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iPhone 6+: PLEASE help. Forgot passcode, 1 shot left, not backed up :(
- Thread starter Greenone
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That's a good point (doh) but really, I just felt really emotionally exhausted by it all and couldn't afford a new phone. Yes I probably could have gotten a cheap one - some other brand I guess. I hadn't though of that obviously. I can't really explain it. I just felt like I couldn't take it anymore and I have no way to make anyone understand cause I don't really understand. I'd tried so, so many possible codes. I can't for the life of me understand why I couldn't get it.
I don't give a hoot if you want to believe I stole it. Whatever.
Thanks for the supportive comments, for those of you (17Guy et al) who have been kind. It's weird - nuts really - how nasty and "incredulous" people can be. Quotation marks intended.
As for my being negative (someone commented on that earlier), I'm only being negative to those being negative, aren't I?! I mean yeah I'm sick of this all and my posts aren't filled with joy or anything, lol, but give me a break, really.
I don't give a hoot if you want to believe I stole it. Whatever.
Thanks for the supportive comments, for those of you (17Guy et al) who have been kind. It's weird - nuts really - how nasty and "incredulous" people can be. Quotation marks intended.
As for my being negative (someone commented on that earlier), I'm only being negative to those being negative, aren't I?! I mean yeah I'm sick of this all and my posts aren't filled with joy or anything, lol, but give me a break, really.
I'm s bit disappointed you gave up too, but only because I wanted to see you recover those photos! But I do understand giving up out of frustration. Eventually any of us would have gotten to that point. Sorry you lost the photos =(
A couple of this I want to mention maybe. My Facebook app on my photo auto uploads all photos taken on my phone to a special hidden album on Facebook. From Facebook I can choose to make them public or or not. Might be with a shot if you have Facebook to check it out.
And lastly I would have to agree with those who suggest you might have a faulty phone. Yours is doing things that it should NOT be doing. Especially Touch ID. I would get your phone checked out to be safe and maybe prevent more issues in the future. Good luck!
A couple of this I want to mention maybe. My Facebook app on my photo auto uploads all photos taken on my phone to a special hidden album on Facebook. From Facebook I can choose to make them public or or not. Might be with a shot if you have Facebook to check it out.
And lastly I would have to agree with those who suggest you might have a faulty phone. Yours is doing things that it should NOT be doing. Especially Touch ID. I would get your phone checked out to be safe and maybe prevent more issues in the future. Good luck!
I've always enjoyed spending time with teenagers, this is true...
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Thank you. Tried it - nope no pics in that way. My phone's had aaaall kinds of trouble from day one so that's a possibility but also remember I "report" about things that I could be remembering wrong cause I'm honestly half paying attention (obviously). The touch i.d. thing had some details I didn't know about for instance. When it asks for a passcode, it doesn't say "or touch i.d." so I might have assumed it only would take a passcode. Or another example is that according to one person who responded here, touch i.d. won't automatically work if you haven't used it in 24 hours. Well that's the case a lot with me. But then of course I'm told I'm a liar, if I get any details wrong, lol. But even besides that, yes my phone's always been a bit wonky and inconsistent. I kept thinking everything's cause of the infamous software not catching up fast enough. I dunno...
Gosh, this thread is tiresome to read.
OP, you complain that people aren't helpful, but instead of replying to my constructive suggestion you keep focusing on the comments you perceive as negative. That surely doesn't help either?
Now, did you have the Google+ or Gmail app set up on your phone? If so, please go and check your Google+ page - your photos might have been automatically uploaded there if Instant Upload was selected by default. It won't hurt checking!
There were some photos in google plus but only the ones I deliberately put there. Thanks for suggesting it. I've tried what most people have suggested but occasionally one slips through the cracks in all these posts, sorry.
One good thing is I wrote to about 20 friends and family members asking them to send me any and all photos since then, that I may have emailed or texted them (especially that I texted them, straight off my phone, since I already have any photos in my sent email). I've already gotten some great photos/vids from them. So that's helped take the edge off anyway.
Glad you were able to get some photos from others.
As far as maybe you just not noticing things, that could completely be it. Of course it could be bugs in the software still too... But it wouldn't hurt to check. Do you have an Apple Store nearby? They will run diagnostics for free and tell you if there are any issues or not. Also I would suggest going to iBooks and looking for and downloading the iOS 8 user guide. It's official from Apple and free. It's pretty easy to understand and even I've learned a few things from it. Give it a go and you will probably learn some things and ,Anne figure out what's really going wacko with your phone or what's intended. I wish you luck! Also btw, I send you a message so check your mailbox! =)
In all fairness, she did have a few apple employees telling her different or just not being sure about it.
