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You are here: Home / iPhone / Used iPhone? Remove iCloud Activation Lock

Used iPhone? Remove iCloud Activation Lock

By Dan Helyer 72 comments Last updated December 29, 2022

Apple introduced Activation Lock in 2013, which uses iCloud to discourage thieves from stealing Apple products. When a device is activation locked, you need the previous owner’s iCloud password to set it up as your own.

Unfortunately, this also causes problems for people buying or inheriting second-hand devices. You often can’t get through the setup because Activation Lock still links it to the previous owner’s account.

Related:

  • How Do I Change My Apple ID and Password on iPhone, iPad, or iPod?
  • How to Prepare Before Selling or Buying a Used iPhone
  • So You Found a Lost iPhone, Now What?
  • How to Set Up a Used iPhone or iPad

Contents

  • How to Remove iCloud Activation Lock
  • What Is Activation Lock?
  • All the Ways to Remove iCloud Activation Lock
    • 1. Ask the Previous Owner to Enter Their Apple ID During Setup
    • 2. Ask the Previous Owner to Enter Their Old Passcode
    • 3. Ask the Previous Owner to Remove the Device From iCloud
  • How to Remove Activation Lock Without the Previous Owner
    • Ask Apple to Remove Activation Lock From Your Device
    • About Third-Party Activation Lock Removal Services
  • Reader Tip: Bypass Activation Lock With a Different DNS
  • Avoid Buying an iPhone With iCloud Activation Lock

quick tips 2019How to Remove iCloud Activation Lock

The easiest way to remove iCloud Activation Lock from a used iPhone, iPad, or Mac is for the previous owner to enter their Apple ID details on the device. Failing that, they need to sign in to the iCloud website and remove that device from the Find My page.

What Is Activation Lock?

Activation Lock is a security measure Apple introduced to discourage theft. It turns on automatically when you enable Find My on your Apple device. Activation Lock is available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, AirPods, or Mac (if it has a T2 security chip).

With Activation Lock turned on, no-one can set up your device without your iCloud password. This means a thief can’t use your iPhone even if they erase it.

Someone holding an iPhone 6S on the iCloud Activation Lock screen
Your iPhone needs your iCloud password to remove Activation Lock.

When you try to set up a device that is activation locked, a security screen asks you to enter the Apple ID details for the connected account. Apple doesn’t show you the full email address of the connected account, but that person gets an automated message saying that Activation Lock is still turned on.

All the Ways to Remove iCloud Activation Lock

There are a few different things you can do to remove Activation Lock. Most of them depend on the previous owner, so you may need to reach out to whoever you got the device from for their details.

1. Ask the Previous Owner to Enter Their Apple ID During Setup

iCloud Activation Lock screen on iPhone setup
The easiest way to remove Activation Lock is by using the previous owner’s details.

If you’re still with the previous owner, ask them to enter their Apple ID details in the Activation Lock screen on the device. This screen appears during the initial setup.

When they enter their details and tap Next, it removes the device from their iCloud account and disables Activation Lock.

2. Ask the Previous Owner to Enter Their Old Passcode

If the device is running iOS 11 or later and the previous owner used Two-Factor Authentication with iCloud, you can use their previous passcode—instead of their Apple ID password—to remove Activation Lock.

From the Activation Lock screen, tap Unlock with Passcode? and enter the previous passcode for that device. You may also need to enter a two-factor authentication code sent to the previous owner.

3. Ask the Previous Owner to Remove the Device From iCloud

If you aren’t with the previous owner, the easiest way to disable Activation Lock is for them to remove the device from their iCloud account.

Here’s how they do that:

  1. Sign in to the iCloud website.
  2. Click the Find My button.
  3. Select the device from the All Devices dropdown menu.
    iCloud Find My page showing device
  4. Click Erase [Device] and follow the prompts to erase the device.
  5. Then click Remove from Account.

iCloud Find My page showing option to Remove device from Account

After the previous owner removes the device from their iCloud account, you need to restart it before you can finish the setup.

