Many users of iPhone 6, 6S and other models of the popular device know about such a useful function as “Find iPhone”. But sometimes you need to disable Find My iPhone to take advantage of another feature of this app called Activation Lock.
Why might this step be necessary? The fact is that it protects devices running on the iOS operating system from illegal access. But sometimes even the real owner of an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5S or another version of an Apple smartphone makes a “brick” out of his device. And the reason for this is Activation Lock.
How to bypass activation lock on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, 6 and other Apple phones is described in detail in our article.
This function is implemented automatically when you enable the iPhone search function on the gadget. And this is done in the iCloud settings. The option remains active until Find My iPhone is turned off or the user unlinks the smartphone from the current Apple ID.
Turned on iPhone with current function blocking and activation
requires entering your login and password into a special form in the following situations:
1 Turning Find My iPhone on means that the device is protected and the likelihood of its successful search and return in case of loss. 2 When you need to disable iCloud and exit the storage. 3 During the process of deleting information and when you need to activate the phone not for the first time.Activation Lock Features
This function, as mentioned above, is capable of making a “brick” out of an iPhone, i.e. A completely useless piece of metal. The device is blocked 100%; in such a situation, neither the recovery procedure nor the installation of a new version of the OS can help out.
During the process of flashing the iPhone, after the user selects the language, his location, and after activating the gadget, an Apple ID is required. Without this, it will not be possible to use the device and all its functions in the future.
What are the consequences of blocking activation for the owner of an iPhone?
If the user has an Apple phone version 7 or older, then the option to search for an iPhone must be enabled in its settings, and, therefore, the activation lock option is automatically enabled. But if at the same time he forgot his ID or password, then in such a situation, deleting personal data, as well as activating the device after updating or restoring, will become impossible. Moreover, even contacting Apple support will do nothing, and the user will be left with a useless item instead of a cool device.
However, in such situations you should not despair, because... the chance of password recovery, although small, still remains. If the user has access to the e-mail to which the ID is registered, a recovery attempt can be made. But in the history of such requests there are facts when it was not possible to return the password.
Considering all of the above, before you launch the iPhone search function, you need to remember (or a better way is to record on paper) the Apple ID and password specified in the iCloud settings. It would be a good idea to create a copy of the note.
How to remove iPhone activation lock
Can this feature be removed or disabled? This question worries many users of Apple gadgets. How to disable the option, or at least try to do so, will be discussed in detail further.
There is one surefire method to bypass activation of iPhone 4 and other iPhone models. The authorship of this method belongs to an employee of one of the German companies - B. Schlabs. He developed the most best way bypass activation lock and 100% unlock the device. The method is not the simplest, but it almost always helps.
So, first you need to check the iPhone to ensure that the device is in standby mode, respectively, the lock screen is active, and you need to enter a password or Apple ID. But neither the first nor the second is known to the user. Based on such initial data, you need to perform the following actions:
1 Go to the lock screen control center and activate airplane mode. But you can instead simply take the SIM card out of the device. This is done so that there is no access to the Internet, which will provide time for guessing the password and creating a fingerprint. 2 Choose a four-character password (there are 10,000 such combinations in total). Or, if possible, make a fingerprint saved by the previous owner of the device on the phone display. 3 Unlock iPhone 6 as the legal owner of the device (or other device) and enter the iCloud settings, namely, your “account”, where you need to enter the ID. This will be the same number that corresponds to the iPhone. 4 Log in to the Apple resource to initiate the password recovery procedure (iforgot.apple.com). 5 Turn on the Internet on your smartphone (via Wi-Fi) and open your email program. Soon you should receive a letter to –mail with a link to the recovery page. You need to copy it or write it down. Then you need to disconnect from the Internet. 6 Paste the link in the browser, go to the desired resource and generate a new password. 7 In iCloud, delete the “account” to which the smartphone is linked. The iPhone search option will be disabled, and Activation Lock will be disabled at the same time. 8 Restore the gadget to a certified one iOS version and configure it as a new device.