She asked for advice and then didn't take it. It was obvious that you get unlimited tries if you don't enable the data wipe after 10 entries. What was the point of the post?
A couple of reasons:
1. From a security/privacy standpoint, in the US law enforcement can make you apply a fingerprint to your device. But they can't make you give up your passcode.
2. It's easier for a thief to coerce a person into giving a fingerprint than giving up a passcode.
3. TouchID isn't perfect. Prints of fingers from dry skin (as is common in winter weather) are more difficult to read, and are less reliable. Poor fortune can also render them useless: your fingerprints can be cut off, burnt off, or even be distorted by being in the bath for too long. So it's possible to lock yourself out of your iPhone through absolutely no fault of your own, if fingerprints outweigh passcodes.
Fingerprints are definitely more secure than pulling out a piece of plastic with the account information clearly written on it, and zero authentication. Even weak security is better than no security. But they are not as secure or reliable as passcodes.
TouchID, whether people like to admit it or not, is not intended to make a phone absolutely secure. It IS though, better than zero security. The statistics of TouchID use bore that out: before TouchID, less than half of iPhones had a passcode at all. Typing in 4 digits was simply too much work for most users. But having users put a finger on a single button - something they'd have to do anyway - motivated more people to secure their phones. And some of those people might be opting for 4 digit passcodes now, but that's still better than zero digits, and zero fingerprints.
As to the OP's rants: Apple actually has notified people quite a bit about the changes. There's a document detailing everything. Tim Cook himself has made statements about it, and it's been all over the news and on Apple-centric sites. Law enforcement officials have complained loudly about it. If you haven't figured out that this has been going down by now, then there would've only been two other ways to find out:
1. For Tim Cook to personally overturn every one of the rocks that these people have been living under and have a one on one chat with them about it, or
2. You forget your passcode and are now up the creek.
I'm sorry, but putting the blame on Apple just isn't cutting it here. And it's certainly not going to magically bring the data back.
I know it's been said many times, but OP is deflecting and placing blame on others, so it bears repeating: You need to regularly back up your phone. iCloud makes it super-easy to do this, every time the phone charges. And forgetting your passcode is just one reason why this should be done. What happens if you drop your phone and smash it? Or if it gets stolen? Or if your kids accidentally dunk it in water or snow or mud? Should we stomp our feet and blame Apple for those things, too? No, you back up your stuff so it's there when the worst happens.
As for security: you have a choice to make.
1. Be secure, put a passcode on the phone, and remember your passcode (or write it and store it in a very safe spot), or
2. Decide that unfettered access, all the time, regardless of your fuzzy memory, is more important than locking down your phone.
thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions. your first two points i can understand, although i feel like those security and privacy measures should ultimately be up to the informed user to decide. obviously we have the option of putting absolutely no safeguards on the phone, so likewise i wouldn't mind having the option of "finger print is better than nothing."
and to your third point, i'm not suggesting that touchid should supersede a passcode. i'm suggesting that we just make touchid an always valid alternative. if you forget your password, you can hope and pray that your fingers haven't been mangled, and vice versa.
Oh, I don't think you're lying. I never have. I do think you were foolhardy not to have been continually backing up a phone that contained so many precious, irreplaceable family photos and videos, but I think you know that's a pretty accurate assessment of the situation anyway.
I'm sorry you had to reset it and lose all your info.
In the future, I hope you get your backups set up and you create a super long password that small children cannot guess. Truth is, I don't let my kids touch my phone... I never have. This applies to phones I had before I had an iPhone. I never have understood people letting kids play with expensive electronic devices. What? Because they want to? LOL. I always told mine to go play with their own stuff.
And mine are older now and have their own devices and you know what? They don't mess with mine now, not unless I ask them to. Even my 14yo daughter, who is otherwise quite willing to grab my makeup and my hair iron... probably because I've always let her use that stuff.
tl;dr
Sorry you lost your stuff. That really does suck.
Set a very long PW that prying children cannot guess.
Get your Touch ID working properly. You might need to get a replacement from Apple.
Good luck in the future, OP.
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I agree with this so completely that I had to quote it.
I have always had to have a long PW on my phone (8 digit minimum, alphanumeric... at one point, I was required to have a symbol, too). This is because my employer requires it if we use our personal devices for work email (which I do, because it's convenient).
Having such a long passcode means that I have gotten used to typing one that long AND to keeping it secret because my work emails aren't for anyone but me.