How to Remove Activation Lock Without the Previous Owner

Sometimes you have no way of getting in touch with the previous owner of your device. It’s much harder to remove iCloud Activation Lock when this is the case.

Apple designed Activation Lock this way to make it equally difficult for people to unlock stolen devices without the lawful owner.

But you might legitimately find yourself in this situation if you inherited or bought a second-hand Apple device. The best thing to do in either of these circumstances is speak to Apple directly.

Ask Apple to Remove Activation Lock From Your Device

Apple Genius Bar appointment
Make a Genius Bar appointment to see about removing Activation Lock. Image Credit: Apple

It’s possible for Apple to remove Activation Lock from devices without using the previous owner’s iCloud password. For Apple to do this, you need to show them proof that you legally purchased or inherited the device.

If you bought the device, show Apple your proof of purchase. This must contain the device’s serial number as well as your name.

The device might not have the same serial number anymore if it was replaced at the Genius bar. In this case, you also need a Service Confirmation that details the old and new serial numbers.

If you inherited the device, you need to show Apple a Death Certificate, proof of your relationship to the deceased, and possibly the original proof of purchase as well.

Visit the Apple Support website to speak to Apple about removing iCloud Activation Lock from your device. If Apple Support isn’t available in your country, reach out to Apple Support on Twitter instead.

About Third-Party Activation Lock Removal Services

iPhone 8 set up screen showing device information
These services use your IMEI number, which you can get by tapping the i button.

If you search the Internet for “iCloud Activation Lock” you’re likely to find a lot of services offering to remove it for a small fee.

You should be very skeptical of these services. Most of them, if not all of them, are scams.

Typically, they claim to charge around $30 to remove Activation Lock. But after a couple of days, they ask for more money saying your device needs “Premium” treatment for them to successfully unlock it.

This often happens a couple of times before they tell you it’s not possible to unlock your device anymore. At which point, they offer a partial refund in the form of a voucher for their worthless services.

Don’t believe the reviews. If you’re determined to try one of these services, find a real person who used it successfully before you pay any money.

Reader Tip: Bypass Activation Lock With a Different DNS

Add new DNS servers on an iPhone
Remove the old DNS Servers before you add new ones.

Some of our readers suggested this tip to temporarily bypass Activation Lock. It involves connecting your device to Wi-Fi using a special DNS that tricks the device into thinking it’s unlocked.

This isn’t a very effective method since it depends on the device running an older version of iOS. It also only works for a short period of time.

Follow these steps to try bypassing Activation Lock using a different DNS:

  1. Follow the setup prompts on your device until you get to the Wi-Fi page.
  2. Select your Wi-Fi network and tap the i button.
  3. Change the DNS servers to one of these options, based on your region:
    1. North America: 104.154.51.7
    2. South America: 35.199.88.219
    3. Europe: 104.155.28.90
    4. Asia: 104.155.220.58
    5. Australia and Oceania: 35.189.47.23
  4. Finish setting up your device.

Avoid Buying an iPhone With iCloud Activation Lock

If you’re in the market for a used iPhone, here are the best practices to avoid getting stuck behind Activation Lock:

  • Go through the entire setup process with the previous owner so they can turn off Activation Lock if it appears. To save time, don’t recover any data yet.
  • Only buy second-hand devices from authorized resellers.
  • Get proof of purchase with your name and the device serial number.
  • Test the contact details work for whoever you buy the device from, so you can reach them if you need to.

Always consider the possibility you might be buying a stolen device, which the seller can’t unlock either. Whether you buy it or not, report stolen devices to the police.

All of this makes it a little bit unnerving if you’re about to buy a used iPhone or any other second-hand Apple product. But if you follow the advice above, you shouldn’t have any problems with Activation Lock.

Dan Helyer

Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.

