An iPhone that says iPhone Unavailable or Security Lockout has rejected too many wrong passcodes, and a forgotten passcode cannot be bypassed without erasing the phone. Apple's order of attempts is to try Passcode Reset with your old passcode first, then reset on the iPhone itself, then use a Mac or Windows PC in recovery mode. Only the first of these keeps your data, and it works only for 72 hours after a passcode change.

Who this is for and what you will have at the end

This guide is for anyone looking at an Unavailable or Security Lockout screen on an iPhone, and for the family member or office manager trying to help. By the end you will know which of the three routes applies to your phone, the exact taps or button presses for each, what you need on hand before you start, and how to get your photos and apps back afterward. It does not cover getting into someone else's phone, and it does not cover bypassing Activation Lock on a device you do not own.…