iPad Unavailable and wont restore

I have been locked out of my iPad due to someone trying to "guess" my passcode. At first it was showing Security Lockout and now it is showing iPad Unavailable. It also says click home button to unlock but doing so does absolutely nothing. It doesn't give me a restore or erase option or a keypad to enter the correct passcode. I plugged it into my MacBook to try and restore it and I successfully get it to go into recovery mode. It gives me the option to either update it or restore it (should update fail). The problem is regardless of which of these selections I make, once I get through all the "agree" screens the iPad disappears from finder on the computer and exits recovery mode to return to the iPad Unavaible screen. I can't remotely wipe it because it won't connect to the internet and I can't restore it via computer because it disappears from finder once I tell it to restore. This security lockout feature is an absolute nightmare! Does anyone know what is going on and how to resolve this issue?

iPad mini 5, iPadOS 15

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 02:52 PM

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Jan 14, 2023 01:52 PM in response to Dr_Y

Hi Dr_Y,


Since you are unable to erase your iPad from the iPad itself, you'll need to use a computer. Let's check a few things with your computer to isolate this issue. Is the Mac you are using up to date? Mac software updates contain many bug fixes that can help with the functionality of the device.


You can confirm by going to the Apple menu (  ) > About this Mac. Once here you can see the current version of the macOS.


To update your Mac check out the steps here: Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support


1. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen:
Choose System Settings. Then click General in the sidebar, and Software Update on the right.
Or choose System Preferences. Then click Software Update.
2. If Software Update finds new software, click the Update Now or Upgrade Now button to install it.
3. Enter your administrator password, if asked. During installation, your Mac might restart, and you might see a progress bar or blank screen several times.


Once up to date, you can attempt to restore your iPad again.


You can find some additional troubleshooting steps here: If you can't update or restore your iPad - Apple Support.


Take Care!

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iPad Unavailable and wont restore

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