How do I unlock a disabled phone without erasing context

Help,
My son passed away and his iPhone 4S is disabled. I need to read the last messages he sent. I do not wAnt to restore factory settings. It is imperative to retrieve those messages the day he died. It will answer some questions we his parents have.

I'm sorry to tell you, but you don't. If it's been disabled from entering an incorrect passcode too many times, there is no option other than to restore it or wipe it using find my iPhone.

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How do you unlock a disabled phone

What can I do to unlock my phone now that it's disabled??

Force the phone into recovery mode, as described here, & restore it:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1808
Can take several attempts to get this right.

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iOS: Device disabled after entering wrong passcode - Support - Apple

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how do i unlock my disabled mini i pad

iOS: Device disabled after entering wrong passcode
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1212
How can I unlock my iPad if I forgot the passcode?
http://tinyurl.com/7ndy8tb
How to Reset a Forgotten Password for an iOS Device
http://www.wikihow.com/Reset-a-Forgotten-Password-for-an-iOS-Device
Using iPhone/iPad Recovery Mode
http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonetroubleshooting/a/Iphone-Recovery-Mode.htm
Saw this solution on another post about an iPad in a school enviroment. Might work on your iPad so you won't lose everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘iPad is disabled’ fix without resetting using iTunes
Today I met my match with an iPad that had a passcode entered too many times, resulting in it displaying the message ‘iPad is disabled – Connect to iTunes’. This was a student iPad and since they use Notability for most of their work there was a chance that her files were not all backed up to the cloud. I really wanted to just re-activate the iPad instead of totally resetting it back to our default image.
I reached out to my PLN on Twitter and had some help from a few people through retweets and a couple of clarification tweets. I love that so many are willing to help out so quickly. Through this I also learned that I look like Lt. Riker from Star Trek (thanks @FillineMachine).
Through some trial and error (and a little sheer luck), I was able to reactivate the iPad without loosing any data. Note, this will only work on the computer it last synced with. Here’s how:
1. Configurator is useless in reactivating a locked iPad. You will only be able to completely reformat the iPad using Configurator. If that’s ok with you, go for it – otherwise don’t waste your time trying to figure it out.
2. Open iTunes with the iPad disconnected.
3. Connect the iPad to the computer and wait for it to show up in the devices section in iTunes.
4. Click on the iPad name when it appears and you will be given the option to restore a backup or setup as a new iPad (since it is locked).
5. Click ‘Setup as new iPad’ and then click restore.
6. The iPad will start backing up before it does the full restore and sync. CANCEL THE BACKUP IMMEDIATELY. You do this by clicking the small x in the status window in iTunes.
7. When the backup cancels, it immediately starts syncing – cancel this as well using the same small x in the iTunes status window.
8. The first stage in the restore process unlocks the iPad, you are basically just cancelling out the restore process as soon as it reactivates the iPad.
If done correctly, you will experience no data loss and the result will be a reactivated iPad. I have now tried this with about 5 iPads that were locked identically by students and each time it worked like a charm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Try it and good luck. You have nothing more to lose if it doesn't work for you.
 Cheers, Tom

How do I get into my phone without my passcode?

I have been locked out of my iPhone 4s. I tried using several passcodes and now my phone says disabled. I'm not sure how to get back into my phone without losing any of my contacts, pics etc.

If you can't remember the passcode there is no way to get access to the data on the phone. If there were there would be no point in having a passcode. If you have been practicing safe computing and backing up your phone regularly to your computer and/or iCloud you can restore the phone as New, then restore your backup. See: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1212.

HT1688 How do i unlock my I-Phone 4? The phone turns on and turns off by itself!

How do i unlock my I-Phone 4. The phone turns on and off by itself! I need to resiolve this problem asap!
Thank you,
Mark

OK, first - typing in all caps is the equivalent of yelling at people.
If your device is disabled, then you will need to follow the steps in the link below that best apply to your situation. If you do not have a backup in iTunes or iCloud to restore from, then I'm afraid that you will lose whatever data you have on the device:
iOS: Device Disabled
Best of luck,
GB

HT201328 How do I unlock a disabled iphone?

How do I unlock a disabled iphone?

The article I linked specifically says "iPhone is disabled". And there is a reference to 'lock' on that page, at the bottom:
Settings > General > Passcode Lock.
There's even a picture.
Also, that article links to another article about Using Passcodes: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4113
Which refers to a 'lock' and' 'unlock' multiple times.
Or, hey, that article has a link to Find My iPhone overview... which ALSO refers to 'locking' an iPhone: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2696
Use Lost Mode to lock and track your device
Oh, and THAT article also links to Activation Lock: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13695 which also has a lot of references to 'lock'. Heh, it's even in the TITLE.
Are you going to keep trying to say that "The ONLY time you 'unlock' a phone is with a carrier."?
You are wrong. That is not the only time you 'unlock' an iPhone.
The OP asked: "How do I unlock a disabled iphone?"
A phone locked to a carrier is not disabled. It can be used with that carrier.
Unlocking a disabled iPhone refers to when the passcode has been entered too many times.
There is a passcode lock function for iPhones.
To unlock an iPhone that is passcode locked, you need to enter the passcode.
Enter the passcode incorrectly too many times, and it becomes disabled.
The only thing about the OP's post that even suggests this is an issue about carrier unlocking is the article he linked from, which is most likely explained because he seached for 'unlock iphone'. First Google result is the article he linked from.
But a carrier locked phone is not DISABLED. You are ignoring that part of the OP's post, and focusing on the word 'unlock', which has multiple meanings.
The most likely issue is a passcode lock on the phone, which was entered incorrectly too many times, and thus, the iPhone is disabled.
Just like the OP said: "How do I unlock a disabled iphone?"
Being 'locked' to a carrier has NOTHING to do with an iPhone being disabled. Restricted to use on that particular carrier? Yes. Disabled? No.

How do you unlock a disabled ipad mini? I have my notes in Notability and I don't want to lose them. I know my passcode but I left my keyboard on and it disabled it.

How do you unlock a disabled ipad mini? I have my notes in Notability and I don't want to lose them. I know my passcode but I left my keyboard on and it disabled it.

Unfortunately... Once the Device is asking to be Restored with iTunes... it is too late to save anything...
See Here > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808
However... Once you have Recovered your Device...
Re-Sync your Content or Restore from the most recent Backup...
Restore from Backup > http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1766
Jessica Sanchez wrote:
I am installing itunes to a laptop and have not sync device to this lap. ...
Using a computer, other than the one you have regularily been Syncing and Backing up to, was the begining of your issue.

Is it possible to unlock a disabled ipad without wiping it clean

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Content removed. It's been a long 24 hours. Sorry ... Need a break....
Message was edited by: Demo

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How do you unlock an disabled ipod if holding down the home key do not work?

daminika12 wrote:
How do you unlock an disabled ipod ...
Connect to iTunes on the computer you usually Sync with and “ Restore “...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414
If necessary Place the Device into Recovery mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808
Note on Recovery Mode.
You may need to try this More than Once...
Be sure to Follow ALL the Steps...

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All iPhones sold in the US are locked to either AT&T or Verizon with no offical way to unlock them.

How to delete photos on your phone without deleting them in your photo stream on Picasso

How to delete photos on your phone without deleting them in your photo stream on Picasso

Yes but if you have not done so, backup your iPhoto library. That way if there's a problem, you can restore from a backup.
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This is covered in the manual and asked and answered on these forums many times each day.
Also a simple google search will find the apple article explaining how to do this.

How do I unlock a disabled phone without erasing context

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