Which means that Touch ID was VERY welcome by me. I use it all the time. I can now have a 6-digit passcode that doesn't have to be nearly so convoluted as the ones my org used to make us use, but it's no matter, because unless I reset my phone, I always use Touch ID and I've been doing it that way since the 5s.
I back my mess up. I always back it up. I think iCloud is the greatest thing since buttered toast.
If there are people out there having problems with Touch ID (it works SO much better now than it did on the 5s), I think they need to go see an Apple Genius and figure out what they (or their device) may be doing wrong.
I'd lock my phone no matter what, though. Too much personal info on that baby.
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Nah... not a farce, I don't think. Just a frustrated person who made an error and lost stuff that was important to her.
For people who've been using iPhones for years and adopted iCloud some time ago, this thread probably seems pretty crazy. But, I still have to explain this to my mom and she's had an iPhone for 2 years now.
A member (zorinlynx) responded to your query earlier in this thread and offered a very plausible explanation as to why your solution may not work. TouchID data are encrypted (as are most user data on the iPhone) and the key to decrypt these data is based on the passcode. There's no way to gain access to these data after a restart (which purges the key from memory) without the passcode.
Sure. I'm not meaning to debate that. It may well be technically set up that way. I'm just saying it would be nice if it wasn't. I don't think it is outside the realm of engineering capability to design a system that can be top level unlocked via fingerprint or passcode. If that requires rearchitecting how all that decryption stuff works, so be it. And yes I know that likely won't happen.
At the end of the day, I'm just stating an opinion. I question the fundamental security advantage of pass code when my sneaky nephews can and do learn my passcode no matter how hard I try to hide it from them, but touchid has them stumped.
I don't recall if this has been mentioned, but if you want your kids to play with your phone there is s feature called "guided access" located under accesibility in settings. Might want to check it out .
The story doesn't add up. The only way it requires a passcode is if it's turned off or has been 48 hours since it was last unlocked.
If you had the fingerprint ID you'd never unlock it by the passcode so it wouldn't be an issue of the 8year old seeing it.
If you had the fingerprint ID you'd never unlock it by the passcode so it wouldn't be an issue of the 8year old seeing it.
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I have to know if you ever were able to find a way to get into your phone..I have the iPad air 2 and I had it set up with fingerprint scan, my 6 year old autistic son tried to log in with password(which he did not know) and now it will not let me use fingerprint scan until I enter unlock pass code ( which I cannot remember of course.) I'm at the point that have been locked out for an hour. What is the purpose of fingerprint scan if it will not use it instead of pass code..PLEASE let me know if you found away around this..
Thanks,
Tina
Thanks,
Tina
Amazing thread necromancy.
The fingerprint scan was meant to be a convenience rather than a replacement - you can change passwords, but not your fingerprint, making it a poor primary means of authentication.
There is little recourse for the pass code issue unless you do a full restore from a backup. Always backup your device, or otherwise store all your important files on the cloud. It doesn't matter which OS you use - this is a universal rule.
Frankly it is working as designed - I wouldn't want someone who stole my device to instantly have access to my stuff via a passcode bypass. If you really have difficulty remembering passcode use an easy one like 2580 / 0852. Just be aware that your device is essentially insecure - the better solution, again, is to always back up your device.
The fingerprint scan was meant to be a convenience rather than a replacement - you can change passwords, but not your fingerprint, making it a poor primary means of authentication.
There is little recourse for the pass code issue unless you do a full restore from a backup. Always backup your device, or otherwise store all your important files on the cloud. It doesn't matter which OS you use - this is a universal rule.
Frankly it is working as designed - I wouldn't want someone who stole my device to instantly have access to my stuff via a passcode bypass. If you really have difficulty remembering passcode use an easy one like 2580 / 0852. Just be aware that your device is essentially insecure - the better solution, again, is to always back up your device.
I always wonder that too....Must be a pain in the ass if you need money out of the ATM.
IIRC, she was drunk when she set it. She changed it because her kids were allowed to play with her phone whenever they wanted and they figured out the code.
There are about a dozen points in this story where the OP could've done something different, but hey... crap happens.
This is normal. It happened to me a year ago after I had replaced a 3GS with a 6 Plus. There were 2 photos on the 3GS that had not sync'ed to my other devices. But it had been 2 months since I last turned on the 3GS and I could not recall the passcode.
When I got to where it made me wait 15 minutes, I found that if I connected the 3GS to iTunes and started a backup, it asked for me to enter the passcode on the 3GS. I then clicked cancel on the backup, disconnected the 3GS and the 15 minute wait was not required. At least, not until my passcode retries reached the limit again. Repeated scenario until I finally got the passcode correct.