Q: iPhone is disabled - connect to iTunes

Once the device has gone into Recovery Mode, which is where you are at with a disabled device, the data is no longer recoverable. This is especially true if you have it set to erase after 10 failed attempts. If you do not have a backup, then you are going to lose your data. There is no way to force the device to take a passcode again, sorry. While it doesn't help now, it does reinforce that frequent backups are necessary to help you maintain your data if something goes wrong.

Sorry to say but at this point this is all you can do:

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

Well, the first thing you provide is from 4 years ago. I'm not so sure about the other one, but as you say, you don't have a backup, which is one of the things mentioned in the other thread. It is your device and you are free to try anything you wish to try and preserve your information. The worse thing that can happen is that you will lose your data, and you are already at that point now. Also understand that the response from Texas is with an older version of iTunes, so be careful. Like I said though, you don't have much of a choice, and if it saves your data, you won. If it doesn't, then you are where you are as far as we know with having to perform a restore.

Chris, I have a question which could also help Thiago, perhaps. On my iPhone > Settings > Passcode > at the bottom there is an option for Erase Data. It says (as we know from the recent DOJ case) "Erase all data on this iPhone after 10 failed attempts". It is clear what happens if it is ON. I also understand that after 6 attempts, subsequent tries take longer.

Mine is set to OFF. My question is with Erase Data set to OFF, what happens after 10 tries? If the data does not erase automatically is there an 11th try after some period of time? If not, what difference does it make if Erase Data is on or not if the only option is Recovery Mode?

thiago_roska wrote:

So, if erasing the data on the iPhone means erasing contacts too, it means that I don't turn this option ON and the data still may be in my device?

I don't know but it would seem to me that Erase Data means erasing all. I wonder what happens after 10 tries IF this feature is set to OFF. I tried searching the web and I came up empty.

I'm not positive, but I believe that after 10 tries if the switch is on, that the device automatically erases, whereas if it isn't one, the device begins to be disabled for a longer period of time each time. I'm not sure where it gets to the permanent disable. In other words, it says it is disabled for xx minutes. After that, you get to try the passcode again. If you still get it wrong, it will disable again for xxx minutes, and each time it gets longer. Someone that has experienced it would have to share when it finally just says disabled and the only alternative is a restore. Of course, if during the time limits you still cannot remember the passcode, you are in the same boat, you have to restore the device.

thiago_roska wrote:

 

Thank for your help again, ChrisJ4203. I understand that I should have done a backup and that now I can lose all my data for a mistake. But, how I said, I'm desperate because I had a lot of data in my device that I don't wanna lose. I will try the method of the user "NYC JaTT" and maybe the one from "Texas Mac Man". Maybe if I download a older version of iTunes, one of the solutions might work.

 

Other question: if I take my device to Apple's technical assistance, there's a way they can save my data?

 

Thank you

I couldn't say if an older version of iTunes will make any difference, but like I said earlier, you have nothing to lose here, since you risk a restore anyway.

As far as Apple is concerned, they cannot save your data either. They would just restore the device to get it out of Recovery Mode. I hate to say the obvious, but if your data is that important, why did you not do a backup?

Sorry things turned out this way, but understand that an iPhone is a portable device, just like a computer. You backup your computer, correct? If not, time to look into this as well.

Here is a support document that explains information about backups. About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support  Read through it and see what you want to do in the future. Regular backups of both the device and the computer help minimize the amount of data one could lose in the case of a failure or problem with a device. Good luck.

Well, a hard lesson to learn, and I know that you will probably lose your data, but you are welcome to try the methods you found with the links you provided. Again, you are on track to lose the data, so trying it couldn't be any worse than that. Good luck.