Access iPhone 8 without pass code or connecting to itunes?

My grandpa found an iPhone 8 he thought he lost, and found it dead. He can't remember his password and if I try to plug it into my computer it shows an error message saying I need the pass code to use an accessory to an outside source like a PC. It won't allow me to access the camera so any of those tricks won't work. I can't hard restart by holding the power button either, because when it turns back on its disabled for an hour.

It's probably not the help you wanted but - no, those are the only ways to reset.

Are you doing the recovery right?

- Connect the phone to the PC
- Open iTunes
- If it asks for a passcode (like you mentioned above) and you don't know it, you have to use Recovery Mode (this will delete everything on the phone!)
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the Side button until you see the recovery-mode screen.
- You'll get the option to restore.

This is one reason for using passwords that you can't forget.

There's nothing that can be done, except trying to reset the Apple ID assigned to it. If you reset it you would eventually get to that section where it asks for the Apple ID & password.

There's no workaround.

Unless your gramps is very senile, he'd certainly know whether he'd lost an iPhone 8 or not.

So assuming he's found his own iPhone then all he needs to do is to follow the clear and simple instructions Apple provide for resetting security when someone forgets their passcode. If he's the genuine owner then he will have the necessary details to allow that to occur. If he's not the genuine owner, or if he truly is a gaga gramps, then he won't and the phone will remain a useless brick as there's no backdoor cheat/hack to bypass the security.