The Drawer iPad Problem
You pull out an old iPad you haven’t touched in two years. You plug it in, wait for it to boot, and there it is: the passcode screen. You try your usual codes. 1234. Your birthday. The kids’ birthday. None of them work. Six wrong attempts later, the iPad says “iPad is disabled. Try again in 1 minute.” Then 5 minutes. Then 15.
This happens constantly. People dig out old iPads to repurpose them – as a kitchen display, a photo frame, a kids’ tablet – and get stopped at the lock screen. The good news: you can wipe it clean and start fresh. The method depends on what you remember and what tools you have.
If You Know the Passcode
The easy path. If you can actually get into the iPad:
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad (on iOS 15+) or Settings > General > Reset (on older iOS)
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings
- Enter your passcode when asked
- If prompted, enter your Apple ID password to turn off Find My iPad
- Confirm and wait
The iPad wipes itself and boots to the “Hello” setup screen. Takes about 5 minutes.
Before you erase: If there’s anything on the iPad you want to keep (photos, notes), back it up first. Connect to Wi-Fi and go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. Or connect to a computer and back up through Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows).
If You Forgot the Passcode
This is the most common situation with drawer iPads. You need a computer for this – there’s no way around it.
On a Mac (macOS Catalina or Later)
- Connect the iPad to your Mac with a USB cable
- Open Finder (not iTunes – on newer macOS, Finder handles this)
- Put the iPad in recovery mode:
- iPad with Home button: Hold both the Home button and the Top button. Keep holding even after the “slide to power off” slider appears. Keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen (a computer icon with a cable)
- iPad without Home button: Press and release Volume Up, press and release Volume Down, then hold the Top button until you see the recovery mode screen
- Finder will show a message: “There is a problem with the iPad that requires it to be updated or restored”
- Click Restore (not Update)
- Wait for the download and restore to complete. This can take 15-30 minutes depending on your internet speed.
On Windows (or Older Mac)
Same process, but use iTunes instead of Finder. Download iTunes from apple.com if you don’t have it. The recovery mode steps and buttons are identical.
What Happens Next
The iPad erases everything, installs a fresh copy of the latest iOS it supports, and boots to the setup screen. Your old passcode is gone. You’ll set up the iPad from scratch – new passcode, new (or existing) Apple ID, fresh start.
The Activation Lock Problem
Here’s where it gets tricky. If Find My iPad was turned on before the reset (and it probably was – it’s on by default), the iPad will ask for the original Apple ID and password during setup. This is Apple’s theft deterrent. Without the right Apple ID credentials, the iPad is a paperweight.
If it’s your Apple ID: Sign in during setup. Forgot the password? Go to iforgot.apple.com on another device and reset it. You’ll need access to your recovery email or phone number.
If it’s a family member’s Apple ID: Have them sign in on the iPad during setup, or have them remove the device from their iCloud account remotely at icloud.com/find.
If you bought it secondhand and can’t reach the seller: This is the hardest scenario. Apple won’t remove Activation Lock without proof of purchase. If you have the original receipt, you can bring it to an Apple Store and they may help. If you don’t have a receipt, your options are very limited. Third-party “unlock” services exist, but many are scams, and the legitimate ones charge $30-80 with no guarantee.
Avoiding this entirely: Before you erase an iPad, check if Find My is on. Go to Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPad. If it’s on and you know the Apple ID password, turn it off first. Then erase. No Activation Lock.
If the iPad Is Completely Disabled
After too many wrong passcode attempts, iPads lock for increasing amounts of time – 1 minute, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour. Some show “iPad is disabled. Connect to iTunes.” When you see that last message, the iPad won’t let you try again on-device. You must use the computer method above (recovery mode + Restore).
If the iPad says “iPad is disabled” but doesn’t mention iTunes, you can either wait out the timer and try your passcode again, or skip straight to the computer method and wipe it.
Resetting for a New Purpose
Once the iPad is erased and past the setup screen, you have a clean slate. A few things to do before you hand it off or set it up for its new job:
Skip the Apple ID during setup if you’re setting it up as a dedicated display. Tap “Forgot password or don’t have an Apple ID?” then “Set Up Later.” You can add an Apple ID later if you need to download apps, but for web-based dashboards and pre-installed apps, you don’t need one.
Turn off the passcode if the iPad will be a shared family display. Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) > Turn Passcode Off. No point locking a kitchen display.
Update to the latest iOS your iPad supports. Settings > General > Software Update. This gets you the newest security patches and the broadest app compatibility. Check what iOS version your iPad can run if you’re not sure.
Set up Guided Access if you want the iPad locked to a single app (great for kids or a dedicated display). Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access > turn it on. Then open the app you want, triple-click the Home button (or Side button), and the iPad is locked to that app.
After that, pick what you want it to do. A weather station, a second monitor, a digital calendar – whatever makes sense. The reset is just the first step. The fun part is giving it a job.