iPad pro 12.9" 1 Gen. in "iPad unavailable" mode.

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Level 1

4 points

iPad pro 12.9" 1 Gen. in "iPad unavailable" mode.

My iPad pro 1 Gen is in "iPad not available" mode and all articles seem to only apply to people that want to do reset and don't remember their password / pincode, but I do know both my pincode / password and my AppleID and I've removed my iPad pro from my Apple account and thereby removed my activation lock, but I didn't find any way of entering my pincode and I can't activate wifi if that's needed for my iPad to "discover" that it's been removed from my iCloud account... so what to do next? I hope that you might be able to help me out please...

iPad Pro

Posted on Mar 29, 2025 12:14 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

Community+ 2025

Level 10

736,571 points

Mar 29, 2025 12:19 PM in response to tonny262

Unless there's a waiting period displayed and you're patient enough, there isn't a way to enter the passcode at the unavailable screen; this mechanism is designed to prevent people from accessing data on someone else's unit.

Its owner is supposed to back it up.

(259726)

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Answer 2

tonny262 Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 29, 2025 5:57 PM in response to Niel

Well, I used to work for the municipality of Copenhagen, at the central administration as an IT specialist for more than 14 years (Now traveling digital nomad), and we had a way of fixing issues like this, (special corporate software), but not my line of work though, and I have some knowledge of forensics and forensic tools like, Magnet Forensics "Magnet Graykey" etc, and I'm aware of the possibility of paying for a service downtown with very similar results, but I thought that it would be worth trying to ask here in this community first... this iPad contains some commercial and quite expensive special audiotechnology that I don't want to lose....

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Answer 3

Mar 30, 2025 4:16 AM in response to tonny262

If the iPad indicates that it has been disabled, all locally stored data has already been lost. Everything stored on the iPad is now permanently beyond reach.

Your iPad uses an encrypted filesystem. Successful entry of the correct Passcode unlocks the iPad's security chip within which the only copy of the encryption keys, required to access anything on the iPad, are stored. A limited number of attempts to enter the correct Passcode are possible before the iPad will automatically destroy the encryption keys - at which point the iPad will be disabled.

Due to the veil of encryption, nothing can be recovered from your iPad - either with or without forensic software - much to the chagrin of intelligence and police services around the world.

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iPad pro 12.9" 1 Gen. in "iPad unavailable" mode.