I often see people complaining, “My iPhone won’t let me type in my passcode.” Truth be told, if you’re facing a similar problem, you’re not the only one. Most of the passcode-related problems crop from OS upgrades and security patches.
There are several ways to fix it if your iPhone won’t let you type in the passcode. But the most basic and effective way is to reboot/restart the device. In case you are unable to go for the regular restart option, force restarting might also solve the problem.
But that’s not all when it comes to passcode-related problems. Let’s explore more about the causes and detailed solutions.
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Why Won’t My iPhone Let Me Type In My Passcode?
Before we dive into the details of solving the iPhone passcode problem, it’s important to understand why the problem occurs in the first place. Understanding the source of the problem will be helpful to prevent it from happening next time.
There are several reasons why you might not be able to type in the passcode. The most common ones include –
Software Glitches
Apple routinely sends out updates on their iPhones
. Some of these are security patches whereas others are minor bug fixes and general improvements. However, these updates can at times create glitches on the device.
Due to software glitches, the lock screen will freeze and you won’t be able to interact with it whatsoever. This might happen while going through a system upgrade as well.
iPhone is Disabled
iOS is one of the safest operating systems in the world. Needless to say, it has state-of-the-art security measures put in place to deter any kind of security breach.
One of the prominent features is if you put in the wrong passcode 10 times at a stretch, the iPhone will get locked and would require iTunes to restore.
| Number Of Attempts | Lock Time |
| 6 | 1 minute |
| 7 | 5 minutes |
| 8 | 10 minutes |
| 10 | 60 minutes |
| More than 10 attempts | iPhone disabled |
So whether it’s pocket action or a bratty kid at work, this is one way you might find yourself unable to put in the passcode.
iOS Upgrade Change
Before iOS 9, Apple had a 6-digit passcode in place. But from iOS 10, the company has introduced a 4-digit passcode system. So if you finally made the jump from iOS 9 to the updated OS, then you might come across the passcode glitch.
Correct Passcode Denied
For whatever reason, iOS might sometimes deny you access to the device even if you put in the correct passcode. This could be a glitch in the OS itself or something else. There isn’t any direct explanation for this occurrence.
5 Fast & Easy Fix iPhone Passcode Typing Issue
There are several ways to fix the iPhone passcode typing problem. Some are easy while some will require several steps along with a cable and computer. So buckle up as we explore each of the options at hand.
The following basic troubleshoots that can often solve any kind of software-related glitches that might be preventing you from typing in the passcode.
1. Force Restart
To force restart your iPhone, simply click and hold the volume up button first and release it after a few seconds. Repeat the same process with the volume down button as well. After that, click the power button until the apple logo appears.
| iPhone Models | Hard Reset/Restart Process |
| iPhone 8 or later, iPhone SE 2nd Gen | Press the Volume Up Button, and release it.Press the Volume Down Button, and release it.Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen. |
| iPhone 7 & 7 Plus | Press and hold both the Volume Down button and the Sleep Button at the same time.Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears. |
| iPhone 5s, 6, 6s, 6s Plus, and iPhone SE 1st Gen | Press and hold both the Home button and Sleep Button at the same time.Wait for around 10 seconds.Release the buttons when the Apple logo appears. |
That’s it, your device should restart now and hopefully will let you type in the passcode.
2. Full Charging
Another option is to charge the device to the full and then turn it off. Leave it turned off for 5 to 10 minutes. And then turn it on. This is also a proven way to get around the passcode glitch of the iPhone.
3. Type in a Default Passcode
This procedure is for iPhones with iOS 9 or older that still use a 6-digit passcode system. This process is said to work at times and isn’t as widely reliable as the other two.
Just simply type in a default passcode like 123456, 000000, or 888888 on the passcode bar. This is said to trigger the settings menu from where you can disable the passcode settings. However, the process is neither recommended by Apple nor proven entirely successful.
4. Restoring the iPhone Using a Mac
This is the last resort to get your iPhone to work again. But unless you have everything backed up, all your phone’s data will be lost. It will essentially be a new iPhone altogether.
But if you have your important data like photos, contacts and videos backed up to your iCloud account, you can easily restore them once you set up your device.
Follow the process below to restore your iPhone the right way.
- Click and hold onto the power button on the right of your phone.
- While holding the power button, click on any of the volume buttons.
- Once the slide to power off prompt appears, slide it off.
- Now connect the iPhone to your computer with a USB cable.
- Press the power button again. This will put you in recovery mode.
- From there, simply restore your iPhone once the computer has detected the connected iPhone.
- This will essentially wipe off all the data from your device and iTunes will replace the existing firmware with a new updated version.
- From here you can either set up the iPhone as a brand-new device or restore it from your iCloud.
5. Restoring Without a Mac
Users can also restore their iPhones without using the computer. For this, users will have to log into their iCloud from a different device first. Remember, the iCloud account has to be the same one that is already in the locked iPhone. Just remember to keep a backup of your existing iPhone data.
After that, follow the steps to restore your iPhone without using a computer.
- After logging in with your apple id, click on the ‘Find my iPhone’ option.
- From the menu, locate the locked iPhone.
- Now select the iPhone and click on the ‘Erase iPhone’ option.
- This will essentially wipe off all the data on your iPhone and you will be able to set it up again as a new phone.
- Just like restoring, if you have data backed up on iCloud, you will be able to restore them once you set up the device.
Conclusions
Seeing your iPhone denying passcode time and again can be really frustrating. But as things stand, most of the time the problem is caused by some software glitches. If that is the case, then you are lucky as it is quite easy to get into your device from there.
But if the glitches don’t work with quick fixes, you will need to follow steps that will essentially wipe out your device.
So if you’re someone who has faced this problem before, we sincerely suggest that you keep a backup of all your files. Because you never know when you might find yourself in a similar situation.