation model,

The cheapest, baseline 2019, 10.2 inch screen, 32 GBs internal storage ( 24 GBs actual usable storage space ), 7th gen Apple iPads have a 1/2 inch larger retina screen, it is overall lighter, in weight, newer, more powerful and approx. 2-1/2 times faster 2.3 Ghz, A10 Fusion processor ( CPU ), AT LEAST 3-4 times the internal RAM, with the 2019, 7th gen iPad having 3 GBs of internal RAM, iPadOS 13 support, with much better and improved multitasking features and much fuller support for externally connected data drives, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart keyboard cover support and have better audio speakers and better/improved built-in cameras.

In addition, if you search online and look at various, reputable online Apple device resellers, you can usually find this 2019, 7th gen iPad at various discounts, depending on storage size and whether it is a WiFi ONLY model or a WiFi/cellular data model.

This is the harsh reality for these 8 and 9-year old, OR OLDER, iOS devices, now!

Time for a new, refurbished or much “newer” ( read used ) iPad.

If you must purchase older, used iPad models, DO NOT look at anything older than a 2014 iPad Air 2 or 2015 iPad Mini 4.

Both of these models are the oldest iPad models that the up and coming iPadOS 14 will support, in the Fall of 2020.

If you must purchased used devices from unknown sources, you must ask more questions of the iOS device seller, ask for more photo/images, ask if the iPad has user/iCloud activation lock and ask for photos/images/short video proof that such an iPad has been reset factory settings and shown proof of the iOS device's start up screen showing the animated, moving, multi-language “Hello” Welcome to iPad screen.

If the iOS device seller is unwilling to do all of this to show you that the iPad, in question, is ready to use with no barriers to new user activation and use, pass on the iOS device and look at other iOS device sellers elsewhere.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

If you've forgotten the passcode on your iPhone, or your iPhone is disabled – Apple Support