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Reader Interactions

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Show 72 Comments

  1. Deron Moore says

    August 11, 2022 at 2:33 PM

    I just brought a iPhone 12 from someone and it says that its lock to the previous owner I can I get that remove from the phone

    Reply
  2. Noel says

    September 20, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Hi my name is Noel I brought a iPhone XS mass on Facebook and I Realize that there is an Apple ID on it And I tried to reach the person he was nowhere to be found please help me

    Reply
  3. Ocean says

    July 26, 2021 at 1:44 AM

    Hello my name is ocean I brought a phone on Facebook around may from this guy that forgot his ID and PW so he decided to factory reset it and then the activation Lock Screen came on him not knowing what to do so he sold it on Facebook please help I have no idea how to do this.

    Reply
    • Noel says

      September 20, 2021 at 2:03 PM

      Please I have comment again. Any solution for me iPhone XS mass

      Reply
  4. Sam Hamwich says

    August 13, 2020 at 7:43 PM

    I traded an old buddy of mine a few old vapes for an iphone se that he had. the phone is activation locked and neither of us know the icloud email or password that was used. the phone was once his moms but she forgot the email too and there is no way to see what it was because they block the email out. i have an application that will remove it but the phone is ios 11 and the app requires ios 12 and up,,, what do i do????

    Reply
  5. OlufemiIsaac says

    August 6, 2020 at 2:30 PM

    Pls I need you to removed iloud activation lock from my second hand iOS apple ipad,that I was given by traveller!pls how do I removed it without the original owner I can’t reach the previous owner

    Reply
  6. Andrew Lipski says

    July 22, 2020 at 3:23 PM

    Great Article and I am really stuck, i want to use my daughters old iphone for work. She used it for two years, we brought it second hand and it was set up from fresh. No locks etc in place. So I decided to restore the phone to wipe the data and have run into the lock. I have logged into icloud and removed all the old devices on the account this wasn’t showing anywhere and now completely stuck

    Any suggestions

    Reply
  7. Prince says

    May 24, 2020 at 1:49 PM

    How to remove apple activation lock free l bought iPod 6 touch from eBay

    Reply
  8. Sandeep Kumar Singh says

    May 20, 2020 at 3:44 AM

    I bought an iPhone (It was iCloud Locked) from a person that is not available now.

    Reply
  9. yogesh says

    April 29, 2020 at 9:55 AM

    hello, I am from nepal

    I reset my iPhone last week. I purchased the new iPhone but I didn’t know how to make icloud account so I asked my friend to give me apple id he gave me apple id of one Chinese guy I don’t have any kind of contact with that Chinese guy now I am stuck

    I know the apple id of that id but the password was changed I know the passcode to unlock that iPhone too.

    Now can I unlock this iPhone by using any techniques? is there any way??

    if there is any way give me a solution to solve it.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      April 29, 2020 at 12:36 PM

      Hi Yogesh,

      Unfortunately, your new iPhone sounds like it has iCloud activation lock enabled. Using someone else’s Apple ID is never, ever a good idea.

      The best approach is to get in contact with your friend who gave you that Apple ID information and ask that friend to reach out to the person whose Apple ID you used. What you need is for the person who owns that Apple ID to remove your iPhone from the Find My service and from their Apple ID account.

      This process can be done remotely by that person via these steps. This process does erase your device again–so you will need to set everything up and please create your own Apple ID–it isn’t difficult and when you set up the phone it walks you through all the steps:

        Sign in to iCloud.com with their Apple ID
        Go to Find My iPhone
        Click All Devices at the top
        Select your iPhone to remove it from iCloud
        Click Erase and next
        Click Remove from Account

      Once the person removes your iPhone from their Apple ID, turn off the phone, and then turn it back on to begin the iPhone setup process. During this process, Apple shows you how to create your own Apple ID.

      If you cannot get in contact with that person, your only recourse is to gather all the documents and proof of purchase that prove that you own the iPhone and then contact Apple in your region.

      However, they usually are not able to assist–but it can’t hurt to try if you are out of options.

