How to Fix a Disabled iPad

This article explains how to deal with a disabled iPad. If your iPad is stolen and someone tries to hack the code, your iPad disables itself after too many incorrect passcode attempts, a security feature on the iPad that safeguards your privacy. Information in this article applies to iPadOS 14, iPadOS 13, and all currently supported versions of iOS.

My iPad Is Disabled and I Didn't Type in a Wrong Passcode

If you (or anyone else) types the wrong passcode into your iPad, it eventually disables itself completely. When your iPad is disabled, someone entered the wrong passcode often enough to disable it. If you have a toddler or an older kid, the child may have typed in the wrong passcode without realizing what might happen to the iPad. Consider childproofing your iPad using parental restrictions.

How to Get a Disabled iPad Working Again

If your iPad becomes permanently disabled, your only choice is to reset it to its factory default state. If you turn on Find My iPad, the easiest way to reset the iPad is through iCloud. The Find My iPad feature contains a way to reset the iPad remotely. The iPad doesn't need to be lost or stolen; this method resets it without resorting to iTunes. Here's how:

1. Log in to your iCloud account.

2. Select Find iPhone.

3. Choose your iPad.

4. Select the Erase iPad link to erase the data on your iPad remotely.

If you haven't set up Find My iPad, the next best option is to restore it from the same computer you used to set it up or from the computer you use to sync the iPad with iTunes. Connect your iPad to the PC using the cable that came with the iPad and launch iTunes. This connection should start the sync process.

Let this process finish so that you have a backup of all the stuff on your iPad and then choose to restore the iPad to factory settings using iTunes.

What If I Didn't Sync My iPad With My PC?

The Find My iPad feature is important. Not only is it an iPad-saver if you lose your device or if the tablet is stolen, but it can provide an easy way to reset the iPad.

If you haven't set it up and have never set up your iPad with your PC, you can still unlock it by using the iPad's Recovery Mode, which is more involved than a normal restore.