iPhone keeps locking me out

I woke today to my iPhone saying it was locked out for 5 minutes. I did not type a passcode, it was docked on my MagSafe stand. After the 5 minutes, without me typing anything in, it automatically relocked for 8 hours. I have not attempted to type anything or to unlock it. I dont understand this glitch. I'm worried it will do the same thing after 8 hours and I'll have to erase it and reset it. Is this a known problem to apple? How do I prevent it. The only thing I can think of is I had the screen replaced a year and a half ago with a non apple oem screen bc it was much cheaper. Is that causing the issue?

The same thing has been happening to me since roughly the second week of May 2023. I even have "Tap or Swipe to Wake" disabled -- and yet, it has been happening increasingly often that I take the phone out of my pocket and see that it's locked due to an invalid PIN being entered.

This happened to me this week to both my phones (iPhone 13). They were sitting on my desk and I was not touching them. Work phone on Monday and personal phone on Tuesday, both mid afternoon. All emails were wiped from my personal phone and setting are changed on both now!

Is this an Apple bug or someone trying to access my data? Please help!

Same here. My Iphone was sitting on a table, not in my pocket and I was locked out. Not an annoyance yet. I want to be sure this isn't a security issue and someone isn't remotely trying to access my phone.

t appears you may have a disabled mobile device or forgotten device passcode. Refer to this support article for various methods that you can use to resolve this; which one you can use depends upon your equipment configuration. --> If you see an iPhone or iPad unavailable message or Security Lockout screen - Apple Support

How to reset your device if you are running iOS 15.2 or later:

If you're using an eSIM, contact your carrier before trying these steps and ask for a QR code to set up your eSIM again.

1. From your device's Lock Screen, try to enter your passcode five times until the "[Device] Unavailable" screen appears and your device asks you to try again later.

2. When you're able to, continue to enter your passcode until the "Security Lockout" screen appears and you get the Erase [Device] option in the bottom corner of the screen.
 3. Tap Erase [Device], then tap Erase [Device] again to confirm.

4. Enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your Apple ID on your device.

5. Tap Erase [Device] to permanently delete all of your data and settings.

6. When your device restarts, follow the onscreen instructions to set up your device again, restore your data and settings from a backup, and set a new passcode.

If you can't follow the above steps (e.g., you are using an older iOS version), you can use a computer to reset your device --> If you forgot your iPhone passcode - Apple Support .

You can only reach the "Security Lockout" screen if you have an active cellular or Wi-Fi connection and previously enabled Find My ( Find My - Official Apple Support ) on your device. After you try to enter your password ten times, your device will either erase itself or show Security Lockout and the option to Erase [Device] without a timer, depending on how you previously set up your device. 

Read the support article for full information.

Whichever method you use will result in erasing the iPhone. You can, however, restore it from a backup as described in this support article --> Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup - Apple Support

Here are resources if you are prompted for your username and password and have forgotten them:

If you forgot your Apple ID email address or phone number - Apple Support Note that typically this is an email address you use.

If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support

If you do not have a computer, use this link Find Locations to find an Apple service location, or ask a friend if you can use theirs.

The phone thinks you have entered the wrong passcode too many time. As for why, there's everything between you actually doing that to people carrying a device in a pocket and the pressure of the fabric does it.

Well said, at last a feasible answer. As a long term iPhone user, I’ve never had this occur until this week. On reflection unusually whilst on holiday I had my iPhone in my Jean pockets, which I rarely do and the lockout occurred twice. Millions of people carry their phone in this way. Apple have anIOS issue that isn’t being dealt with or publicised.

one of my phones has started doing this over the last few months, I’ve owned it for 3 years, it’s in a case with flip front cover and has been since I got it, there’s been no repairs or non original screens or parts fitted. After sitting for some time my personal XS for no reason will show on the screen “iPhone unavailable” then the try in again in so long, the times been varying but it’s mostly hours I’ve to wait. The phone has been sat on a wireless charger not being touched for an extended time, picked it up today and it was showing the “input password to erase the phone” message, cancelled that and it’s now showing wait 3hrs. It’s getting annoying now. This is obviously an apple software glitch with the amount of people saying it’s a new problem that’s never happened before, but apple seems to want to ignore it

This is a consistent problem with my iphone. It happens frequently and I am unable to spot a pattern. Like you, it happens when I have not directly interacted with the device for some time. I'm currently locked out for an hour but hadn't touched the device for longer than that. Go figure. As clever as Apple products can be, they aren't completely reliable, alas. And the comments in this thread don't lead anywhere so I don't have much hope.

Nope, my phones were in the desk not being touched at all when this happened to me.

At least in my case, I eventually figured out that this behavior was tied to a specific pair of jeans. When I wore those pants, I frequently ended up locked out of my phone -- in one case, for over an hour while in an unfamiliar city, which was not a comfortable feeling. The same pants had previously not caused this trouble. In any event, I stopped wearing those pants and haven't had the problem since.

Of course, this may have been a complete coincidence and perhaps the problem was actually solved by a system update.

Instructions are here:

Set a passcode on iPhone - Apple Support

But, if what you are really meaning to say is that you are already locked out, you will have to first reset the phone and set it up again with a new passcode.

Yes, it very well could be. There is no way of knowing how a third party screen will perform. There is a reason why Apple discourages using non-Apple parts.

mine is doing the exact same