iPhone is Disabled — Connect to iTunes / Computer Fix Guide

What it means

'iPhone is Disabled — try again in X minutes' or 'iPhone is Disabled — connect to iTunes' (on newer iOS, 'iPhone Unavailable — Erase iPhone') means too many wrong passcodes have been entered.
iOS gets stricter with each wrong attempt: five minutes after six tries, fifteen minutes after seven, an hour after eight, and a full lockout after ten.
The only way out at full lockout is to erase the phone and restore from a backup — there's no secret 'reset the passcode' code.
That's a security feature, not a fault.

Affected Models

All iPhone models when too many wrong passcodes are entered
iPad and iPod Touch see the same behaviour
Newer iOS 15.2+ phones show 'iPhone Unavailable' with an Erase iPhone option on-screen

Common Causes

Six or more wrong passcode entries — usually a child or accidental pocket presses
Someone else trying to guess the passcode
Recent passcode change you forgot
Pocket presses with a screen that wakes on motion
After a software issue where the touch screen registered wrong taps as passcode digits

How to Fix It

Wait it out, if you remember the passcode.

If the screen says 'try again in 1 / 5 / 15 / 60 minutes', that's the easiest path — wait, then enter the correct passcode.
The clock counts down even when the phone is asleep, so you don't need to keep it lit.
This only works while you still know the passcode.
Use Erase iPhone on the lock screen (iOS 15.2 and later).

If the phone shows an 'Erase iPhone' option at the bottom of the lock screen, tap it.
You'll be asked to sign in with the Apple ID that's set up on the phone — that's the key check, and it stops anyone else doing this.
The phone wipes itself, then restarts; you set it up like new and restore from your iCloud or computer backup.
Erase via iCloud / Find My on another device.

On another phone, tablet, or computer go to icloud.com/find and sign in.
Pick the locked iPhone and choose Erase iPhone.
The phone needs to be on and online (Wi-Fi or cellular) for this to work.
Once erased, set it up fresh and restore from a backup.
Erase by connecting to a computer (Finder or iTunes).

If the phone is fully disabled and Find My can't reach it, connect it to a Mac (Finder) or Windows PC (iTunes / Apple Devices app).
You may need to put the iPhone into Recovery Mode — the exact button combo depends on the model; Apple has a step-by-step at support.apple.com.
The computer will offer to Restore the phone; do that, then set up and restore from backup.
Restore from your latest backup.

After the erase finishes, the iPhone starts the Hello / Welcome setup screens.
Choose Restore from iCloud Backup (or Restore from Mac / PC) and sign in to the Apple ID linked to the backup.
The phone downloads your data, apps, photos, and settings.
What survives is everything saved in the last backup — anything added since then is lost.
Set up as new only if you don't have a backup.

If you never backed up — to iCloud or a computer — there's no way to recover your photos, messages, or app data from a disabled phone.
That's a deliberate Apple design choice to protect lost or stolen devices.
Set up as new, sign back into your accounts, and consider turning on iCloud Backup (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > on) so this can't catch you again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I unlock my disabled iPhone without losing my data?

Only if you still know the passcode and can wait out the lockout timer (5 / 15 / 60 minutes).
Once the phone says 'Connect to iTunes' or 'iPhone Unavailable', there's no way to enter a passcode any more — the only path forward is an erase, and the only way to get your data back after that is restoring from a backup.
If you've been using iCloud Backup or backed up to a computer recently, the restore brings back almost everything; if not, the data on the phone is gone.
Beware of websites and apps that claim to unlock a disabled iPhone without erasing — they're scams or paid removal tools that don't actually keep your data.