iPad Access photos without iPad password?

[cosmichobo]

G'day,

My 4th Gen iPad (A1458) suffered a severely smashed screen a few years back, and has been sitting in a plastic bag ever since.

I've finally gone to prepare to sell - wanting to check for any photos that may not have been retrieved, and then perform a factory reset, but discovered that the password was not the password I was expecting...

Photos on my Mac wont talk to the iPad without me putting the password in... same for iTunes...

It's likely that the Mac I am using was previously used to perform a back up, but possibly not...

Is there any workaround for this, so I can get the photos off?

Failing that... in order to perform a factory restore - do I need to use "Find iPhone" on my iPhone and then "Erase iPad"?

Cheers and thanks.

cosmic

 

[Shirasaki]

If your iPad is under your account then yes, best bet.
However, you cannot bypass the passcode before doing backup on anything I think newer than iOS 11 or iOS 10.
If possible, you can send this iPad to a local repair shop, ask them to connect your iPad to a temporary screen where you can at least touch and do stuff with it. After done, erase the iPad from there.

 

[cosmichobo]

Oh - should have said - the screen had a protector on it, and still works (at least, for the most part). I can still enter the pass code... I just can't remember it. :}

It powers up, home button works, will connect to the Mac... but without the passcode I can't get any data off it.

It still appears on my "Find iPhone" app on my phone, HOWEVER it does not connect via wifi to my network (probably due to the password having been changed for the wifi).

As such, it shows as offline in Find iPhone...

 

[Shirasaki]

That’s interesting. So you don’t remember the device passcode at all? Putting device into DFU can clear the passcode and factory restore the iPad, all locally. All of your photos are gone though.
Another attempt is changing the password of your wifi back to the one that iPad remember, and wait to see if if iCloud can pick up any data magically on your iPad. Maybe your photos are there somewhere.

 

[akash.nu]

That’s interesting. So you don’t remember the device passcode at all? Putting device into DFU can clear the passcode and factory restore the iPad, all locally. All of your photos are gone though.
Another attempt is changing the password of your wifi back to the one that iPad remember, and wait to see if if iCloud can pick up any data magically on your iPad. Maybe your photos are there somewhere.

I can’t remember the steps exactly but DFU won’t work without the passcode I think because the device will still need to be recognised by iTunes which won’t work. Although I haven’t done this in such a long time, as far a I can remember, Without the passcode the device is a paperweight.

 

[Shirasaki]

I can’t remember the steps exactly but DFU won’t work without the passcode I think because the device will still need to be recognised by iTunes which won’t work. Although I haven’t done this in such a long time, as far a I can remember, Without the passcode the device is a paperweight.

If you've forgotten your iPhone passcode, use your Mac or PC to reset it – Apple Support (AU)

Locked out of your iPhone and forgotten your passcode? Use a computer to put your iPhone into recovery mode so you can erase your phone and set it up again.

support.apple.com

 

[akash.nu]

If you've forgotten your iPhone passcode, use your Mac or PC to reset it – Apple Support (AU)

Locked out of your iPhone and forgotten your passcode? Use a computer to put your iPhone into recovery mode so you can erase your phone and set it up again.

support.apple.com

Ah thanks. It’ll still ask for the iCloud password though isn’t it? Otherwise any stolen device could be restored and used.

 

[Shirasaki]

Ah thanks. It’ll still ask for the iCloud password though isn’t it? Otherwise any stolen device could be restored and used.

Yes. But the passcode is used to access the device, not iCloud password.

 

[AutomaticApple]

I think because the device will still need to be recognised by iTunes which won’t work.

Wouldn't it work without being recognized?

 

[cosmichobo]

Thanks for the link above - hopefully at least I'll be able to wipe the device before selling it.

My wife has made a few suggestions of what the code may be... I'm getting longer and longer between guesses however - 1 hour on last attempt...

Usually - though not great security - we choose our codes around a certain theme, so it's really got me puzzled as the first codes I tried normally always are correct.

 

[akash.nu]

Yes. But the passcode is used to access the device, not iCloud password.

But this simply means a stolen device can be wiped out and used by someone else.

I can’t remember the exact reasons why this wouldn’t have been possible?!

Ah! Was it only if you had enabled lost mode on iCloud?!

Wouldn't it work without being recognized?

That’s what I thought, but it seems I was wrong.

 

[Shirasaki]

But this simply means a stolen device can be wiped out and used by someone else.

I can’t remember the exact reasons why this wouldn’t have been possible?!

Ah! Was it only if you had enabled lost mode on iCloud?!



That’s what I thought, but it seems I was wrong.

Stolen device CAN be wiped out but it CAN’T be activated because of iCloud lock.

Device passcode is something used to lock device access locally.

 

[akash.nu]

Stolen device CAN be wiped out but it CAN’T be activated because of iCloud lock.

Device passcode is something used to lock device access locally.

But if stolen devices are wiped out then find my iPhone will never work if a device gets stolen. I thought Apple closed that gap long ago?!

 

[Shirasaki]

But if stolen devices are wiped out then find my iPhone will never work if a device gets stolen. I thought Apple closed that gap long ago?!

Find iPhone writes an activation lock on the device that saves something. When a device is being turned on and initialised, it verifies saved info and device serial number against Apple server, then prompts activation lock before proceeding.

This activation lock can be “removed” by physically replacing chips including SSD and flashing a new serial number. But that requires a lot of soldering and skill.

 

[akash.nu]

Find iPhone writes an activation lock on the device that saves something. When a device is being turned on and initialised, it verifies saved info and device serial number against Apple server, then prompts activation lock before proceeding.

This activation lock can be “removed” by physically replacing chips including SSD and flashing a new serial number. But that requires a lot of soldering and skill.

Yes I know that part but I’m saying that if a device can be wiped out just by putting it in DFU mode then that would wipe out any details of iCloud lock etc as well. So find my iPhone is not supposed to work in that case.

 

[0128672]

Yes I know that part but I’m saying that if a device can be wiped out just by putting it in DFU mode then that would wipe out any details of iCloud lock etc as well. So find my iPhone is not supposed to work in that case.

Yes, exactly what Apple says in this support article. If you erase it remotely or someone else puts it in DFU mode, Find My iPhone no longer works.

If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen - Apple Support

If you lost your iPhone or think it might be stolen, Find My can help protect your device, accounts, and personal information.

support.apple.com

 

[Shirasaki]

Yes I know that part but I’m saying that if a device can be wiped out just by putting it in DFU mode then that would wipe out any details of iCloud lock etc as well. So find my iPhone is not supposed to work in that case.

Yes, exactly what Apple says in this support article. If you erase it remotely or someone else puts it in DFU mode, Find My iPhone no longer works.

If your iPhone or iPad is lost or stolen - Apple Support

If you lost your iPhone or think it might be stolen, Find My can help protect your device, accounts, and personal information.

support.apple.com

If activation lock can be removed that easily, there would be far fewer requests from users asking to remove unrecognised email addresses during device factory reset process. I am now confused. As for device being visible on find iPhone webpage, that part is easy to deal with.

 

[akash.nu]

If activation lock can be removed that easily, there would be far fewer requests from users asking to remove unrecognised email addresses during device factory reset process. I am now confused. As for device being visible on find iPhone webpage, that part is easy to deal with.

Exactly what confused me. But I think I’ve figured out what I was getting confused with. When you connect the device even in DFU mode, it’s asks for your iCloud login details and if you can’t provide that then you’re locked out. If you have the iCloud details then DFU restore goes ahead.