Passcode lock and Activation Lock are different problems
A passcode lock stops you reaching the Home Screen; Activation Lock stops the device being activated to a new owner. A forgotten passcode alone does not raise an Activation Lock screen — but the fix for a forgotten passcode can, if the device is not properly released.
Knowing which one you are facing changes the route entirely, so check whether the screen asks for a six-digit passcode to continue setup, or names another person's Apple ID as 'locked to owner'. They are diagnosed and solved differently.
The Secure Enclave makes the passcode unreadable
Modern iPhones store the passcode hash in the Secure Enclave, a dedicated coprocessor that will not export it and enforces escalating delays and an optional erase-after-10-failures policy. There is no file to read, no server to query and no command that reveals it.
That is why every legitimate solution ends in an erase, not a decryption. Anyone promising to 'read' or 'keep your data' while removing a passcode is describing a feature that does not exist on a locked, current iPhone.
The owner route: erase and restore
For an iPhone you own, the passcode is cleared by erasing the device. If it is connected to iCloud with Find My enabled, iCloud.com/find → Erase This Device both wipes it and removes Activation Lock in one step.
If it has never synced or you prefer a cable, put it in recovery mode and restore with Finder (macOS) or Apple Devices / iTunes (Windows), then sign in with the owning Apple ID when setup asks for it.
- 1Confirm the device is stuck on the passcode or Face ID screen and that you own it (or hold written owner permission).
- 2If the device has ever synced to iCloud with Find My on, use icloud.com/find → Erase This Device to erase it and remove Activation Lock together.
- 3Otherwise put the iPhone into recovery mode and restore it with Finder (macOS) or Apple Devices / iTunes (Windows).
- 4Sign in with the owning Apple ID when setup asks for it — that clears Activation Lock as the rightful owner.
- 5Set the device up as new (or restore a backup) and choose a passcode you will not forget.
- 6If you cannot supply the Apple ID, stop: the restore leaves the device at Activation Lock, which only the account owner or Apple Support can clear.
When the restore lands on Activation Lock
Restoring a device that is still bound to someone else's Apple ID clears the passcode but leaves Activation Lock in place — the wipe removes the passcode, not the server-side ownership record. This is the moment many people mistake for a 'failed bypass'.
The correct response is to supply the owning Apple ID, or, if it is genuinely unreachable, to submit an Activation Lock removal request to Apple with proof of purchase. A second erase will not help.
Face ID is a convenience layer, not a recovery path
Face ID and Touch ID unlock a device that is already authorised; they never authorise a device you cannot get past the passcode on. Setting them up requires the passcode first, and they are disabled after a restart or five failed attempts.
So 'Face ID stopped working' is usually a passcode-recovery problem, and 'Face ID won't recognise me' after a restart simply means entering the passcode — there is nothing for a tool to bypass.
FRPB cannot help with an iPhone passcode
FRPB is a Windows Android toolkit for Factory Reset Protection on Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo, OPPO, Realme, Motorola and MediaTek/Qualcomm devices. It does not read, reset or bypass an iPhone passcode or Face ID.
If your locked device is Android, the per-model FRP guides on this blog are the accurate next step; if it is an iPhone you own, the owner erase route above is the one that works.
Safety, legality and when to stop
FRPB is intended strictly for authorised device owners and licensed repair professionals. You must own the device or hold explicit written permission from its owner. Using an FRP bypass tool on hardware you do not own may defeat an anti-theft control and can be illegal in your jurisdiction.
Stop and reassess if the device reports a bootloader state you did not expect, if the model or chipset FRPB detects does not match the handset in front of you, or if the operation halts mid-way. A mismatched firmware package is the single most common cause of a hard brick — abandoning an operation is always cheaper than recovering from one.