There are some basic security settings that you probably already have set up on your iPhone. This includes things like Face ID and a passcode that are required before you can unlock the device.
If you are using a 4 digit passcode then that means there are 10000 possible numerical combinations. Theoretically, someone with enough time and motivation could enter all of those combinations to try and access your phone.
The number of combinations goes way up if you are using more digits, or if you are using a combination of letters and numbers.
But a 4 digit passcode strikes a nice balance between convenience and safety, even if it has a low number of possibilities.
One way that you can improve this is to enable a setting that will cause the iPhone to erase itself automatically after the passcode is entered wrong 10 times.
You can enable this setting by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Erase Data.
Our article below will show you more about how to turn on this setting and some additional items to consider when activating it.
How to Erase an iPhone 13 After Too Many Login Attempts
- Open Settings.
- Choose Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter the passcode.
- Turn on Erase Data.
Our guide continues below with additional information on how to set the iPhone to erase automatically after the passcode is entered incorrectly 10 times.
How to Set a Limit for How Many Tries to Unlock iPhone 13 (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 13 in the iOS 15.3.1 operating system. However, these steps will work for other iPhone models using the same iOS version, as well as many other recent versions of the operating system.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and select the Face ID & Passcode option.
Step 3: Enter the current device passcode.
Step 4: Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap the button to the right of Erase Data to turn it on.
The setting is enabled when there is green shading around the button. I have it turned on in the picture below.
Note that if you perform some failed passcode attempts you will see a counter of how many the next time you attempt to open the Face ID & Passcode menu.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about the failed passcode attempt setting on the iPhone.
More Information on the iPhone Wrong Password 10 Times Setting
As is indicated underneath the setting, turning this option on will erase all data on this iPhone after 10 failed attempts.
Note that this will not erase any backups that you have in iCloud or through iTunes.
This setting is meant to protect the phone in the event that it is stolen or falls into the wrong hands.
You can also choose to remotely erase your iPhone if you have set up Find My iPhone. If you have then you can perform the remote erase by opening the Find My app, choosing the device that you want to erase, then selecting the Erase this Device option at the bottom of the menu.
If you are typically the only person that handles your iPhone then this is a good setting to enable. However, if you have small children that like to play with your phone then you may not want to turn this on in case they accidentally put in the wrong password too many times.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing technology how-to articles and tutorials for over a decade. He has extensive experience in information technology both in small business and as a consultant.
His articles have appeared on dozens of websites and been read millions of times.
He covers many different topics concerning technology, but focuses primarily on smartphones, consumer software, and consumer electronics.
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