How to Unlock iPhone with Unresponsive Screen? [Full Guide]

"My touch screen has white lines on the right side, and the screen doesn't respond on that side. I have an app with the Genius bar tomorrow, but since I can't unlock my phone, I also can't back it up! Is there any other way to unlock the phone? Or back it up without unlocking it? Thanks."

- A user posted in Apple Support Communities

Even with the perfect operating system, iPhone may still run into an unresponsive screen by technical glitches. What's more, a falling onto the ground or hardware problems may also cause the issue. Whatever the reason, your first concern may be how to unlock iPhone with an unresponsive screen.

Don't panic! Here, you will acquire six effective solutions to troubleshoot the issue quickly.

Part 1. Can You Unlock Unresponsive iPhone without Data Loss?
Part 2. How to Unlock iPhone when Screen Doesn't Work?
Bonus: FAQs about Unlocking iPhone

Part 1. Can You Unlock Unresponsive iPhone without Data Loss?

Well, it depends. Whatever way you choose to unlock your unresponsive iPhone, it will lose data during the unlocking process, especially with a higher success rate. But if you have backed up your iPhone previously, you can restore the backup files to your iPhone later, which will reduce the loss.

Part 2. How to Unlock iPhone when Screen Doesn't Work?

Let's cut to the chase. How to unlock iPhone 12/13 with an unresponsive screen?

Way 1. Force Restart Your iPhone

It is a common approach to many iPhone issues. You can refer to the instructions below to force restart your iPhone.

For iPhone X/XS/XR/11/12/13:

• Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
• Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
• Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo turns up on the screen.

For iPhone 8/SE (2nd generation):

• Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
• Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
• Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo displays on the screen.

For iPhone 7/7 Plus:

• Press and hold the Volume Down + Sleep/Wake buttons simultaneously until the Apple logo shows up on the screen.

For iPhone 6, iPhone SE (1st generation), and older models:

• Press and hold the Home + Sleep/Wake buttons together until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

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Way 2. Use the External Keyboard

Another effective way to unlock the unresponsive iPhone is using the external keyboard, which will not lead to data loss on your iPhone.

• Plug the external keyboard into your iPhone via an OTG cable or Bluetooth.
• Power your iPhone on by tapping the Power button.
• Type the passcode with the external keyboard to unlock your iPhone.

Way 3. Use Siri if Possible

Suppose that your iPhone runs iOS 8.1 to iOS 10.1, and you can activate Siri. In that case, you can ask Siri to turn on VoiceOver to help you input the screen passcode. This way has been popular across Apple Community recently. Here's what to do.

• Press the Home button to awaken Siri and ask Siri, "Turn on the VoiceOver."
• Press the Home button to return to the unlock screen.
• Swipe right or left until the Slide to Unlock menu is chosen, and double-click it to reach the passcode page.
• Swipe right or left to highlight the correct keys on the keyboard and double-tap to choose each.
• Swipe to highlight the Done/Enter button and double-click to submit the passcode.

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Way 4. Erase the Screen Passcode by Restoring Your iPhone with iTunes

You can also use iTunes to unlock the unresponsive iPhone, and it will restore your iPhone to the factory settings, removing all your data, settings, apps, and the screen passcode. Thus, we recommend you use this way only when you have backed up your iPhone data previously.

How to access iPhone without a touch screen?

• Plug your iPhone into the computer using a USB cable and launch the latest version of iTunes on your computer.
• When it detects your iPhone, tap the iPhone icon at the upper-left corner of the iTunes window.
• Tap the Restore iPhone button under the Summary tab and wait for the process to be complete.

Way 5. Erase iPhone via iCloud

iCloud service makes it easier to back up & restore iPhone data, remotely find the iPhone location, and unlock the iPhone with an unresponsive/broken screen. Assume you have enabled the Find My iPhone feature on the iPhone. You can unlock your iPhone remotely via the iCloud website.

How to unlock iPhone with an unresponsive screen without Siri?

• Open icloud.com from any device and sign in with the same Apple ID and password you use on your iPhone.
• Tap the All Devices option on the top and pick your iPhone from the drop-down list.
• Click the Erase iPhone button to erase your iPhone and unlock it remotely.
• Tap Erase to confirm the operation.

Use iPhone Unlock (Professional Tool)

The professional way to unlock an unresponsive iPhone is using iPhone Unlock. With this program, you can remove 4- or 6-digit passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, and other locks in a few clicks.

The highlights of iPhone Unlock:

• Unlock all types of screen locks: 4- or 6-digit passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, and Screen Time passcode.
• Remove iCloud activation lock, Apple ID, and MDM in seconds.
• Easy to use, without technical knowledge required.
• Widely compatible with iPhone models running iOS 9 to iOS 15, such as iPhone 13 Pro Max/13 Pro/13/13 mini/12 Pro Max/12 Pro/12/12 mini/SE/11 Pro Max/11 Pro/11/XS Max/XS/XR/X/8/8 Plus/7 Plus/7, etc.

Note: You may lose data during the unlocking process. So, you are advised to back up the locked/disabled iPhone before moving on.

How to unlock iPhone 12/13 with an unresponsive screen?

1. Install and run the software on your computer and choose Screen Unlock on the interface.

Next, connect your iPhone to the computer via a lightning cable and tap the Unlock iOS Screen mode.

2. Boot your iPhone into the recovery or DFU mode by following the on-screen prompts. By default, you are recommended the recovery mode for iOS lock screen removal. But if you cannot get your iPhone to the recovery mode, tap the link at the bottom to activate the DFU mode.

3. Confirm the iPhone information, like device model, system version, etc. If incorrect, select the correct information from the drop-down lists. After that, tap Download to download the firmware for your device.

4. After downloading the firmware, click the Unlock Now button to unlock your iPhone right away.

Further reading:

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Bonus: FAQs about Unlocking iPhone

1. How to unlock a disabled iPhone?

What if your iPhone is disabled, but you forget the passcode? At this moment, you can erase your iPhone from iCloud or restore it via iTunes. Besides, you can also unlock the disabled iPhone without iTunes quickly.

2. Can you unlock the iPhone with your voice?

Yes, you can use the Voice Control feature to set up a command and unlock your iPhone with the help of the feature. However, you need to enable this feature on your iPhone beforehand.

Takeaway

After reading the feasible ways above, you must have understood how to unlock iPhone with an unresponsive screen. If you want a straightforward and higher-success-rate method, you are recommended to pick the iPhone Unlock. It is easy, fast, and user-friendly to use. Moreover, you will obtain 24 hours online help whenever you get into trouble.

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