Locked out of my lost iPhone that I have now found

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Locked out of my lost iPhone that I have now found

Lost my iPhone 14 last week. Went onto “find my iPhone” and was able to track it as it pinged at a location. Long story short my iPhone found its way back to me. However, its location was still showing as the location it was at 5 days ago.

When I charged my phone up, it displays the ‘restore’ screen. After looking at the instructions on the Apple website, it informed me that I needed to plug it into my computer and restore it. The issue I have with this is that I’m not 15 and it’s not the mid noughties…. I haven’t used iTunes on a computer for YEARS! So I downloaded it and followed the process. Unfortunately iTunes cannot restore the phone as there is no previous back up of it. So my phone is currently stuck on the restore screen.

Why does Apple have a system in place that lets me remotely lock it, but make it impossible to remotely unlock it. I’m now sat here wondering how on earth I am going to be able to either a)get back into my phone, or b)factory reset it.

it’s my phone. I own it. But can’t use it as it is stuck on the “restore” screen and I have no way of actually restoring it?

iPhone 14, iOS 17

Posted on Jan 13, 2024 5:48 PM

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Answer 1

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Lawrence Finch

Community+ 2026

Level 10

239,452 points

Jan 13, 2024 5:53 PM in response to 70p

You can restore it if you don’t have a backup, you will just have to set up the phone all over again.

And you CAN remotely unlock it, or also unlock it when you find it unless it is disabled by entry of too many wrong tries.

If your device has iOS 15.2 or later installed, you can reset it without a computer; check out this link→How to reset your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch when you forgot your passcode - Apple Support. Otherwise you will need a computer:

See this Apple support link→If you forgot the passcode on your iPhone, or your iPhone is disabled - Apple Support

Or watch this companion video ⬇️

After restoring the phone using one of the methods above you can restore your most recent backup.

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Answer 2

70p Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 13, 2024 6:02 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Many thanks for the quick reply and the links to the resources. However, I have read them and they appear to no be applicable to my situation.

my phone is locked on this screen. The links you suggested require the phone to have access to either WiFi, or a cellular network. However, in this setting, the phone does not appear to be connected to the WiFi or cellular network.

the phone needs restoring. It physically won’t even allow me to attempt to access it. I know the password but it is in recovery mode

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Answer 3

70p Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 13, 2024 6:07 PM in response to 70p

When I plug it into iTunes, iTunes recognises that a device has been plugged in and informs me that it needs either restoring and/or updating so I follow the instructions and this happens The phone then looks like it is updating and/restoring. iTunes says that it is updating the firmware etc, but then it just goes back to the first picture of it being on the restore screen, because iTunes cannot restore it because it hasn’t got any record of the phone having ever been synced with iTunes

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Answer 4

Jan 13, 2024 6:22 PM in response to 70p

You haven’t followed the instructions I posted. It does not have to have been synced with iTunes before, and does not need a backup.

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Locked out of my lost iPhone that I have now found

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