Forgot Passcode iPhone SE (1st Gen)

whiteowl4

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I have three iPhones (2 SE and 1 5s) running with the same Apple ID. I forgot the passcode used in the SEs(common passcode) while the iPhone 5s passcode was different and I remember it. After exhausting all the chances of entering the passcode, I had to erase and reset one of the SE. Now, when I am setting up as a new phone, it is asking me to enter the passcode, I tried one more time but in vain. So, now I have the option to click forgot passcode and enter the passcode used in 5s. Should I just go for this option or again do trial and error to hit the right passcode. Are there any specific number of chances here eg 10 chances or now I can try for an unlimited number of times? Also, remember I still have to unlock my other iPhone SE which had the same passcode that I forgot so if I am able to get it right, I might just save the other SE from resetting and losing data.

Also, how can I recover data after resetting? Any softwares?
 

EdwinG

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I have three iPhones (2 SE and 1 5s) running with the same Apple ID. I forgot the passcode used in the SEs(common passcode) while the iPhone 5s passcode was different and I remember it. After exhausting all the chances of entering the passcode, I had to erase and reset one of the SE. Now, when I am setting up as a new phone, it is asking me to enter the passcode, I tried one more time but in vain. So, now I have the option to click forgot passcode and enter the passcode used in 5s. Should I just go for this option or again do trial and error to hit the right passcode. Are there any specific number of chances here eg 10 chances or now I can try for an unlimited number of times? Also, remember I still have to unlock my other iPhone SE which had the same passcode that I forgot so if I am able to get it right, I might just save the other SE from resetting and losing data.

Also, how can I recover data after resetting? Any softwares?

Because the iPhone SE has been erased, any data it held is unrecoverable. It’s basically a blank phone.

If you had backups, those can still be used and they are not tied to your phone’s passcode.

The passcode it’s asking for is probably to unlock your iCloud Keychain which is protected by the passwords of all your Apple devices connected to your Apple ID. Technically, you could try a couple of passcodes until you hit the correct one, but I would advise against that because it could flag your Apple ID and lock it down.
 

Mars20

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I have three iPhones (2 SE and 1 5s) running with the same Apple ID. I forgot the passcode used in the SEs(common passcode) while the iPhone 5s passcode was different and I remember it. After exhausting all the chances of entering the passcode, I had to erase and reset one of the SE. Now, when I am setting up as a new phone, it is asking me to enter the passcode, I tried one more time but in vain. So, now I have the option to click forgot passcode and enter the passcode used in 5s. Should I just go for this option or again do trial and error to hit the right passcode. Are there any specific number of chances here eg 10 chances or now I can try for an unlimited number of times? Also, remember I still have to unlock my other iPhone SE which had the same passcode that I forgot so if I am able to get it right, I might just save the other SE from resetting and losing data.

Also, how can I recover data after resetting? Any softwares?

Did you erase the phone via settings? To get rid of the forgotten passcode you need to restore it via a Mac or PC.
 

Up_And_Away

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Apple support has a Restore(passcode reset) how to guide:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306
-I don’t know the number of wrong attempts. From memory I believe you’ll get a temporarily disabled after 5 attempts. After the disabled time elapses I think you have 5 more before it shows “disabled” with out a time (this is best recollection). Once it says disabled without a re-enable time shown, you’re out of luck and need to do a recovery. As correctly mentioned by the other two posters, you’ll need a Mac or PC to do recovery to reset the passcode. You’ll also need the lighting to usb cable.
-(this is also to the best of my recollection). Recovery will reset the passcode. Resetting the passcode wipes the iphone. Restoring the iPhone will be done via a backup once the reset and software downloads part is done. If you have no backup then your data is lost. Consider the phone as just out of the box.
-If one of the phones was not originally yours when you bought it, and it was never removed from the previous owner’s iCloud devices to be added to your iCloud devices, this presents, likely, an unsolvable roadblock that makes the phone a fancy paperweight. A new or restored iPhone has to register with Apple. This process will list the phone in your AppleID/iCloud devices. If the phone is already listed in another AppleID/iCloud device list, you won’t get past a necessary step to make the phone usable. BOL
 

whiteowl4

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Thanks guys for your responses.
The reset SE is asking for the old passcode. There is an option to click forgot passcode. After selecting this, it asks to enter passcode of any other device but 5S is not mentioned there even though it is running the same Apple ID and I know its passcode. (Further, I restored the backup of SE from mac to a spare phone i.e. 6s. Again, it asks passcode and the forgot passcode option doesn't give the option to enter 5s passcode, surprisingly). Finally, there is an option of forgot all passcodes, haven't clicked that yet. What will happen if i select that? Should I keep doing trial and error to get to the right old passcode. (In this case, how many chances do I have and if I don't hit the right one after multiple tries, will my icloud data get deleted or Apple ID get locked)? Right now, in 6s it says you can not use certain services if you don't enter old passcode, what does this mean?
If I restore 5s with the SE backup that I had taken in April, will it ask me the passcode of SE? Also, after restoring the backup can Apple ID be changed?
In case Apple deletes all my icloud data, if I restore from Mac backup will I get all data back in my phone eg notes?
Final question, is it mandatory to turn on icloud setting on each device individually, even though they are running same Apple ID?
I know this is a precarious situation for me and I have asked too many questions in a single post but any help would be highly appreciated.
 

