iPad Pro Passcode Issue

[rickeames]

Right before taking my trip, my iPad Pro made me change my passcode (I assume exchange forced it). So I did. I'm now overseas and about to fly home and want to use it (been using it all week) when it decides now is a good time to ask for it again before allowing me to use face ID. And for the life of me, I CAN'T REMEMBER IT (which is the whole point of faceID...I have that with me always). I am now at the 15 min lockout stage and frustrated beyond all belief. I had changed it in a rush to get to the airport, and I just don't know what I set it to.

So, given I fly out later tomorrow, what are my options? I assume I have to flatten it and start from scratch, losing all of my content? That seems a harsh penalty. I hate that it does this occasionally with the request for the password, and I hate that I'm forced to write passwords down to remember them (which kills the point).

So frustrated. Going to be a long flight with zero content going home tomorrow.

 

[casperes1996]

Well, that's only how it works if it's connected to company data or similar mandating it. It's not an iOS requirement, but something iOS allows company data and such to require.

 

[secretk]

Right before taking my trip, my iPad Pro made me change my passcode (I assume exchange forced it). So I did. I'm now overseas and about to fly home and want to use it (been using it all week) when it decides now is a good time to ask for it again before allowing me to use face ID. And for the life of me, I CAN'T REMEMBER IT (which is the whole point of faceID...I have that with me always). I am now at the 15 min lockout stage and frustrated beyond all belief. I had changed it in a rush to get to the airport, and I just don't know what I set it to.

So, given I fly out later tomorrow, what are my options? I assume I have to flatten it and start from scratch, losing all of my content? That seems a harsh penalty. I hate that it does this occasionally with the request for the password, and I hate that I'm forced to write passwords down to remember them (which kills the point).

So frustrated. Going to be a long flight with zero content going home tomorrow.

I had something similar happening to me with my company iPhone. I had almost given up on remembering the passcode. I was advised (in the iPhone forum here) to check with the company administrators and see if they can reset the passcode. Luckily I woke up at 5:40 AM on Sunday remembering the passcode that I had entered so I was able to unlock my iPhone. I did end up keeping a Note in the Notes app with my passcode that is locked with TouchID/passcode. You can access your Notes from your iCloud (given that you remember your iCloud password). Have in mind that the Note gets associated with the active passcode at the moment of locking the note, not your most recent passcode. It is not perfect but this is the only way I found to deal with this.

 

[Mw0103]

I had something similar happening to me with my company iPhone. I had almost given up on remembering the passcode. I was advised (in the iPhone forum here) to check with the company administrators and see if they can reset the passcode. Luckily I woke up at 5:40 AM on Sunday remembering the passcode that I had entered so I was able to unlock my iPhone. I did end up keeping a Note in the Notes app with my passcode that is locked with TouchID/passcode. You can access your Notes from your iCloud (given that you remember your iCloud password). Have in mind that the Note gets associated with the active passcode at the moment of locking the note, not your most recent passcode. It is not perfect but this is the only way I found to deal with this.

I fell victim to this once. Now I have a “system” for my complex password. It advances one character for the month in which I set it. Been working flawlessly for two years now, and I never forget it.

 

[rickeames]

well, lesson learned. I flattened it using icloud's remote wipe and had it restore from the last backup overnight. i won't have my video content, but at least I'll have my books. I will go on record saying two things:

1) I shouldn't be *required* to enter my passcode to use face-id. That's a weird design decision.
2) Apps from companies should not be able to enforce a passcode policy on *my* machine. They should for their own app, sure, but not my device. That's objectionable.

 

[adrianlondon]

1. My phone asks for my passcode each time I turn it on. I assume it uses that to unlock the secure enclave (or whatever it's called) that stores the face or touch-id. Or it could be a security thing as I believe some police forces can make you touch the touch-id and/or look at the phone but they can't force you to recall a passcode.

2. Companies can't enforce anything, unless you willingly install their corporate apps on your private phone. I believe you would have had to install a profile for this to happen. Best to keep private and company apps/data separate even if it means carrying two devices. I agree with you on this though - if it's just emails, they should allow IMAP access.

 

[AutomaticApple]

Right before taking my trip, my iPad Pro made me change my passcode (I assume exchange forced it). So I did. I'm now overseas and about to fly home and want to use it (been using it all week) when it decides now is a good time to ask for it again before allowing me to use face ID. And for the life of me, I CAN'T REMEMBER IT (which is the whole point of faceID...I have that with me always). I am now at the 15 min lockout stage and frustrated beyond all belief. I had changed it in a rush to get to the airport, and I just don't know what I set it to.

So, given I fly out later tomorrow, what are my options? I assume I have to flatten it and start from scratch, losing all of my content? That seems a harsh penalty. I hate that it does this occasionally with the request for the password, and I hate that I'm forced to write passwords down to remember them (which kills the point).

So frustrated. Going to be a long flight with zero content going home tomorrow.

This happened to me once and I got extremely mad. I eventually figured out the passcode but it took me over a day or two.

 

[NoBoMac]

1) I shouldn't be *required* to enter my passcode to use face-id. That's a weird design decision.

1. My phone asks for my passcode each time I turn it on. I assume it uses that to unlock the secure enclave (or whatever it's called) that stores the face or touch-id.

Correct, if you turn off the phone, will get prompted on restart. And correct, it's for unlocking all the encryption keys in Secure Enclave (and Touch/Face ID numerical representations).

Basically, Apple makes you enter the passcode once a week, so you don't forget. Because...

You can use your passcode anytime instead of Touch ID or Face ID, but the following operations always require a passcode instead of a biometric:
• Updating your software.
• Erasing your device.
• Viewing or changing passcode settings.
• Installing iOS configuration profiles.

A passcode is also required if your device is in the following states:
• The device has just been turned on or restarted.
• The device hasn’t been unlocked for more than 48 hours.
• The passcode hasn’t been used to unlock the device in the last 156 hours (six
and a half days) and a biometric hasn’t unlocked the device in the last 4 hours.
• The device has received a remote lock command.
• After five unsuccessful biometric match attempts.
• After initiating power off/Emergency SOS.

https://www.apple.com/business/docs/site/iOS_Security_Guide.pdf

 

[TriBruin]

well, lesson learned. I flattened it using icloud's remote wipe and had it restore from the last backup overnight. i won't have my video content, but at least I'll have my books. I will go on record saying two things:

1) I shouldn't be *required* to enter my passcode to use face-id. That's a weird design decision.

Preventing a user from forgetting their passcode is the exact reason Apple enforces entering at least once a week. The every time you restart the iPad you need your passcode to unlock the Secure Enclave, which is storing your FaceID. Without the passcode, you can't unlock the Secure Enclave.

2) Apps from companies should not be able to enforce a passcode policy on *my* machine. They should for their own app, sure, but not my device. That's objectionable.

If you have a company data (like email) on your phone, then the company has a right to protect their data by requiring simple security requirements. If you don't like it, remove your company email from your phone.