"When I took my iPhone out, it gave me the ‘iPhone Unavailable - try again in 15 minutes' message. So I didn't think much of it and I turned it off and waited. After a couple minutes I checked the message again and it was still stuck at 15 minutes. I shut it off and on a couple times but nothing happened. It's been about an hour and I'm still waiting. How can I unlock my iPhone? I still remember my passcode."
Sometimes when you leave your iPhone in your pocket, you accidentally turn it on and press random numbers or something. After entering the wrong passcode many times on your iPhone, you may be getting an "iPhone Unavailable" message. It is not difficult to unlock a disabled iPhone, but one such concern that users may face is the iPhone Unavailable timer not going down as expected. In this article, we will delve into the reasons behind this issue and provide some useful solutions to fix the issue.
- Part 1. Why Is My iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Going Down?
- Part 2. How to Make iPhone Unavailable Timer Go Down
- Part 3. How to Erase iPhone When iPhone Unavailable Timer Stuck
- Part 4. Alternative Ways to iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Changing
- Part 5. FAQs about iPhone Unavailable Timer
Part 1. Why Is the iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Going Down?
The Unavailable message appears on an iPhone that's running iOS 15.2 or later after at least five failed attempts to enter your passcode. When your iPhone becomes unavailable, your device will ask you to try again later. On the iPhone Unavailable screen, the countdown time of trying entering the screen lock passcode is from 1 minute to several hours. However, some reasons like poor network, software bugs, upgrade issues, charging problems, and SIM-related glitches can cause the iPhone Unavailable timer not going down issue. Then you cannot enter the correct passcode on the iPhone Unavailable screen to unlock your iPhone.
Part 2. How to Make iPhone Unavailable Timer Go Down
The reasons behind the iPhone Unavailable timer stuck issue can be various. The issue arose from system bugs and SIM-related glitches can be resolved with the correct steps, then the iPhone Unavailable timer can normally go down. And you can enter the correct screen lock passcode to unlock your device. Here's what to do.
Solution 1. Reinsert a SIM Card on Your iPhone
Only if you have an active cellular or WiFi connection, the iPhone Unavailable timer on your device can normally change. In this case, you can try removing and reinserting the SIM card into the SIM tray of your iPhone. Follow the steps below to start.
Step 1. Locate the SIM tray and insert a paper clip into the hole beside the tray.
Step 2. Push in, towards your iPhone, and pop open the SIM tray.
Step 3. Check the SIM card and place it into the tray, then insert the tray into the device completely.
Solution 2. Force Restart Your iPhone
If your iPhone is stuck on the iPhone Unavailable timer screen and the timer is not going down, a simple but effective method to make the iPhone Unavailable timer change is to reboot your device. Here's how to restart your iPhone.
Step 1. Press and hold either the volume down button and the power button until the power-off slider appears.
Step 2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
Step 3. Press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
Part 3. How to Erase iPhone When iPhone Unavailable Timer Stuck
After the iPhone Unavailable timer counts down, you can try entering the passcode to your device again. However, if your iPhone is still stuck on the iPhone Unavailable screen and you can't remember your passcode, you can use your Apple ID and password to erase your device without a computer. Now you can erase and reset your device by following the steps below.
Option 1. Erase iPhone Running from iOS 15.2 to 16
When you have an iPhone that uses iOS 15.2 or iOS 16 and you are connected to a cellular or WiFi network, the Erase iPhone option appears on the iPhone Unavailable screen. Now go to erase your iPhone to remove the iPhone Unavailable screen.
Step 1. On the iPhone Unavailable screen, tap Erase iPhone at the bottom right corner.
Step 2. Tap Erase iPhone again and enter your Apple ID password to sign out your Apple ID.
Step 3. After signing out of your Apple ID, tap Erase iPhone to erase all content and settings. Then you can set up your device and create a new passcode.
Option 2. Erase iPhone Running iOS 17 or Later
If you have an iPhone that is updated to iOS 17 or later and you are connected to a cellular or WiFi network, you can see the Forgot Passcode? Option on the iPhone Unavailable screen. To unlock your iPhone, just erase your device to set it up for use.
Step 1. On the iPhone Unavailable screen, tap the Forgot Passcode? option in the bottom corner of the screen.
Step 2. Tap Start iPhone Reset to confirm on the Security Lockout screen.
Step 3. Before erasing your device, enter your Apple ID password to sign out of your Apple ID.
Step 4. Tap Erase iPhone to delete all data and settings on your device. If you use an eSIM with iOS 17 or later, select Keep eSIM and Erase Data. Then you can restart your device and set it up.
Part 4. Alternative Ways to iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Changing
With your Apple ID password, you can sign out of your Apple ID and erase your device on the iPhone Unavailable screen, then you can set it up and create a new screen passcode. However, when the iPhone Unavailable timer is not going down and you cannot erase your device either, there are several other options for you to unlock your iPhone.