EdwinG

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Thanks guys for your responses.
The reset SE is asking for the old passcode. There is an option to click forgot passcode. After selecting this, it asks to enter passcode of any other device but 5S is not mentioned there even though it is running the same Apple ID and I know its passcode. (Further, I restored the backup of SE from mac to a spare phone i.e. 6s. Again, it asks passcode and the forgot passcode option doesn't give the option to enter 5s passcode, surprisingly). Finally, there is an option of forgot all passcodes, haven't clicked that yet. What will happen if i select that? Should I keep doing trial and error to get to the right old passcode. (In this case, how many chances do I have and if I don't hit the right one after multiple tries, will my icloud data get deleted or Apple ID get locked)? Right now, in 6s it says you can not use certain services if you don't enter old passcode, what does this mean?
I suspect this might be related to the multiple unlock attempts. It will most likely lock your Apple ID.
If I restore 5s with the SE backup that I had taken in April, will it ask me the passcode of SE?
Not necessarily
Also, after restoring the backup can Apple ID be changed?
Yes, but it must be logged in at least once.
Final question, is it mandatory to turn on icloud setting on each device individually, even though they are running same Apple ID?
iCloud is not mandatory on any Apple device. If you want to use iCloud features, you will need to login to iCloud on that device.

I have to ask: What is the exact request screen on your iPhone? It could give a clue on what’s locking the phone.
 

whiteowl4

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Thanks a ton Ed7789 for the responses.

So, there are three options that it is asking after I sign in to Apple ID a/c. Either I enter old passcode or I enter passcode for any other device running Apple ID(here it is not providing the option to enter 5s passcode). The last option is to select forgot all passcodes. What will happen if I click this?
Also, should I just restore 5s with SE backup and keep the phone as is? Just in case Apple locks my account or deletes icloud data, I will still have it in my phone. After restoring 5s will it ask me the passcode of SE or 5s?
Right now, in 6s it says you can not use certain services if you don't enter old passcode, what does this mean? What all services can't be used if I don't enter old passcode?
Can Apple delete all my icloud data? if I restore phone with the backup from Mac will I get all data back in my phone eg notes?
 

EdwinG

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So, there are three options that it is asking after I sign in to Apple ID a/c. Either I enter old passcode or I enter passcode for any other device running Apple ID(here it is not providing the option to enter 5s passcode). The last option is to select forgot all passcodes. What will happen if I click this?
I suspect it will reset the component that can’t be decrypted or skip that component. That’s why I’m asking for the exact prompt message (the question that you’re asked), because each situation will be unique.

Also, should I just restore 5s with SE backup and keep the phone as is? Just in case Apple locks my account or deletes icloud data, I will still have it in my phone. After restoring 5s will it ask me the passcode of SE or 5s?
If that is possible, based on my testing, it will ask you for the iPhone SE passcode. It will also take your iPhone SE’s identity (name, entries in Find My, etc.)

Right now, in 6s it says you can not use certain services if you don't enter old passcode, what does this mean? What all services can't be used if I don't enter old passcode?
Go into Settings, your name (at the top) and iCloud. It should list all enabled/disabled iCloud services. Those services that can’t be used are among those. Commonly, it will be things that are encrypted with your device passcode (e.g.: Keychain, Health data).

Can Apple delete all my icloud data?
Yes, Apple can delete all your iCloud data. But I have no knowledge of such a thing occurring in a situation where a passcode is lost. They will lock the account if something is afoul, requiring you to go through the password reset procedures. It wouldn’t make much sense from a customer experience perspective.

if I restore phone with the backup from Mac will I get all data back in my phone eg notes?
Yes, if Notes are included in the backup. It does not include any of iCloud data.
 

whiteowl4

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IMG_01.JPGIMG_02.JPGIMG_03.JPG

Thanks Ed for the responses. PFA screenshots as requested.
If I have to restore the phone from itunes, will I be able to restore the backup from Mac that I had taken in April? After taking the backup will it again ask me the old passcode?
There's an option to select reset encrypted data, what will happen? Will I lose all data on my phone? If yes then can it be restored again from the Mac backup?
What will happen if I select forgot all passcodes?
Also, my Mac backup is encrypted and I know its password and the Apple ID password. If somehow, I am able to remove the encryption of the Mac backup(if there's some 3rd party software), will it still ask me to enter the old passcode in iphone after I restore the backup?
 

