Passcode help needed

[ccm]

My wife and I both have a Iphone 6s and I wanted to change our Apple Itune passwords. What I have done is Settings, our name, Password & Security, Change Password. At this point I get a window saying "Enter Passcode" asking for a 4 digit entry. I don't know this passcode and I have read that if you enter an incorrect passcode our phones will lock up. It appears I provided a passcode when setting up ICloud. I have done a good bit of research and it appears that the only way to find this code would be to erase the phone and download the backups from either ICloud or from our computer backups. My questions are:
1. Is the erase and restore my only option?
2. If I enter and incorrect passcode will our phones lock up?
3. Can anyone post a link for the proper procedure for the erase and restore process?
4. If I erase and restore, what data will I loose?

Thanks to anyone who will take the time to offer some help.

Charlie

 

[carolineM]

When you first set up your phone, you would have been asked to think up a 4 or 6 digit code to lock it with along with your finger print recognition. If your finger print always works, you may hardly ever use it. If you really can’t find it, the only way is the recovery via iTunes route. Before you do this, however, make sure you back up the phone to iCloud by going to iCloud - Backup - and tapping Back up now.

 

[J. A.]

If you enter the wrong passcode 6 times in a row, your device will be disabled, and you will have to erase it. It’s possible to restore it from an iTunes backup, though, if it was made before you forgot the passcode. Otherwise you’d restore the passcode as well.

Here’s Apple’s advice:
If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled

Hope that helps.

 

[ccm]

Thanks for the quick replies. When J.A. said I could enter up to 6 incorrect passcode's I got brave enough to do a "best guess" and got lucky and found the correct code. Thanks to both J.A. and CarolineM for the advice. It was greatly appreciated.

I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas

Charlie

 

[J. A.]

Merry Christmas to you as well.

 

[carolineM]

You’re very welcome and Happy Christmas!