Apple’s iCloud service is another effective way to remove your iPad passcode without a computer. It requires you to link your iPad with your iCloud account and enable the “Find My iPad” via iCloud.com. With this method, you can unlock your iPad remotely without needing you to sit at your computer.

While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the device. The device should turn on. Continue holding the Home button until you see the Connect to iTunes screen. iTunes will alert you that it has detected a device in recovery mode.

Connect your iPad to a computer that has iTunes. While the device is connected via USB port, conduct a Force Restart by holding the Home button while also holding the Power button, until the Apple logo appears. After a few minutes, you are prompted to either Restore or Update.

Turn off the device: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the red slider appears, then slide the slider. Wait for the device to shut down. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the device. The device should turn on.

By default, there is not a passcode at all. It can be turned on by tapping Settings > General > Passcode Lock. If you cannot remember the passcode, you will need to restore your device using the computer with which you last synced it.

So a lost/stolen iphones/ipads cannot be used. Anyone can erase your device by restoring it in iTunes. However, as long as you leave it listed in your account at www.icloud.com then they cannot ever activate and use it. To do that would require your AppleID password.

If you don’t have the passcode, you can’t unlock an iPad. You can erase the iPad and start over, so while the data will be gone, you will be able to use the iPad itself again.