EdwinG

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Thanks Ed for the responses. PFA screenshots as requested.
The screenshots actually do help :)

So it's trying to unlock your iCloud Keychain and Health data, amongst others. See full list here (anything that has end-to-end in the Encryption column): https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202303

You should be able to skip this passcode request by tapping Cancel :) You can afterwards try to enable it in the Settings app.

I actually ran into this prompt yesterday, when my iPhone came out of repairs. It offered me to enter my Mac's password, which didn't work. It did list my iPhone itself in the available devices.

If I have to restore the phone from itunes, will I be able to restore the backup from Mac that I had taken in April? After taking the backup will it again ask me the old passcode?
Yes to both. This is to unlock data that's stored in iCloud.

There's an option to select reset encrypted data, what will happen? Will I lose all data on my phone? If yes then can it be restored again from the Mac backup?
If you choose to reset encrypted data, it will erase the data stored in iCloud that's end-to-end encrypted (see https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT202303). It does not erase all the data that's on the phone, but it will erase end-to-end encrypted data on all your Apple devices - because the key will have been reset.

What will happen if I select forgot all passcodes?
I'm not sure, I never used it, and I can't find a reference for that option :(

Also, my Mac backup is encrypted and I know its password and the Apple ID password. If somehow, I am able to remove the encryption of the Mac backup(if there's some 3rd party software), will it still ask me to enter the old passcode in iphone after I restore the backup?
Yes, because this is for iCloud data, not iPhone data :)
 
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whiteowl4

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Thanks Ed!
I actually tried to enter a few (5) passcodes but in vain. I don't care much about the encrypted data like passwords, health kit, so should I just reset encrypted data? Or at least try entering the old passcode a few more times to get the right one. Remember, I also have to unlock another SE whose last backup was in April. So, don't want to lose data for the last 3 months. My fear is if I keep entering the wrong passcode multiple times, it may delete iCloud data or lock apple id. Is it true?
Further, I went through the list of encrypted data, it is mentioned there saved accounts and passwords. What are all these? Do they include my email accounts and data associated with them? Also, I have a lot of flagged gmails. Will I lose the flag marked in gmails? Or if I open mail in MacBook, I can find those flagged emails?
 

EdwinG

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Thanks Ed!
I actually tried to enter a few (5) passcodes but in vain. I don't care much about the encrypted data like passwords, health kit, so should I just reset encrypted data? Or at least try entering the old passcode a few more times to get the right one. Remember, I also have to unlock another SE whose last backup was in April. So, don't want to lose data for the last 3 months. My fear is if I keep entering the wrong passcode multiple times, it may delete iCloud data or lock apple id. Is it true?
As I previously mentioned, if you reset encrypted data, those specific items will be erased across all account devices that are configured to sync those items.

Apple ID lock is a possibility - which would require a password reset, but full account deletion is unlikely, because it would be an extremely weird customer experience and counterintuitive.

What I’m suggesting is that you skip providing the former passcodes by using “Cancel” at the top of the screen. It will not enable those device passcode encrypted components.

Further, I went through the list of encrypted data, it is mentioned there saved accounts and passwords. What are all these? Do they include my email accounts and data associated with them? Also, I have a lot of flagged gmails. Will I lose the flag marked in gmails? Or if I open mail in MacBook, I can find those flagged emails?
Saved accounts and passwords are the accounts and passwords configured on your devices that roam between them. E.g.: it could be an email account (and its password) that would then be automatically configured on the other devices. It could be also Wi-Fi passwords, etc.

Email message flags are stored on the mail server (like iCloud Mail, Google Mail, Exchange, etc.) and it is not device passcode encrypted. You will see the flags on any device that has access to the account (as long as the app you’re using supports message flags).
 

whiteowl4

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Thanks a ton Ed for all the help.
One last thing-I tried around 20 times to get the right passcode but in vain. It is now asking me to either reset end to end encryption or approve the device using any other signed into icloud. How to I approve the device form another device? I didn't enable keychain in any of my devices, as far as I remember. Also, I am already signed into icloud on the reset SE in which it is asking me to enter the old passcode.
 

EdwinG

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Thanks a ton Ed for all the help.
One last thing-I tried around 20 times to get the right passcode but in vain. It is now asking me to either reset end to end encryption or approve the device using any other signed into icloud. How to I approve the device form another device? I didn't enable keychain in any of my devices, as far as I remember. Also, I am already signed into icloud on the reset SE in which it is asking me to enter the old passcode.
I have never seen such a prompt. I would expect to have a notification on the other devices - either in the Notification Centre or in the Settings app.