iPhone disabled connect to iTunes

I know it’s pretty awful to have to wipe your phone if you don’t have a iCloud backup... in order to avoid this type of situation next time there is a setting that you can change so that it won’t wipe your phone after 10 failed attempts. If you go into settings > Touch ID and passcode > scroll to the very bottom you’ll see “erase data”, next to it has a button you can switch on/off... if you switch it off (should be gray if off) it will not erase if the passcode is entered incorrectly too many times. It would still be helpfull to have your phone backup automatically every night because even with that setting switched off there are still situations where you would have to restore your phone or maybe need to use the backup like if your phone breaks or you lose it and you have to get a new one.

I am happy my idea worked. Unlike someone else messaged me saying "There is No way my instructions will work.. I have to restore the phone".

Just for everyone else here..try what I wrote before before making assumptions..lol

Well, my iPhone 4S got fixed by itself after about 5 hours being disabled. A "friend" was trying to break into it. Here's what I did. I connected it to the iTunes computer I always connect it to. My only option was to restore it, but I had not backed it up for months, so I decided to at least copy my pictures. I was using iPhone Browser to copy all my pictures (about 10.5GB) so I left it alone and went to watch TV while copying. When I came back to my computer to check the copy progress I checked my iPhone as well and the DISABLED message was gone and I was able to login again! 🙂 YEAH! So I guess it's just a matter of time, from the moment it got locked till' it was good again was about 5 hours. Anyone with the same experience please confirm so we know what the fix is. Thanks!

I am frustrated. My son is autistic. The iphone is critical for him. He has been trying for two weeks to get past the "iphone is disabled, connect to itunes." All he gets is the emergency phone number pad. He has asked for help from apple and others. He turned the problem over to me today. Though I am a mac person from way back, I have never used an iphone. I went on itunes, put in the information he gave me re: user name and password. Apparently this isn't right, but this is all he remembers. I've read the instructions for going into the DFU mode, but how would I get to the "home" button, thanks, budinsky.

My wife had this same problem and had to do a restore however she never synced to itunes and would've lost all her 300+ pics. Called Apple tech for suggestions and they said there is absolutely nothing you can do to recover the pics before a restore. Well DEAD WRONG......enter your phone in recovery mode while connected to a pc. Then go to computer and depending on what Windows program, mine said Photo Stream, and I was able to drag and drop all the pics onto my pc. Not sure if it would do the same with a mac. Hope this helps others with the same issue.

This is what finally worked for me:

* plugged in my Iphone to machine (Mac) with iTunes running

* within itunes, right clicked on the iphone icon in the left column (i had to show sidebar to see the left column, btw)

* after right clicking, i selected to "Transfer Purchases"

* once that process began, it asked for my log in (within iTunes) and itunes/computer started to download stuff to my computer from my phone----stuff that i had bought on my phone

* i checked my phone at that point (screen was black but it came awake) -- and after a day of being disabled, i was able to log into my phone again finally...no data lost!!

good luck

When I hold down the sleep button nothing happens, also when I connect the phone a dialog box appears "iTunes could not connect to the iPhone because it is locked with a passcode. You must enter your passcode on the iPhone before it can be used with iTunes."

Hello Ceez38,

My problem is the same but phone has never been backed up on this computer.

how do I restore it without losing content, i.e. photos, info etc

please help, its my young girl's phone is she is desperate because she has assignments info there.

Thanks

Al

My iphone was disabled so i connected it into my computer and clicked the "update" because my ios was outdated. after it was updated successfully via itunes, it rebooted and the apple logo appeared then "iPhone is disabled, connect to itunes" still appeared with plain black background. i tried connecting it into my computer but itunes says that it is locked and i needed to unlock it but i cant. i tried to hold on to the home button to turn it off but i cant. it's stuck. help me please.

Hey, I REALLY need help. ive been stupid and forgot my password on my phone after recently changing it. ive tried that many times ive disabled my phone. i have the recent update of itunes and computer is all up to date. ive put my phone into recovery mode and connected to itunes, gone to restore, accepted all i need to accepts and then nothing!!! no progress bars on phone or on computer, just a box in the bottom saying done? help me. i need my phone for work purposes.

Thank you, brad805!! Perfect, simple, effective answer 🙂

ETA: brad805's original response:

brad805Jul 26, 2012 11:30 AM Re: iphone is disabled connect to itunes HOW????
Re: iphone is disabled connect to itunes HOW????in response to dfmcallister

Open iTunes on computer, connect iPhone to computer with USB cable. Hold both Home and Power buttons on iPhone until iTunes recognizes iPhone in Recovery Mode. This usually takes about 20 seconds of holding both buttons. Restore the iPhone Firmware.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

Putting the device into recovery mode should make iTunes recognize it.

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

Great !!!

Non of the previous solutions here worked for me but your idea, thanks a lot.

after I did "transfer purchases", it got unlocked right away ..... smart ideaaaaa

I suggest everybody to use this solution before restore your iphone and lose your data.

This worked for me. Thank you. I find that Apple's iTunes instructions ("connect to iTunes" in this case) are incomplete to say the least. I did a legitimate-channels unlock on an out-of-contract phone last year -- which also requires iTunes, heavily, for wipe and restore, in which the sequence of vaguely-labeled commands matters -- and it was grotesque how lame the instructions were.

No idea why phone was disabled to begin with, but if repeated wrong passwords do that, then it could have been our 11-yr-old trying to hack into it...