Solution 1. Unlock iPhone via an iPhone Unlocker
Using a professional iPhone unlocking tool could be the most effective way of getting your iPhone out of iPhone Unavailable. Here we recommend MagFone iPhone Unlocker to you. With this powerful unlocking tool, you can not remove the screen passcode from iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, but also delete Apple ID, Screen Time passcode and MDM profile without password. Here we will show you how to use MagFone iPhone Unlocker to bypass iPhone Unavailable.
Key Features of MagFone iPhone Unlocker
* Security Verified. 5,481,347 people have downloaded it.
- Unlock various screen locks like Face ID and Touch ID on all iOS devices
- Remove Apple ID from iPhone and iPad without password and data loss
- Bypass Screen Time passcode and MDM restrictions without passcode
- Support the latest version of iOS and iPadOS, as well as, iOS devices
Step 1 Connect iPhone to Computer and Launch MagFone
Launch MagFone iPhone Unlocker on your computer and meantime connect your iPhone to this computer using a USB cable. On the main interface of MagFone software, you can select the Unlock iOS Screen option and click on the Start button at the next window.
Step 2 Go to Put iPhone into Recovery Mode or DFU Mode
Before starting to remove passcode from iPhone, you need to put your iPhone into DFU mode or recovery mode first. If you don't know what to do, you can follow the on-screen steps to put your device into DFU mode.
Step 3 Download and Verify the Matching Firmware Package
Then you need to check all the device information of your iPhone, including the device, device model, and series number. If there is something wrong, you need to correct it manually. Then select the version of the firmware package to download.
Step 4 Start to Fix iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Going Down
After verifying the firmware package, you can click on the Unlock button to unzip the firmware package. MagFone iPhone Unlocker will immediately remove passcode from iPhone and unlock it. Keep your device connected to the computer until the process ends.
Solution 2. Unlock iPhone via iTunes/Finder
iTunes is another option to restore your iPhone if you forgot your screen lock passcode and Apple ID password. With iTunes, you can restore your device in recovery mode. After erasing all the contents and data, including the screen lock passcode, you can easily take control of your iPhone again. The following steps can help you restore your iPhone with iTunes.
Step 1. Power off your iPhone and connect it to your computer through a USB cable.
Step 2. Press and hold the correct button for your device to put it into recovery mode.
Step 3. Open iTunes or the Finder on the computer, then click on the Restore button.
Step 4. Wait for the process to finish and keep your device connected to the computer.
Solution 3. Unlock iPhone in iCloud.com
With your Apple ID password, you can not only directly erase your iPhone on the Unavailable screen but also remotely erase it on iCloud. Make sure that you have previously enabled Fine My iPhone. Then you can sign into iCloud with your Apple ID and password. After erasing your iPhone, you can restart and reset your device. Here's how to.
Step 1. Open iCloud.com in a browser on your device and sign into iCloud with your Apple ID and password.
Step 2. After successfully signing in, head to the Find My tab and click on the All Devices button on the top of the screen.
Step 3. From the drop-down device list, find your iPhone and click on it.
Step 4. In the pop-up device information window, click on the Erase iPhone button.
Step 5. Proceed to click on the Erase button, then your device will be erased to the factory settings.
Solution 4. Unlock iPhone via Find My
If you have more than one Apple device and use one Apple ID on all devices, you can use the Find My app on your device to remotely erase your disabled iPhone for use again. Like signing into iCloud, you should be sure that the Find My iPhone feature is enabled on your disabled iPhone. Then you can remotely restore your device by following the steps below.
Step 1. Find an Apple device where you use the same Apple ID as your disabled iPhone.
Step 2. Open the Find My app and tap on Devices at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3. Select your disabled iPhone and tap on Erase This Device.
Step 4. Tap on Continue and enter your screen lock passcode, then tap on Erase to confirm.
Part 5. FAQs about iPhone Unavailable Timer
Q1. How to fix iPhone Unavailable without computer?
A: To fix iPhone Unavailable without computer, you can directly erase your device on the iPhone Unavailable screen with your Apple ID password or sign into iCloud to remotely erase your device.
Q2. How long does iPhone Unavailable last?
A: The iPhone Unavailable message can last from one minute to several hours, even for years on your iPhone unless you enter the correct screen lock passcode.
Q3. How to bypass iPhone Unavailable without iTunes?
A: If you want to bypass iPhone Unavailable without iTunes, you can directly wipe your iPhone on the Unavailable screen or use an iPhone unlocker like MagFone iPhone Unlocker.
Q4. How to restore data after erasing iPhone Unavailable
A: After erasing your iPhone on the Unavailable screen, you can choose to restore all the deleted settings and data from iTunes or iCloud if you have made a backup of your device in time.
Wrap Up
When the iPhone Unavailable timer is not counting down, the direct way to fix the issue is to restart your iPhone and reinsert the SIM card on your device. If this cannot be resolved, you can directly erase and reset your iPhone. In addition, you can consider using MagFone iPhone Unlocker, iTunes, or other methods to get your device out of the Unavailable screen. Then you can set up your device and recover all the data and settings from iTunes or iCloud.
