If Find My iPhone is enabled, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, select the device, and use “Erase iPhone” to remotely wipe it. 2. On macOS Catalina or later, connect the iPhone to a Mac, force restart it into recovery mode, and use Finder to restore the device. 3. Use any computer with iTunes by putting the iPhone into recovery mode and restoring it via iTunes. 4. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store with proof of ownership for assistance. All methods result in data loss and require restoring the device, but using iCloud or Finder can bypass direct use of iTunes, and successful recovery depends on prior Find My iPhone setup or access to a computer.

If your iPhone is disabled due to too many incorrect passcode attempts, you won't be able to use it normally. While iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later) is the traditional method to restore it, there are ways to unlock a disabled iPhone without directly using iTunes—though all reliable methods ultimately involve restoring the device, which requires a computer or iCloud.

Here’s how to unlock a disabled iPhone without using iTunes directly:

1. Use iCloud to Erase the iPhone (Find My iPhone Required)

If you previously enabled Find My iPhone, you can erase the device remotely using iCloud. This bypasses the need for iTunes on your local computer.

Steps:

• Go to iCloud.com on a computer or another device.
• Sign in with your Apple ID (the same one linked to the disabled iPhone).
• Click on Find iPhone.
• Click All Devices, then select your disabled iPhone.
• Choose Erase iPhone.
• Confirm the action. This will wipe the device, including the passcode.
• Once erased, you can set it up as new or restore from a backup.

?? Note: This only works if Find My iPhone was turned on before the device was disabled.

2. Use Recovery Mode with Finder (macOS Catalina and Later)

If you're on a Mac with macOS Catalina or newer, iTunes has been replaced by Finder. You can still restore your iPhone through recovery mode—this is essentially the same process as iTunes, but without using the iTunes app.

Steps:

• Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
• Force restart your iPhone:
  • iPhone 8 or later: Press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears.
  • iPhone 7/7 Plus: Hold the Side and Volume Down buttons together until the recovery screen appears.
  • iPhone 6s or earlier: Hold the Home and Side (or Top) buttons together.
• When prompted, choose Restore (not Update) in the Finder pop-up window.
• Wait for the restore process to complete. Your iPhone will restart without a passcode.
• Set it up as new or restore from a backup.

3. Use Another Computer with iTunes (If You Don’t Have Access to Your Own)

If you don’t have your personal computer, you can use any computer with iTunes installed (like a friend’s or a public one) to restore the iPhone via recovery mode.

The steps are the same as above—put the iPhone in recovery mode and restore it using iTunes. Just make sure you trust the computer you're using, and avoid staying signed in after the restore.

4. Use Apple Support or Visit an Apple Store

If you're uncomfortable doing it yourself or none of the above options work, contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store. If you can prove ownership (original receipt, serial number, etc.), they may assist you in restoring the device.

? Note: Apple cannot unlock a disabled iPhone without a full restore. They won’t bypass security for you.

Important Notes:

• Data Loss: All methods above erase your iPhone. If you don’t have a recent backup, data will be lost.
• Backups Help: Use iCloud or computer backups regularly to avoid data loss in the future.
• No Third-Party Tools: Avoid apps claiming to unlock disabled iPhones without a restore—they’re often scams or malware.

Ultimately, unlocking a disabled iPhone without iTunes still requires restoring it—either through iCloud, Finder, or another computer. The key is having Find My iPhone enabled or access to a computer. Once restored, you can set it up again with your Apple ID and restore your data from a backup.

Basically, without prior setup like Find My iPhone, you’ll need a computer—but it doesn’t have to be your computer, and it doesn’t have to be called "iTunes" anymore.

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