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iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Going Down? 6 Fixes!

Charlotte Bayley
Charlotte Bayley

Updated:

Your iPhone displays iPhone Unavailable along with a timer. You wait for the countdown to end so you can enter your passcode again, but the timer is not going down. After waiting a while longer, nothing changes and the timer seems to be stuck and won't go down at all.

iPhone Unavailable Timer Not Going Down

So you are locked out of your iPhone, staring at an iPhone Unavailable screen with a timer that is not going down? It’s a frustrating situation that many users encounter, leaving them puzzled and helpless. This article aims to shed light on why this happens and provide effective solutions to regain access to your iPhone.


Why is the timer on iPhone Unavailable not going down?

“iPhone Unavailable, try again in [timer]” appears after multiple consecutive incorrect passcode attempts, temporarily locking the iPhone for security reasons. If you still remember your passcode, the timer is crucial since it dictates when you can attempt to unlock your iPhone again. So, if the timer gets stuck and fails to count down as expected, things can get tricky.

Before attempting to fix this issue, you might want to understand why it’s occurring. There are several reasons for the iPhone Unavailable timer not going down, such as software glitches, background processes, network issues, SIM card problems, and more. Without further ado, let's start fixing this.

Solution 1: Reboot your iPhone

Rebooting your iPhone should be your first step because it can clear up any software glitches that might be responsible for the iPhone Unavailable timer not going down.

To reboot your iPhone, first press and hold the side button and either volume button until the power off slide appears. Drag the slider and wait for about 30 seconds for the device to turn off. Then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears and the iPhone turns on.

Restart iPhone

If a standard reboot doesn’t work and the timer on the iPhone Unavailable screen is still not going down, try a force reboot. Press and release the volume up button, followed by pressing and releasing the volume down button, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Force Reboot iPhone

Solution 2: Connect your iPhone to a computer

Sometimes, simply connecting your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable can activate the timer on your iPhone Unavailable screen, making it count down properly. Here is why this may work.

System Check: When the iPhone is connected to a computer, the device undergoes a recognition process. The computer communicates with the iPhone to verify its status, which can sometimes prompt the iPhone to re-evaluate its current state and reset any suspended process, including the timer on the iPhone Unavailable screen.

USB Connection Protocol: Connecting the iPhone via USB initiates a data pathway between the device and the computer. This connection can reset certain communication protocols within the iPhone, potentially correcting issues with the iPhone Unavailable timer.

connect iPhone to computer

Solution 3: Re-insert the SIM card

Reinserting the SIM card can force the iPhone to reset its network connection and re-establish a proper connection with the carrier. This will help if the iPhone Unavailable timer is not going down due to network-related issues.

Remove the SIM card tray from your iPhone using an SIM ejector and insert the tray back into the iPhone. When finished, check if the timer on the iPhone Unavailable screen has resumed counting down.

re-insert SIM card

Solution 4: Tap the Erase option

If none of the above solutions work and the timer on your iPhone Unavailable screen is still not going down, there may be a more complex underlying issue. In this case, it’s time to erase your iPhone for a quick fix.

Tap on the Erase iPhone option at the bottom right corner of the screen (if it’s displayed), tap on Erase iPhone again, and then enter the password for the Apple ID logged in on this iPhone. The iPhone will then begin to erase all content and settings, and once it’s done, you’ll be able to set up and access it again. If there is no erase option on iPhone Unavailable, move to the next method.

tap Erase iPhone

Solution 5: Use iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer

If none of the above works for you, iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer is the best way to fix the timer on iPhone Unavailable not going down. It’s a specialized iPhone unlocking tool that helps you to quickly remove the iPhone Unavailable screen and regain access to your device. You need to download and install the iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer app on your computer, then follow the instructions below.

iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer

Key Features of iPhone Passcode Refixer

  • Unlock your locked, disabled, or unavailable iPhone in simple steps.
  • Remove Screen Time Passcode from iPhone without losing data.
  • Remove iCloud account from iPhone without Apple ID password.
  • Bypass Remote Management (MDM) Screen & Remove MDM Profile.
  • Remove iTunes Backup Encryption with one click.
  • Detect, View, and Export All Passwords with iOS Password Manager
  • Support all iPhone models and iOS versions.

Step 1: Connect your unavailable iPhone to the computer using a compatible USB cable.

Step 2: Open the iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer app and select the Unlock Lock Screen option.

choose Unlock Lock Screen

Step 3: Click Start followed by Next, and the software will automatically detect your iPhone.

load device information

Step 4: Click Download to begin downloading the firmware package needed to unlock your iPhone, and then wait a few minutes for the download to finish.

click Download

Step 5: Click the Unlock button and the app will begin to remove the iPhone Unavailable screen with the stuck timer and unlock your device.

click Unlock

Step 6: When the software screen says “Unlocked screen successfully”, pick up your iPhone and it is ready to use.

Unlocked iPhone successfully

Solution 6: Restore your iPhone with iTunes

Finally, you can also fix the iPhone Unavailable timer not going down by restoring your iPhone to factory settings using iTunes. This will erase all user data and install the latest version of iOS on the iPhone.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer using a compatible USB cable.

Step 2: Since your iPhone is unavailable, you need to put it in recovery mode. This involves pressing and holding specific button combinations until you see the Recovery Mode screen.

Step 3: Open iTunes on your computer, then click on Restore followed by Restore and Update.

click Restore in iTunes

Step 4: Once the restore is successful, your iPhone will restart and you can follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.

Conclusion:

A stuck "iPhone Unavailable" timer can be frustrating, but it’s not an insurmountable issue. By understanding the potential causes and trying the solutions outlined above, you can regain access to your device. If the standard solutions don’t work for you, using iSumsoft iPhone Passcode Refixer is a high recommended alternative.