      Reply
  10. Cassandra Bailey says

    April 20, 2020 at 4:25 PM

    Hey! So I bought this iPhone off my mom that was my little sister’s it’s an iPhone 6 and she forgot the Apple ID password and username what is all the things I can do to get this activation lock off!?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      April 20, 2020 at 6:38 PM

      Hi Cassandra,

      You need to get your little sister to recover her Apple ID and password. Apple ID’s are usually associated with a common email address that people use–ask her to run a search on her email for any email from Apple.

      Alternatively, she could use Apple’s lookup tool and enter her email address and name.

      Once she knows what email is associated with her Apple ID, she can then follow the steps to reset her Apple ID’s password.

      After she gains access to her Apple ID, she can then remove activation lock via these steps:

        Sign in to iCloud.com with her Apple ID
        Tap on Find My iPhone
        Choose All Devices
        Select the iPhone 6 to remove it
        Click Erase. Select Next
        Choose Remove from Account

      After you sister removes the device from her account, turn it off and back on to begin your own setup.

      Reply
  11. Sinidi says

    March 9, 2020 at 9:55 AM

    Hi
    i would like to ask you a question i found an iphone 6 i dont know its owner. phone enabled Activate lock can i unlock the phone?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      March 9, 2020 at 12:19 PM

      Hi Sinidi,

      No, you cannot unlock an iPhone that has iCloud Activation Lock turned on

      Reply
  12. Scott Dalton says

    March 7, 2020 at 1:53 PM

    Hi, um, my granny’s boyfriend gave an iPhone 4s to me. I can’t contact him, and I have no idea how to get it off. I don’t have any documents of it whatsoever, can I still get it removed?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      March 8, 2020 at 12:08 PM

      Hi Scott,

      Unfortunately, no.

      If that iPhone 4S is tied to someone else’s Apple ID and has iCloud Activation Lock on it, then the only way to get access is for that previous owner to remove the iPhone 4S from their Apple ID.

      Reply
  13. in-box v4.8.0 says

    March 4, 2020 at 7:56 PM

    nice one post admin liked it…..

    Reply
  14. Neeraj says

    March 1, 2020 at 1:35 AM

    Hi,

    My uncle bought a new iPhone so he gives the old iPhone to me .

    Now the problem is that he had now left for his country leaving his old iPhone with me .

    On the phone, there is already his apple id ,which i am not able to remove.

    I don’t have any purchase paper which I can show to the apple store to get the apple id removed (as it was a given to me).

    I have also tried many different third party apps to unlock it, but the problem occurs this time was, it’s ios version is 11.4 or later, but those apps can only unlock apple id which has ios version older than 11.4.

    I have also tried to unlock it by using “Forget apple password”, but this time to problem occurred that, it was sending OTP to my uncle’s number, and this was in my uncle’s new iPhone and he is not here and I can’t get the OTP.

    So technically I have tried everything and still failed !!!!!

    Please help me with this phone.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      March 2, 2020 at 4:37 PM

      Neeraj,

      Since your Uncle has the new iPhone, ask him to remove the old iPhone from the account. It’s actually not that difficult. You can copy and send him these instructions via text message.

      When doing these steps, have both iPhone on.

      1) On your Uncle’s iPhone, ask him to sign in to iCloud’s website with his Apple ID
      2) Tap on the icon for Find My iPhone
      3) At the top of the next screen, choose All Devices
      4) He should select the iPhone you now have
      5) Click Erase iPhone
      6) Tap Next and Apple should start the erase process from your iPhone (make sure it’s on)
      7) Finally, have your Uncle choose to Remove from Account your iPhone

      Reply
    • Zameer says

      March 19, 2020 at 12:36 AM

      Hey Bro i have forgot my apple id in iphone 4s can i know what are the 3rd party app that you found

      Reply
  15. alejandro delgado says

    February 21, 2020 at 6:59 PM

    Hi. So I’m in limbo here. I purchase an iPhone XR a few wks ago on letgo. And it’s been a nightmare for me.

    I have an iCloud activation lock and the owner or if he was the owner I can’t seem to reach him. So now I’m stuck with a phone I can’t use.

    I even brought one of those IMEI unlock services and they also told me exactly what you said above. So I got scammed out of 30 dollars. I don’t know what to do anymore.

