iPhone Is Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes? Fixed!

"My iPhone is disabled. I followed the onscreen instruction and tried to connect my iPhone to iTunes to fix it. However, when I connected my iPhone to iTunes, there was nothing happened. What can I do to unlock my disabled iPhone?"

It is such a frustrating problem when your iPhone is disabled and won't connect to iTunes. Typically, you can restore your device through iTunes to regain access. But what happens when iTunes fails to recognize your iPhone altogether? If you're facing this issue, you can read this post. Here we offers 4 effective solutions to help you fix the problem and successfully unlock your iPhone.

Part 1. Why Is My iPhone Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes?

An iPhone can become disabled if the wrong passcode is entered too many times. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized access to the device. If your iPhone says it's disabled and won't connect to iTunes, here are a few reasons:

• Wrong Passcode Entries: Entering the wrong passcode too many times disables your iPhone temporarily. Continued failed attempts extend the lockout and may eventually require restoring the device via iTunes or Finder to regain access.
• Outdated iTunes Version: If your iTunes version is outdated, it might not be able to communicate with your iPhone's newer operating system.
• Connection Issue: Your iPhone might not be properly connected to your computer.
• Driver Problem: Sometimes, the drivers on your computer that allow it to communicate with the iPhone might be outdated or corrupted.
• Software Glitch: Occasionally, a software glitch could prevent your iPhone from connecting to iTunes.

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone is Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes? [Basic Fixes]

After understanding the reasons, you can try the following basic fixes to address the issue. If none of them work, then move to the Part 3 to get more advanced solutions.

• Update iTunes Version: Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer. Go to Help > Check for Updates to install the newest one.
• Reconnect: Check the USB cable and the ports to ensure a good connection. Try a different USB port or cable if necessary.
• Update Drivers: Updating or reinstalling your computer's drivers might resolve drive issue.
• Fix Software Bugs: Restarting both your iPhone and your computer might fix some software glitches.

Part 3. How to Fix iPhone is Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes? [Advanced Fixes]

If your iPhone is disabled and won't connect to iTunes, the only available solutions involve erasing all data and restoring the device to factory settings. Once reset, you can set a new passcode and use your iPhone as if it were brand new.

Keep in mind, this process will delete all existing data. To avoid losing important files, it's crucial to back up your iPhone beforehand. There are four alternative ways to restore a disabled iPhone.

Solution 1. Use Professional TunesKit iPhone Unlocker (Windows & macOS)

TunesKit iPhone Unlocker is a powerful iOS unlocking software for Windows and Mac systems. This program is designed to unlock various iOS devices like iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch without using any passcode. When you encounter problems like iPhone is disabled, iPhone passcode not working, or iPhone passcode expired, just use TunesKit iPhone Unlocker to help you out.

Besides unlocking iOS screen, TunesKit iPhone Unlocker also supports users to unlock Apple ID, bypass Screen Time restrictions, and remove MDM profiles. With the concise and user-friendly interface, users will not encounter any hassle while unlocking your iPhone.

Now, let's see how to use TunesKit iPhone Unlocker to fix iPhone is disabled and won't connect to iTunes.

Step 1Connect iPhone to Computer

To begin with, please connect your iPhone to the computer and launch TunesKit iPhone Unlocker. Then, select the Unlock iOS Screen feature and hit on the start button.

Step 2Put iPhone into Recovery Mode

Here, you will need to put your iPhone into Recovery mode for the next step. When your iPhone is in the Recovery mode, click on the Next button. If you don't know how to put your iPhone into Recovery mode, you can follow the onscreen instruction to make it.

Step 3Download Firmware Package

Then, TunesKit iPhone Unlocker will ask you to download the firmware package to remove the screen lock from your iPhone. Before downloading, please check that the onscreen information is correct. If not, please correct it manually and hit on the Download button.

Step 4Fix iPhone is Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes

When the firmware package is downloaded, click the Unlock button and TunesKit iPhone Unlocker will start to fix your iPhone immediately. Wait a while until the process is done.

Solution 2. Use iCloud (Web-based Solution)

When your iPhone is disabled and you can't connect it to iTunes, using iCloud is an alternative way to get the screen lock off your iPhone. Before using this method, please go to Settings app > [your name] > Find My to check that whether the Find My iPhone feature is enabled on your iPhone. If not, you cannot use this method to unlock your iPhone.

Please follow the following steps to fix the iPhone is disabled and won't connect to iTunes.

Step 1. Launch a browser on your computer or another iOS device. Go to the iCloud.com website and log into your Apple ID account.
Step 2. Select the Find My iPhone option.
Step 3. Click on the All Devices option and select the iPhone that is disabled.
Step 4. Click on the Erase iPhone option to remove all the data and content from your iPhone.

Solution 3. Use Find My App (Mobile Solution)

Similar to iCloud solution, you can also use Find My app to erase you disabled device, thus solve the iPhone is disabled won't connect to iTunes issue. Also, this method requires that the Find My feature is enabled on your device before being disabled.

Next, let's see how to erase your disabled iPhone remotely via Find My app.

Step 1. Find another Apple devices such as your iPad or another iPhone. If you don't have one, you can borrow your friend's.
Step 2. Download and then open the Find My app on it.
Step 3. Tap the Devices icon at the bottom of the screen. Then select the name of your disabled iPhone from the list of devices.
Step 4. Tap Erase This Device. Then tap Continue to proceed.
Step 5. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted and tap Erase again to confirm.

Solution 4. Use Recovery Mode

If you can't connect your iPhone to iTunes directly, you can try to put your iPhone into Recovery mode manually and connect it to iTunes again. You can follow the steps below to put your iPhone into Recovery mode.

For iPhone 8 or newer models: Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button and then the Volume Down button. Then, keep holding the Side button until you can see the Recovery mode screen.

For iPhone 7/iPhone 7 Plus: Connect your iPhone to the computer and launch iTunes. Then press and hold the Volume Down and Side buttons concurrently until you can see the Recovery mode screen.

For iPhone 6 or earlier models: Connect your iPhone to iTunes with a workable lighting cable. Then, Press and hold the Home and Side buttons until y our iPhone screen shows the iTunes screen.

When your iPhone is in Recovery mode, iTunes will recognize it on your computer. Select the Restore button when it appears. Follow the onscreen instructions until the restore process starts. Be patient as this will take some minutes. After iTunes completes the restoration of your iPhone, you can power it on and proceed to create a new passcode. If you have previously backed up your data, you can also restore your data to your iPhone.

Part 4. FAQs about iPhone Is Disabled and Won't Connect to iTunes

Here are frequently asked questions regarding iPhone is disabled and not connecting to iTunes.

Part 5. Conclusion

If your iPhone is disabled and won't connect to iTunes, the above solutions will be workable for you to fix it efficiently. If you don't know any iPhone passcode to erase or restore it, using TunesKit iPhone Unlocker is the most recommended solution for you to help you unlock your iPhone. Still having other questions? Feel free to leave us a comment below.