How to Fix iPhone Unavailable “Try Again” Error: 7 Proven Solutions

Part 1. What Does iPhone Unavailable Mean

iPhone Unavailable typically means that the iOS device is locked. It is a security feature to prevent unauthorized access to your iPhone. The iPhone Unavailable Try Again message generally appears on the lock screen due to repeated incorrect passcode attempts. First, you will be prompted to try again in 1 minute. That means your iPhone is temporarily locked. You may see a timer showing how long you need to wait before trying again. Another wrong passcode input will cause your iPhone to be locked for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 hour, and finally permanent lock.

If you continue to enter incorrect passcodes, your iPhone will be permanently locked. In that case, the iPhone Unavailable message will turn to iPhone is disabled. You must erase and reset your iOS device to unlock it. If you are trying to enter the correct passcode on an old iPhone like iPhone 6 or iPhone 5s, you will see the iPhone is disabled and try again in x minute message instead. Through my tests on an iPhone 6 that runs iOS 12.5.7, it will display the iPhone is disabled message after 7 fail incorrect attempts. After that, the duration will increase to 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and then an hour.

You should note that, when your iPhone says unavailable on the lock screen, you are not allowed to use your Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it. You must enter the correct iPhone passcode to get rid of the screen first.

Part 2. What to Do When iPhone Says Unavailable On the Lock Screen

When you encounter the iPhone Unavailable message, you can wait for the timer to finish and then try entering the correct passcode again.

Make sure you enter the correct digits carefully. If you still remember possible passwords, you may try them one by one before the device becomes fully disabled.

However, if the iPhone is already fully locked, you can use the following methods to fix the issue.

Method 1: Forgot Passcode and Reset iPhone

This method is the official on-device reset option (available on newer iOS versions). It allows you to erase and reset the iPhone directly from the lock screen using Apple ID.

Method 2: Get Rid of iPhone Unavailable When Forgot Password

Aiseesoft iKnockin – iPhone Unlocker is specially designed to deal with various password-forgotten issues. It offers a convenient way to quickly remove different lock screen passcodes, including 4-digit, 6-digit, Touch ID, Face ID, Apple ID password, Screen Time passcode, and more.

Once your iPhone is recognized, check and confirm the device information displayed. Then, the Aiseesoft iKnockin - iPhone Unlocker will download a related firmware package based on the device model and iOS version to erase your lock screen passcode.

After that, you can handily get into the disabled device without a password.

Method 3: Erase via iCloud (No Computer Needed)

If your iPhone is disabled due to too many incorrect passcode attempts, and you don’t have an erase option to directly factory reset it, you can navigate to the official iCloud website to get rid of the iPhone Unavailable problem.

Method 4: Fix in the Find My App Without a Computer

To fix iPhone Unavailable without a computer, you can go to the Find My app on an iOS device like an iPad or another iPhone.

Once the process is finished, the unavailable iPhone will be unlocked.

Method 5: Restore Using Mac Finder

If your Mac runs macOS Catalina or later, you can choose to restore your unavailable iPhone using Finder.

Once it is restored to factory status, you can unlock your iPhone without a passcode.

If your iPhone is stuck on the Recovery Mode screen or you encounter any issues during the restoration process, you can try restarting your Mac and iPhone, and then repeat the steps.

Bypass iPhone Unavailable with iTunes

To get rid of the iPhone Unavailable lock screen on a Windows PC, you can turn to the iTunes restoring solution.

Contact Apple Support to Fix the iPhone Unavailable

If you are unable to resolve the iPhone Unavailable issue with the above methods, it’s time to contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Part 3. Helpful Tips to Avoid the iPhone Unavailable Screen

To avoid the iPhone Unavailable screen and prevent other password-forgotten issues from happening in the future, you should enable Touch ID or Face ID on your device. These biometric authentication features offer a more convenient and secure way to unlock your iPhone. When you are not sure about the current lock screen passcode, you can use the Touch ID or Face ID to access it. After that, change the passcode with another strong one you can remember. Do not repeatedly input possible passwords when you are unsure.

Besides the incorrect passcode attempts, some other reasons may cause your iPhone to show the unavailable screen, such as a software glitch, third-party app, hardware problem, and more. Considering that, you should turn on the iCloud auto-backup function or often manually back up data. A recent backup ensures all the important data can be recovered.

Part 4. FAQs of iPhone Unavailable Try Again

Conclusion

After reading this article, I hope you can find the right solution to fix iPhone Unavailable. As mentioned above, the unavailable or disabled message may appear due to various reasons, not just be caused by incorrect passcode entries. Again, ensure you have enabled the Back Up This iPhone in iCloud and always have a recent backup.