Daughter got hold of my iPad without my knowledge and now have "iPad Unavailable" on the screen and can't do anything with it.
Is there a way on extracting the data without losing any of the photos, apparently the iPad hasn't done any backups to iCloud so I have no way of restoring it from a previous backup.
Are Apple themselves able to do anything or are the photos gone permanently?
iPad, iOS 10
An iPad passcode cannot be recovered, reset or modified from another device.
iPadOS 15.2 or later with a forgotten Passcode
Apple has introduced a new procedure with which to reset an iPad or iPhone with a forgotten Passcode - allowing you to use your AppleID and associated Password to reset your device.
How to reset your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when you forgot your passcode - Apple Support
You will be able to restore data from a pre-existing iCloud backup without the use of a computer, but will require a PC/Mac to restore data from an iTunes backup.
iPadOS 15.1 and earlier - and all devices that are Disabled
If your iPad is disabled, or you have forgotten your iPad passcode, you have no alternative other than to follow this process:
If you’ve forgotten the passcode on your iPad, or your iPad is disabled – Apple Support
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).
Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support
Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support
Use of a PC or Mac is unavoidable. If you don’t have access to a suitable computer of your own, that of a helpful friend or family member will suffice. Alternatively, the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store will be delighted to assist.
You may also need your AppleID and associated password. If these have also been forgotten, they can be recovered here:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:
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:
If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support
More information about recovery of your AppleID password:
If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support
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:
An iPad passcode cannot be recovered, reset or modified from another device.
iPadOS 15.2 or later with a forgotten Passcode
Apple has introduced a new procedure with which to reset an iPad or iPhone with a forgotten Passcode - allowing you to use your AppleID and associated Password to reset your device.
How to reset your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when you forgot your passcode - Apple Support
You will be able to restore data from a pre-existing iCloud backup without the use of a computer, but will require a PC/Mac to restore data from an iTunes backup.
iPadOS 15.1 and earlier - and all devices that are Disabled
If your iPad is disabled, or you have forgotten your iPad passcode, you have no alternative other than to follow this process:
If you’ve forgotten the passcode on your iPad, or your iPad is disabled – Apple Support
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).
Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support
Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support
Use of a PC or Mac is unavoidable. If you don’t have access to a suitable computer of your own, that of a helpful friend or family member will suffice. Alternatively, the technicians at the Genius Bar of your local Apple Store will be delighted to assist.
You may also need your AppleID and associated password. If these have also been forgotten, they can be recovered here:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:
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:
If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support
More information about recovery of your AppleID password:
If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support
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:
1) Unless you can successfully enter your passcode, no data can be recovered from your iPad. iOS/iPadOS uses an encrypted file system; you passcode unlocks the iPad Secure Enclave (the iPad security chip) within which is the only copy of the encryption key that is required to decrypt/access any locally stored data. No encryption key = no access to data.
2) If your iPad cannot be accessed with a passcode, unless you have (a) a pre-existing backup of your data or photos, or (b) the information is already accessible in iCloud, your data has been lost.
3) Apple cannot access your data. See (1).
I wasn't able to do anything with it, the screen just said "iPad Unavailable", which in all my years or using Apple, I've never seen before. I read on here that you have to reset to factory and restore via a backup. Unfortunately there hasn't been a backup made for this iPad on iCloud so I have nothing to restore it to.
another useless reply from Apple.
they seem to copy paste an answer prepared in advnace, but fail to actually read what is the problem.
if anyone from Apple reads this and aims to help us users -
read about the problem before giving an answer.
the IPad has no passcode !!!
it opens and said "unavailable." no button or other option to chose.
eyalmela wrote:
another useless reply from Apple.
they seem to copy paste an answer prepared in advnace, but fail to actually read what is the problem.
if anyone from Apple reads this and aims to help us users -
read about the problem before giving an answer.
the IPad has no passcode !!!
it opens and said "unavailable." no button or other option to chose.
1) This is a user-to-user technical forum. Apple do not participate here. Those that voluntarily participate here give their time freely - attempting to help others with technical issues. You being rude to contributors is neither helpful, nor within the spirit of the Terms of Use to which you agreed when your created your account to participate here.
2) Consider that you may have a different issue or underlying problem to that of the Original Poster. If you have a problem, start your own thread - outlining your problem.
I agree this answer is USELESS - how the **** did the iPad ( my dads new iPad has this now) get in this ridiculous state?!? What the **** does it even mean? It offers you no way to recover. You shut it down and the next tome you turn it on you get this message?!!! Makes no sense. There was no forgotten password. It just appeared like this!
Thanks for the reply, but that doesn't answer any of my questions.
Sorry - but without a backup, your data is irretrievable.
iPad Unavailable