    Please help I’m just thinking of going to the apple store and return this phone.

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      February 22, 2020 at 8:21 AM

      Hi Alejandro,

      Sorry to hear about this terrible experience purchasing an iPhone XR. How did you pay for the device on Letgo? If you used PayPal or a credit card, contact their service department and file a claim.

      There’s a chance the device you purchased was a stolen or lost device that someone then sold to you. In that case, your only recourse is to reach out to the company that serviced your payment and see if you can recover your funds through them.

      Since you did not purchase this iPhone from Apple or its authorized dealers and it is listed under another person’s Apple ID, it’s unlikely that the Apple Store will accept a return.

      Contact your payment method and see how they can help.

      Good luck,

      Liz

      Reply
  16. ghobad radgah says

    February 20, 2020 at 10:12 AM

    hello
    my son forget appleid&password from ipod touch
    i can not bypass appleid
    please help me

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      February 21, 2020 at 9:34 AM

      HI Ghobad,

      If you or your son has access to the email account he associated with his Apple ID, then you can use this information to recover your Apple ID.

      On a computer, go to Apple’s ID site.

      Choose the option below the login credential boxes, Forgot Apple ID or password?

      On the next page, tap If you forgot your Apple ID, you can look it up.

      Then enter first name, last name, and email address

      If it finds the Apple ID, write down the ID, then go through the steps again but this time choosing forgot password

      Reply
  17. sougouwei says

    January 31, 2020 at 8:40 PM

    Use Eelphone iPhone Unlock, easy and quick.

    Reply
  18. richard says

    January 7, 2020 at 7:44 PM

    Recently I bought a Iphone x, and it seems to be cloudlocked. The only proof of purchase I have is from the text messages I sent to the seller, and the ones he sent to me. What should I do?

    Reply
    • SK says

      January 8, 2020 at 7:30 AM

      Hi Richard,

      Text the seller and ask him/her to remove the iPhone X from their Apple ID account. This can be done remotely (you don’t need to have the device on-hand) via iCloud’s website.

      The seller (or previous owner) must do these steps–you cannot do it for them.

        In Settings on iCloud’s website, look at the My Devices section

        In the list of devices, click the device to remove (your iPhone X)

        Click the Delete button next to that device. If there is no Delete button, click Remove Device that’s listed below the device’s serial or IMEI number.

      Reply
  19. morgan kizziah says

    November 17, 2019 at 5:51 PM

    i have my dad old iphone 4 and he passed away and it has a activation lock and i cant get in to his email or icloud
    what do i do

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      November 17, 2019 at 7:13 PM

      Hi Morgan,

      We are very sorry for the loss of your father.

      We wish Apple made it easier for the family to access loved one’s devices, but it is sadly not the case.

      You need proof of your legal relationship with your father as well as a death certificate (and possibly other court documents.) Then contact Apple Support and explain the circumstances.

      Again, we are very sorry for your loss.

      Liz

      Reply
    • Bram says

      December 17, 2019 at 2:19 PM

      Hey,

      My father also passed away about a year ago, don’t worry, you can get the device unlocked!

      All his data should be on his icloud account anyway, what you need is his sim card, i did the following, i called the operator of my dad’s sim card,

      i told them that i whas my dad and i forgot my pin code, they wher happy to give me the puk code, put the sim in a different phone, tap the pin 3 times and you will get the puk prompt, input the puck that the phone company gave you, now you go to iforgot.apple.com,

      you can ask for a reset password on your dad’s apple id, because his simcard has the trusted phone number on it, you can get a confirmation code on that,

      i hope you have another ios device that is completely empty, you will have to wait 30 days until you can reset your dads icloud password, don’t lose that trusted phone number though!

