2 Easy Ways to Backup Disabled iPhone with/without iTunes
by Jenefey Aaron Updated on 2023-01-06 / Update for iPhone Tips
My daughter forgot her passcode for her iPhone. how do I backup a disabled iPhone so the data can be saved before I restore it to factory settings?"
Get the messages "iPhone is disabled. Connect to iTunes"? If you entered the passcode incorrectly for 10 times in a row, your iPhone will become completely disabled and you have to factory restore it. However, you will lose all data on your iPhone after factory resetting. Here comes a question, "Can you backup a disable iphone before restoring?"

The answer is Yes, in this article, we will list 2 easy ways for you to back up a disabled/locked iPhone 12/12 Pro(Max)/12 mini/11/XS and lower versions.
- Part 1: How to Backup Disabled iPhone without iTunes
- Part 2: How to Backup A Disable iPhone with iTunes You've Synced with
- Part 3: How to Unlock A Disabled iPhone Quickly after Backup
Part 1: How to Backup Disabled iPhone without iTunes
Plug your locked iPhone into the computer with iTunes opened but unable to backup it? Don't worry, here is an easy way to backup data on a locked iPhone without iTunes. What you need is Tenorshare iCareFone, the best free iPhone backup tool to backup iPhone when iTunes can't recognize your device. Now follow steps below to backup data when iPhone is disabled (Only iOS 14 and below are supported).
Firstly, free download and install Tenorshare iCareFone on your computer.
- Run the program and connect your iPhone to computer via USB cable. On the main interface, select "Backup & Restore".
-
Now check the box before the files you want to backup or simply select all. Click "Backup" to backup data on your disabled iPhone without iCloud/iTunes. The backing up time depends on the size of your iPhone data.
pic: click backup button -
Once it finished, you can click "Restore to device" or "Export to PC" to save the backup data either on your iPhone or computer.
pic: save the backup data
Video Guide on How to Backup Disabled iPhone with iCareFone
Part 2: How to Backup Locked iPhone with iTunes You've Synced with
This method works only when you have made a backup of your iPhone on a trusted-commputer. If you have ever synced your iPhone with iTunes before and haven't restarted your iPhone eversince, you might be able to do a backup. But this method is inconclusive. It will probably ask for the passcode if you try to back it up.
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer via USB and open iTunes
-
Click on the device icon in the tab bar and click Back Up Now to start backup your device.
Part 3: How to Unlock a Disabled iPhone Quickly after Backup
After backing up your iPhone, now comes to unlock your locked iPhone. There is an official way to remove the passcode on iPhone via iTunes, however, it’s very troublesome because you need to manually enter the recovery mode and then connect to iTunes to restore your iPhone. Is there a quick and easy method to unlock a disable iPhone? Of course, Yes! Tenorshare 4uKey is such a tool to remove any iPhone lock screen in 3 steps! Let’s see how it works:
-
After installation, launch the program and click the option of "Unlock Lock Screen Passcode".
pic: select the feature of unlock lock screen passcode on 4ukey -
Then, connect the disable iPhone to computer via a USB cable. When the iPhone is detected, click “Start” button to get started.
pic: click start button -
Later, it will require you to download the latest firmware package. Just simply click “Download” from the main interface, it will download automatically. Once completed, click “Start Click” to remove the iPhone password.
pic: click start button pic: unlock disable iPhone successfully
Video Guide: How to Unlock A Disable iPhone with 4ukey
Common Questions about backup disable iPhone 7/8/X/11
1. Can you Backup iPhone while Disabled?
It depends on the situation. If it is disabled because you enter the wrong passcode too many times, and you have previously synced to the iTunes on computer, then Yes.
2. How Can I Recover Data from Disable iPhone?
- Launch UltData on your PC/Mac, connect your disable iPhone to the program.
- Switch to ‘Recover from iOS device’ option and tap the ‘Start Scan’button.
- Preview and Recover lost data from disable iPhone
Conclusion
So we have shown you how to back up disabled iPhone with Tenorshare iCareFone as well as iTunes. We hope our solutions would help you solve your problem.