iPhone 8: I don't have a passcode, can no longer open phone

Solution 1:

The pass code for your phone is the user's own code for accessing their own private data stored on the phone. It is typically 6 digits (4 digits on earlier systems) - but it might also be alphanumerical, if the user choose so. You typically enter it from the Lock Screen in order to access the Home Screen (the one with the icons for all your apps). The user is required to enter it for example after powering the phone up, and periodically when using FaceID or TouchID.

The pass code has nothing to do with your SIM-card or your service provider. It is a pass code selected by the user and only recorded on the device - used for protecting the rest of your data. The SIM-card instead is protected by a PIN.

Entering the pass code incorrectly will not block all access after 3 incorrect attempts - you must be thinking of the SIM PIN there. If you enter the pass code wrong, you'll be temporarily delayed - i.e. some time will need to pass before you can have another attempt. If you keep entering the pass code incorrectly, the delay will become larger and larger each time. It is possible to set the phone up to erase all data after 10 incorrect attempts.

You cannot enable TouchID without setting a pass code. It is part of the setup process, and although it is possible to skip setting a pass code, you cannot skip the pass code AND enable TouchID. It is simply not possible.

So what happened is that you either set a pass code and forgot about it, or the pass code was set by the vendor before you got the phone - and the vendor helped you setup TouchID. The latter would be very unusual.

In either case, I would recommend that you erase your phone and start over with a pass code, you can remember. You can erase your phone and restore the phone's functionality by following Apple's instructions:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204306

In short form, the instructions tells you to:

1. Turn off the phone

2. Press and hold the side button on the phone

3. Immediately connect the phone to your computer (keep holding the button)

4. When you see the Recovery Mode screen on the phone, you can let go of the side button

5. Locate the phone in Finder on your Mac and choose to "Restore" it.

Note that this process erases all data you might have had on the phone. You can choose to restore from backups afterwards if you have backups.