      You will have to make sure that your dads phone number is still reachable after those 30 days pass, than you take the other ios device, and you set it up with your dads icloud, because now you “own” his icloud, you can restore all of his icloud data back into the fresh ios device, even his mails, pictures, video’s, everything that whas on your dads icloud will download,

      lets say that you have a spare ipod touch laying around, you can use that, erase it back to factory settings and set it up once you have reset his password with the method i gave you, make sure his iphone is connected to a wifi network that he already set up on his phone in the past so that all of his data is synced with icloud, once you have the password, you could than (if you want), erase the phone through itunes and set it up as new, but use your dads icloud credentials since now you are able to acces his icloud,

      thats what i did!

      And it worked like a charm! I could see the last pictures he took with his iphone from my mom and sisters right before he whas gone!

      It works!

      Reply
      • Dez says

        January 16, 2020 at 5:26 PM

        Someone gave me an iPhone XR , I’ve tried many ways to get into it but the activation lock won’t allow me , I have no way to get in touch with the owner , I would like to know that if I bring it to apple can they unlock it ?

        Reply
        • Elizabeth Jones says

          January 16, 2020 at 5:40 PM

          Hi Dez,

          Unfortunately, they cannot do that. Only the previous owner can remove the activation lock.

          Reply
          • Jim says

            January 23, 2020 at 10:30 AM

            well, it’s not like they can’t… they won’t. If you don’t have proof of purchase and the lock is on you basically spent money on a phone that is impossible to use.

            That is deliberate and a choice by apple to destroy the theft market. A lot of end-users aren’t aware of it at a level of skill that matters so a lot of phones get sold by well-meaning but clueless people who left it locked.

  20. Gabriel Serei says

    October 20, 2019 at 5:39 PM

    I bought an iPhone5 but not sure if it’s iPhone 5/5s or 5c and it’s on Activation Lock.. Really in dire need to unlock it.. Please help..
    Thank you!!!..

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      October 21, 2019 at 8:58 AM

      Hi Gabriel,

      If the iPhone has activation lock enabled, you must contact the person you purchased it from and ask them to remove Find My iPhone from it. They can do this remotely by logging into their Apple ID and removing the device there.

      Unfortunately, this is really the only way around iCloud Activation Lock these days. Most third-party products don’t work and the previous workarounds have all be eliminated by Apple.

      Reply
  21. yxw says

    October 7, 2019 at 9:37 AM

    The right way to get lock removal is….
    Contact Apple! Customer service will walk you through the steps to get device unlock.

    Don’t go to malicious websites that ask you a bunch of info about you and your device.

    Reply
    • joureiy says

      December 22, 2019 at 7:32 PM

      The right way is the original Apple ID and Apple ID password, ask the owner or the seller to provide the iCloud account and password.

      Reply
  22. Inese says

    September 11, 2019 at 7:49 AM

    Some time ago I deleted my other icloud account and didn’t go out in settings.

    Now this account staying with me and I can’t get out of him because he’s been deleted.

    What can I do?

    Can you remove my old icloud from phone settings?

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      September 11, 2019 at 8:24 AM

      Hi Inese,

      If your old Apple ID is still showing up in your device’s settings, try deactivating Find My first.

      Go to Settings > Apple ID (at the top) > iCloud > scroll down to Find My and tap it. Toggle both Send the Last Location and Find My off. Enter in that old Apple ID’s password and it should turn off.

      After turning off Find My, you should be able to remove your Apple ID completely from your device.

      Go to Settings > Apple ID > scroll down and tap Sign Out.

      After signing out from this section, go to iMessage, FaceTime, and iTunes & App Store and sign out there as well.

      Once you are totally signed out of your Apple ID from all services, restart your device and sign in with that new Apple ID.

      Liz

      Reply
  23. Karlo says

    August 19, 2019 at 7:06 AM

    Apple products are BS. If this continue, I predict the death of Apple.

    Reply
  24. Dania Abdullah says

    August 16, 2019 at 5:02 AM

    paid for Doctor Unlock Premium iCloud lock removal service in MAY it’s now mid-August and NOT DONE.

    Perhaps they know that a single mother on disability pension won’t raise a storm since she already has enough to deal with….

    I’d like to upload screenshots of repeated order status tracking.

