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iPhone and iPadiPad Unavailable Message on Screen—How to Fix

iPad Unavailable Message on Screen—How to Fix

By Achilles Hill | Last Updated

If you input several wrong passcodes on iPad Mini/Air/Pro screen, you will see iPad Unavailable message, which locks your iPad from unauthorized use. And you can try again after several minutes. The unavailable message includes: iPad Unavailable, try again in 1 minute; iPad Unavailable, try again in 5 minutes; iPad Unavailable, try again in 15 minutes; iPad Unavailable, try again in 1 hour. If you fail to enter the right passcode in the end, there is an iPad Unavailable screen or Security Lockout screen with no timer. How to fix this issue? You can try 4 proven methods to unlock unavailable iPad in this article.

Outlines:

  1. Method 1: Erase iPad with Apple ID and Passcode
  2. Method 2: Fix iPad Unavailable Message on Screen with iPhone Passcode Genius
  3. Method 3: Restore iPad Unavailable via iTunes
  4. Method 4: Unlock iPad Unavailable by iCloud Find My
  5. FAQs about iPad Unavailable Message

iPad unavailable message on screen

Method 1: Erase iPad with Apple ID and Passcode

On iPadOS 15.2 and later, Apple changed iPad is disabled message to iPad unavailable. Also, Apple offers a solution to fix iPad unavailable—Erase iPad, which means you can directly erase the locked iPad when you forgot the password. But it requires your Apple ID passcode to sign out of the Apple ID account. In addition, you need to make sure the iPad is with stable network connection. Now, you can follow steps below to unlock an iPad that says unavailable.

Step 1: Keep trying the passcode until it shows you iPad Unavailable message and asks you to try again later. Repeat this process until you see an iPad Unavailable screen with Erase iPad option on the bottom center.

iPad unavailable screen

Tips: If you got the iPad Unavailable message on the screen with Forgot Passcode? option, not Erase iPad option, how can you do? You can tap Forgot Passcode? option to go ahead as Apple has replaced Erase iPad option with Forgot Passcode? option in iPadOS 17 and later. But both options can realize the same function. You just need to tap Forgot Passcode? > Start iPad Reset and then use the Apple ID passcode to erase the locked iPad.

Step 2: Tap Erase iPad. Then you are on Erase All Contents & Settings screen. And you need to tap Erase iPad again.

tap Erase iPad

Step 3: The Apple ID password is required to erase your locked iPad. You can enter the right passcode. After that, the erasing iPad process begins. Just a few moments, the Hello screen appears. And you can set up the iPad as a new device.

enter Apple ID password

Method 2: Fix iPad Unavailable Message on Screen with iPhone Passcode Genius

When there is no Erase iPad option on the iPad unavailable screen, how can you unlock the iPad? You can use the iPhone unlocking tool to bypass iPad unavailable screen. Here iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius can help you solve the iPad saying unavailable issue. As a professional iOS unlocking software, iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius can help to unlock disabled or unavailable iPad screen without any passcode. Besides, this software will remove all kinds screen passcodes, including Face ID and Touch ID, from the locked iPad within simple clicks.

Step 1: Launch iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius on a Windows computer and then select “Unlock Lock Screen”.

select Unlock Lock Screen

Step 2: In no time, you are in the Start page, just click “Start” to continue.

click Start

Step 3: Connect your iPad to the computer. And click "Next" to load your iPad models. If the software fails to recognize your iPad, just put the iPad into recovery mode and repeat the steps.

click Next

Step 4: Click “Download” to get the latest firmware for your iPad.

click Download

Step 5: After the firmware is downloaded, you can simply click “Unlock” to remove the screen password from your iPad.

click Unlock

Minutes later, you will see the Unlock Successfully text on the software. Meanwhile, your iPad restarts. Soon, you will see “Hello” screen in many language. At this time, you can just follow the instructions to set up your device.

Method 3: Restore iPad Unavailable via iTunes

Just as the disabled iPad, you can connect to iTunes to restore it to factory settings to fix iPad unavailable issue. iTunes on Windows computers ( Finder on Mac , instead), can help to restore the locked iPad to the latest iPadOS.

Step 1: Connect your iPad to the computer and then make it enter recovery mode.

Step 2: When iTunes recognizes your iPad, there will be a prompt telling you something is wrong with your iPad. Just go to click “Restore” to proceed.

click Restore on iTunes prompt

Step 3: Hit “Restore and Update” on the prompt. Then go to click “Next” and “Agree” to start resetting the iPad.

click Restore and Update on iTunes prompt

After the restoring, you can disconnect the iPad and set up your iPad. Of course, you can set up the iPad from previous backup.

Method 4: Unlock iPad Unavailable by iCloud Find My

Well, is it possible to fix iPad unavailable without computer? Yes, only if Find My iPad is enabled on the locked iPad. Then your can utilize iCloud Find My feature to unlock an unavailable iPad without iTunes and computer.

Step 1: Open Find My app on another iOS device and then sign in with the Apple ID which is linked to the locked iPad.

Step 2: Tab “Devices” on the bottom and then select your iPad.

Step 3: Swipe up and tap “Erase this Device”. Tap “Continue” and “Erase”, then enter the Apple ID password to begin erasing the iPad. Finally, your iPad will reboot without a passcode.

erase iPad via Find My app

FAQs about iPad Unavailable Message

1. Why there is no Erase iPad option on my iPad Unavailable screen?

If you try to force restart iPad to bypass the iPad unavailable screen, the Erase iPad option will not appear as the Wi-Fi connection is stopped. So, do not turn off your iPad if you see the unavailable or security lockout screen. Besides, if there is no Apple ID account used on the unavailable iPad, you cannot get the Erase iPad option on the Unavailable screen.

2. My iPad Mini says unavailable, how to unlock it?

All above 4 methods can help you to fix iPad Mini unavailable issue. You can follow the steps above to unlock iPad unavailable screen without passcode. All these methods can also apply to iPhone and iPod Touch.

3. If I forgot my old iPad password, is it possible to unlock it without data loss?

All above methods can work for you to unlock the old iPad. But there will be data loss during the unlocking process. If you have created a backup of the iPad, you can restore it after unlocking.

Conclusions:

If you see the iPad Unavailable message on the iPad screen, you can directly use Erase iPad option to unlock it. Besides, Find My app can also help when you are with no computer along. These two methods require you to input the Apple ID password. If you have a Windows computer, you can use iTunes or iSunshare iPhone Passcode Genius to remove the unavailable screen. For Mac users, Finder will be the best choice.

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