Unlocking an offline iPhone in Hexnode when Clear Passcode will not workSolved

Hello @gareyy ,

If the iPhone is not communicating with Hexnode UEM, remote actions such as Clear Passcode, Device Lock, Wipe Device, or policy sync cannot be delivered to the device.

In this situation, Hexnode UEM cannot unlock the device remotely until the iPhone comes online and checks in. Since the device has no Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity and the passcode is unknown, the practical recovery option is to manually erase the iPhone using Recovery Mode.

General Recovery Mode reset flow:

1. Connect the iPhone to a Mac or Windows computer.
2. Open Finder on macOS Catalina or later, or iTunes on Windows/older macOS versions.
3. Put the iPhone into Recovery Mode using the button sequence for that iPhone model. For newer iPhones: press Volume Up, press Volume Down, then press and hold the Side button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.
4. When prompted on the computer, choose Restore.
5. Wait for the restore process to complete.

Restore erases the device. After the reset, the iPhone must be connected to Wi-Fi or cellular service during setup. If the device is assigned for automated enrollment, it can enroll back into management during setup. Otherwise, it will need to be enrolled again manually.

Regards,
Simon Scott
Hexnode UEM

I was hoping the Clear Passcode command would queue and apply once I connect it later.

The command can only take effect after the device checks in. If you can get the iPhone onto a known Wi-Fi network without unlocking it, the queued command may apply after communication is restored. But if the device cannot join Wi-Fi and has no cellular service, it will remain unreachable.

For a locked iPhone with no network connectivity and no known passcode, Recovery Mode restore is the reliable path. It bypasses the need to access Settings on the device, but it does erase the device.