    I was so happy to tell my 15yo daughter that I saved up to pay for the unlock – it’s been over THREE months… it just breaks my heart.

    Reply
    • Al El says

      August 18, 2019 at 1:41 PM

      You can’t exactly contact the previous owner because their email address is covered by apple. I recently contacted apple to help me remove the lock and despite providing proof of purchase from ebay and the seller, they said they only accept from authorized resellers. They also refused to communicate with the previous owner about the lock, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to get the previous owners contact details, it would be very helpful.

      Reply
      • talhakammybond says

        September 10, 2019 at 9:41 AM

        They have a simple rule that they want an authorization or proof of purchase from the 1st owner.

        Reply
  25. Susan Shrestha says

    August 15, 2019 at 2:10 AM

    Hey I bought a iPhone 6 and it’s activated locked to previous owner and not able to get ahold of them wat the fastest way to get it activated

    Reply
    • Elizabeth Jones says

      August 15, 2019 at 9:46 AM

      Hi Susan,

      Unfortunately, the workarounds for removing activation lock don’t work anymore. Getting a hold of the previous owner is the best way to get that activation lock removed.

      Remember, a previous owner can remove this activation lock remotely by logging into their Apple ID–they don’t need to have the device with them.

      Liz

      Reply
      • yea says

        September 9, 2019 at 4:09 AM

        Yea sure, and how can you contact the prev. owner, since the e-mail details are hidden?

        Reply
        • omari says

          December 17, 2019 at 7:22 PM

          how do you contact the owner since the email is covered?

          Reply
          • Elizabeth Jones says

            December 18, 2019 at 12:32 PM

            Hi Omari,

            Check your invoice for any contact information or if you purchased online, on your order information.

  26. Kurut says

    July 4, 2019 at 10:28 PM

    Hi guys, iPhone is just a waste of time. online unlock websites don’t work.

    If your iPhone is locked, just do away with iPhone and go ahead with any android phones….after all it is just the same.

    Reply
  27. Gregg Eshelman says

    June 2, 2019 at 12:38 AM

    Apparently Apple has these methods shut down now. I’ve tried removing the activation lock on an iPad Air.

    Tried the restore six times using various methods and it’s still locked. There’s never any i by the WiFi networks, nothing I can see to change the DNS.

    How “green” of Apple to be making more of their products into useless garbage. Yesterday I easily restored a locked Acer Chromebook to usefulness. How? Looked up how to do it, pressed the 4 keys it said then clicked the “Powerwash” button. In a couple of minutes it was clean and ready to setup for its new owner.

    Reply
  28. uday kumar maclean says

    May 23, 2019 at 2:12 AM

    WELL, after reading all comments here, I’m hopeless that I can unlock my iphone 7+, such a waste of my time and energy, I wish to donate for doulci but then how many of genuine users will use it… ah, but still i make open announcement whoever unlock my phone will be given 50 bucks.. no scam no con, but genuine offer.

    Reply
  29. ashok says

    March 15, 2019 at 10:25 PM

    can i do this wihout any cost remove this activastion lock in iphone .

    Reply
    • SK says

      March 16, 2019 at 5:42 PM

      Hi Ashok,

      The only way cost free is to access the previous owner and have them remove this device from Find My iPhone and their Apple ID account.

      At this time, we suggest this is the only consistent way that works–other methods, like unlocking sites, cost money and work sometimes, and don’t work most times.

      Liz

      Reply
  30. Ted Knight says

    February 20, 2019 at 6:43 PM

    Most iCloud unlock sites are fake and just gather your info. None work that I know of

    Reply
  31. gedoalymani says

    February 7, 2019 at 2:45 AM

    Ok

    Reply
  32. kute says

    January 29, 2019 at 6:22 PM

    it has not worked on my iPhone 4 please help me to unlock the iPhone

    Reply
  33. dude says

    November 26, 2018 at 8:22 AM

    You guys are absolutely out of your mind if you think that this is going to work. If there was a way around FMIP Activation Lock, then Apple would constantly be under serious scrutiny from it’s customers and media. Don’t waste your time, just buy an apple product like the rest of us from a legitimate ARS/AASP

    Reply
    • Mark Freeman says

      November 2, 2019 at 7:16 PM

      Really so having a family member pass and receiving the phone from family member’s spouse, I am now supposed to just toss it out like it wasn’t a legit or legal transaction. the lady just lost her husband and doesn’t remember the password to apple account.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Jones says

        November 5, 2019 at 10:01 AM

        Hi Mark,

        Apple may be able to assist with proof of relationship (marriage to the deceased, Power of Attorney documents, or other legal documents) as well as a death certificate.

