Do you have an iPad and have encountered an error saying “iPad Unavailable?” Are you frantically trying to find out how to solve this problem without too much headache?
Well, fortunately, this is a common error message you may see on your iPad and there are several potential fixes for this problem!
Continue reading as we go into the details about how you can fix this problem quickly to get you back up and running!
Part 1. Why Does My iPad Say “iPad Unavailable”
While you may be freaking out when you reach the “iPad Unavailable” screen, you should know this is common in iOS versions 15.2 and above and it’s a security measure Apple put into place to protect against unauthorized access to your device.
Therefore, reaching “iPad Unavailable” can be found when you’ve entered the wrong passcode too many times, and you’ll be locked out of your iPad for a set number of minutes depending on how many attempts you’ve made.
The more wrong passcode attempts you make, the longer the “iPad Unavailable” lockout will be, which means you’re going to get a message saying “try again in X number of minutes.”
However, if you’ve entered it wrong multiple times, you’ll be locked out completely. When this happens, you’re going to need to restore your iPad, and we will get into the steps to do that below so keep reading to find out how to get your iPad back up and running!
Part 2. How to Restore Unavailable iPad Free
If you need to restore your iPad after you’ve received the “iPad Unavailable” screen and want to do it for free, there are several options you can choose from.
While all of the options require a little bit of work on your part, they are easy to do and we’ll go into the specific steps for each solution.
#1. The Official Guide – Use Finder or iTunes
Using Finder or iTunes is the official method [1] for unlocking your iPad once you’ve reached the “iPad Unavailable” screen since too many wrong attempts will disable your iPad altogether.
Therefore, putting your iPad into recovery mode is the only way to fix the issue, which will erase everything on your iPad. You can use a backup to restore the settings and data if you have a backup available, or you can back it up from iCloud.
To use Finder or iTunes to restore your iPad just follow the easy steps below:
Step 1. Install iTunes or Finder [2].
You’ll need to use a Mac or PC to restore your iPad and will need to download Finder or iTunes onto your PC before you begin.
Step 2. Turn your iPad off.
Using either the Home button or pressing the volume and top buttons simultaneously.
Step 3. Connect your iPad to the computer using a compatible USB cord and press and hold either the Home button or top button at the same time until you see the iPad screen loading up in recovery mode.
Step 4. Either using iTunes on a PC or Finder on Mac, locate the iPad you’re trying to restore, and then click on your iPad to bring up the device menu.
Step 5. Click “Restore” when prompted to either Update or Restore and the required software will be downloaded.
The download may take 15 minutes so you should allow the process to complete.
Once it has been completed, you can disconnect the iPad and then begin setting up your iPad.
#2. Use Erase iPad
You can erase your iPad quickly and easily if you have iPad 15.2 or newer on your device once it locks you out of your iPad.
There are two buttons that’ll appear when you’re locked out and follow these steps to complete the Erase iPad process:
Step 1. Press on “Erase iPad” on the lock screen.
Step 2. Click “Erase iPad” again to confirm the choice.
Step 3. Enter your Apple ID and password.
Step 4. Click on “Erase iPad” again.
Step 5. Your iPad will automatically begin erasing its contents.
Step 6. After the device has been erased, you’ll set it up as if it were a new device.
#3. Use iCloud
You can restore your iPad using iCloud which is a perfect choice if you have an iCloud backup available so that you can recover all of your data.
Just follow the steps listed below to restore your iPad using iCloud:
Step 1. Go to the Find My website or app if you have another Apple device.
Step 2. Sign into your iCloud using the Apple ID for the iPad. And click on Find iPhone.
Step 3. Select “All Devices” and find the iPad from the list of devices.
Step 4. Select the “Erase iPad” option.
Step 5. Enter your Apple ID and password.
Step 6. Turn your iPad on and allow iCloud to begin erasing the data on the iPad.
Step 7. You should see an “Activate iPad“, “Activation Lock“, or “Locked To Owner” screen pop up once the process completed, but if you do not see this screen, you may need to restart your device first.
Step 8. Enter your Apple ID and password in the set up screen and begin reconfiguration of your device.
Step 9. You can select “Restore From iCloud Backup” if you want to restore your contents, which will require you to sign in to iCloud once more.
Step 10. Select “Choose Backup.” Find your most recent backup and restore your iPad.
#4. Use iMobie AnyUnlock For The Highest Success Rate
iMobie AnyUnlock is our favorite product because it has the highest success rate among all software that can unlock your iPad without a passcode and get your iPad up and running quickly!
Furthermore, we believe that AnyUnlock is one of the most comprehensive and easy-to-use programs available with a user-friendly and intuitive interface.
You can unlock your iPad without much hassle using iMobie AnyUnlock by following the steps below:
Step 1. Using a Windows PC or Mac, download AnyUnlock onto your computer and install the program.
Step 2. Connect your iPad to the computer using a compatible USB cable.
Step 3. Launch AnyUnlock and then select the “Unlock Screen Passcode” option.
Step 4. AnyUnlock will recognize your iPad and then select “Start Now” to begin downloading the firmware for the iPad model you have.
Choose “Download” once the firmware for your iPad model has been found.
Step 5. The download will automatically begin and it may take a while for the firmware to be downloaded.
Once completed, you’ll see an interface that says “Download Complete.”
Step 6. Within the interface you’ll see “Unlock Now” and you need to click that to begin the process of unlocking your iPad without the passcode.
Step 7. The passcode will be automatically removed by the software and within minutes the passcode will be eliminated.
Step 8. From there, set up your iPad as you would have if you had just purchased it and turned it on for the first time! This means you’ll need to enter a new passcode and sign back into your Apple account, along with going through other first-time setup prompts.
#5. Use Auto Erase
If “Auto Erase” has been previously enabled you can just use Auto Erase to restore your iPad, but remember that all of your data will be erased from your device.
Furthermore, you’ll need to enter the wrong passcode 10 times to trigger the Auto Erase feature, which will initiate the wiping process automatically.
Once your device has been automatically erased, you’re going to need to start over on your iPad and set the device up all over again as if you just started it for the first time.
The good news is that you can still redownload anything you’ve purchased from Apple without paying for it again!
Part 3. What to Do After Erasing Your iPad
You may be wondering what you should do after you’ve erased your iPad.
Well, there are three different ways you can go about the next part of the process which is nearly like starting over with an iPad that was just purchased and includes:
Restoring your iPad contents from a backup– If you’ve backed up your data through iCloud or iTunes, you can choose to restore the contents from either source so that your data and settings are not lost.
Redownload all of the Apple products and services– Without a backup, you can still redownload anything you’ve purchased from Apple, such as Apple Books, App Store downloads, and more to your newly set up iPad.
Start over like new- If you don’t want to restore the data that you’ve backed up or don’t have access to a backup, you can choose to start over like new and choose to set up the iPad as if you had just purchased it.
Choose a new passcode- Go into “Settings” and set up a new passcode for your iPad and then you’re ready to go once again! You’ll need to redownload all of your apps or other data that you’ve downloaded onto your device at this point.
You may like:
- How to Reset an iPad Without an Apple ID or Password?
- How to Unlock iPad Passcode Without a Computer or iTunes
Final Thoughts
It’s not difficult to fix “iPad Unavailable” for free using iTunes, Finder, or iCloud where you can access your backups.
Also, using programs such as iMobie allows you to quickly access your iPad without the passcode, and it has a high success rate from what I’ve found and it’s very user-friendly!
However, if you’ve enabled the Auto Erase feature on your iPad, just enter the wrong passcode 10 times to begin the iPad restoration.
Reference
