Forgotten Apple Passcode due to always using facial recognition to unlock iPad

[u/-lovehate]

I NEVER use the passcode to unlock my iPad Pro, because I have facial recognition. For that reason, I cannot remember what it is. Today I tried to download a free app on the apple store, and it said I had to enter my passcode. I tried 3 times and it was failed attempts each time. Looking into this further, it seems that I can’t simply reset the passcode without wiping my entire device. What kind of process is this?? It’s infuriating…

I also do not have iCloud storage because I don’t need it, I purchased the top-end iPad Pro with plenty of internal storage so that I wouldn’t have to pay for a subscription. I think it’s very unreasonable that I would have to subscribe to iCloud storage just to backup my device before resetting the device to factory, simply because i don’t remember a passcode that I literally have never had to use until now.

Is there another way that I am not aware of, or something else I can do?? I already have 2-factor authentication, but that doesn’t seem to be an alternative option here. TIA!!

[u/iamofnohelp]

Reset the device and start over. Then start to work on a viable backup/recovery solution.

[u/theregisterednerd]

Are you trying to reset your device passcode, or your iCloud password? They aren’t the same thing.

Your device passcode, you’re still required to sometimes use it, like if it’s been more than a day since your last unlock, the first unlock after a reboot, or when it’s seen a face that definitely isn’t yours. It’s pretty hard to go a particularly long time without using it.

If it’s your iCloud password, then that can be reset on its own at iforgot.apple.com, or by clicking “forgot password” anywhere you log in with it. In fact, if that’s what you mean, factory resetting the device will only make things worse, because you’re going to need that password at the end of the wipe. It will be a brick without it. This is also the password that it asks for when making purchase, not your device passcode.

As far as iCloud storage: if you don’t have a backup, then if your iPad gets lost, stolen, or just stops working, all the data on it will be gone forever. That’s what backups are for. And if you’re going to store that backup on someone else’s computer (ie, iCloud), you have to pay to use their computer. That’s just how it works. You can skip the backup step when doing a factory wipe, but be aware that everything on that iPad will be gone forever once you do. That’s how factory wipes work. It doesn’t really matter how much storage you have, if the data is at all important to you, you should have a backup.

[u/life-is-a-lemon]

Not sure why you would have to erase your iPad…

Go to forgot.apple.com and follow the steps