        It’s not an easy process and takes time, but some people had success.

        Reply
  34. Tron says

    November 14, 2018 at 8:53 AM

    iphone is rubish you’re just wasting time and your money

    Reply
  35. ken says

    October 18, 2018 at 2:59 PM

    don’t waste your money on those online services–most do not work

    First, it’s only cost a bit and then after 2 days, they came back with, CONGRATULATION! YOU PHONE HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR TO BE UNLOCKED.

    Please make final payment of a larger amount, so we can release these unlocked to you over the air or plug your phone iTunes.

    After 2 days, they said sorry your phone not be able to be unlocked.

    This require our PREMIUM TOOLS, which is coming soon, you will be the first to be noticed.

    Reply
    • Bee says

      October 21, 2018 at 1:21 PM

      Ya, I’m just looking for a service that ACTUALLY checks the FMI status (clean/lost). Is that something that your ‘PREMIUM TOOLS’ will do? If so, how much?

      Reply
    • Russell Smith says

      January 21, 2019 at 12:08 PM

      Yes I went to buy iCloud unlocked removal and it’s cost me $70 and after waiting for freaking 5 days and I receive email that they can’t unloced cost the phone is lost , whatever u said Ken same thing they told me and they can’t refund my $ . I get my iCloud unlocked in IPHONEIMEI.NET AND NOW MY $70 is in the drain and gone coz they said they can unlocked it..what a waste of time and specially my $ this all scammer

      Reply
  36. dave says

    August 24, 2018 at 12:10 AM

    they are a scam, I made the first payment then recieved a email saying the wanted the rest of the money. so I paid $70 and the next day i got another email saying they couldn’t take the activation lock off because my iphone 7 plus was on the black list. I emailed back and told them thats not true that i just got off the phone with apple and they said different. well we need proof they said and i sent it. waiting for answer. over a month ago

    Reply
  37. Sunny says

    January 4, 2018 at 5:21 AM

    Sir my phone is ituen software upload my activet id in password has lost it is how open my iPhone

    Reply
  38. Waris says

    November 25, 2017 at 12:21 AM

    PLZ unlock my apple id

    Reply
    • SK says

      November 25, 2017 at 6:21 AM

      Hi Waris,

      Unfortunately, we cannot unlock iCloud Activation or Apple IDs. If you are having trouble with your Apple ID or your iCloud Activation, please contact Apple Customer Support in your home country and speak with a representative directly.

      SK

      Reply
      • Eelphone says

        November 6, 2019 at 7:51 PM

        But we should have the apple id and password to bypass apple id, or you can try Eelphone iPhone Unlock to remove aplle id from locked iPhone, I have used it, successfully, but lost all data in iPhone.

        Reply
  39. lokesh says

    October 27, 2017 at 7:28 AM

    I have already submitted my idevice IMEI and made a payment against that. No use in final portal it’s showing OFFLINE EM

    Reply
  40. Nikola says

    August 23, 2017 at 8:10 PM

    Hab eine Apple 4 gekauft aber es braucht eine icloud paswort

    Reply
    • SK says

      August 23, 2017 at 9:04 PM

      Guten Tag Nikola,

      Können Sie den ursprünglichen Besitzer kontaktieren?

      Sie können abschalten Find My iPhone über iCloud.com – solange sie sich an ihre Apple ID und Passwort erinnern, können sie das iPhone aus ihrem Konto entfernen.

      Danka, SK

      Reply

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