How to unlock an iPhone via iTunes
Through the most popular program for iPhones, the iTunes utility, you can restore the gadget in a situation where the user has forgotten the password.
To restore an iPhone via iTunes, you need to:
- Connect your smartphone to your PC or laptop via a USB cable.
- Wait for a message from iTunes to appear on the screen indicating that the phone is in recovery state.
- Confirm the action by clicking on the agree button.
- Select the iOS version and agree to the firmware.
The story of the FBI's unsuccessful attempts to hack the Texas shooter's iPhone has spread all over the world. On the one hand, this shows the reliability of iOS as an operating system, and on the other, it serves as a warning to inattentive users. In this material we will tell you how to unlock iPhone 4S and other older models. We will not compete with the FBI in hacking practices. It is assumed that you perform all operations with your own smartphone.
Locking a phone can mean several actions. The simplest one, which the user encounters every day, involves protection from unauthorized access. The screen can only be unlocked by entering a numeric password. Without it, you can only make an emergency call to the rescue services. The call is free and can be made even with a negative balance.
This was done in case something happens to the owner of the smartphone. The person who finds it will be able to call for help even when the display is locked. You don't need to know the password for this. Additionally, to help doctors, the user can enter the necessary data into the electronic medical record in advance.
In addition to blood type, you can indicate chronic diseases and note intolerance to certain drugs. For emergency communication with relatives, a contact phone number is indicated.
Thus, using the capabilities of the general lock screen, the iPhone owner can protect himself in case of unforeseen circumstances. To eliminate the possibility of guessing a password randomly, there is a function to erase data after ten unsuccessful attempts set. This option is activated by the user independently in the security settings.
If you manage to forget a given combination of numbers, but remember your Apple ID account information, you can reset your smartphone this way and then restore it from an iCloud backup.
iTunes
Synchronizing iPhone with a computer is one of the purposes of iTunes. macOS has it built into the operating system, but Windows users can install it separately. Unlocking a normally working smartphone for which the user has forgotten the password is performed in one step. To do this, you need to connect to your PC using a USB cable. When the program recognizes the phone, select “Browse” in the navigation menu.
At the top of the main window, in the field general information about the smartphone, a marked item will appear. By clicking the “Restore” button, we start the download latest version OC - in in this case This is iOS 11.2. The time it takes to receive it from Apple servers depends on the speed of the connection used. There is no user intervention required during the recovery phase, so you can leave your iPhone connected to your PC and do other things. After the flashing is completed, the data stored in memory remains unchanged, only the access code is reset.
Recovery Mode
If for some reason you cannot restore your iPhone using the method described above and remove the forgotten lock, you will have to sacrifice its contents. With regular synchronization with iCloud configured, the maximum you will lose is the data of the last 24 hours. In this case, you need to connect your smartphone and then put it into recovery mode. This is done in exactly the same way as a forced reboot.
For iPhone 4S (model A1387), press the power and home buttons simultaneously. The iTunes and cable logos will appear on the screen to indicate a successful connection. If you release the power button and hold only “Home” when the display goes dark, the iPhone will enter DFU mode. In both cases, iTunes will be able to find the device, download the necessary firmware and start its installation.
A lost device can be locked remotely using the Find My iPhone feature. It also allows you to erase data if necessary. You can use this option from any other Apple device or through a web browser. In the action menu, select the marked item and erase the data, returning the smartphone to its original factory state. After this, you can restore the data using iTunes if the backup is stored on your computer, or via iCloud if it is in the cloud.
You can perform this operation for devices linked to the same Apple ID or connected by family sharing.
Foreign operators cellular communications may sell iPhones with a contract. By purchasing such a device, you automatically become a subscriber for a period of one or two years. During this period, you pay the operator the cost of the device and services with a slight discount. This is a unique type of purchase in installments without obtaining a loan. The problem is that until the contract with the operator expires, you cannot use another SIM card on it, since its activation fails.
This is the most unpleasant type of blocking, which you cannot disable on your own. This is usually encountered when purchasing second-hand “gray” devices. Help in solving this problem is provided by specialized offices, which will need the IMEI of your smartphone from you. You can find it in the settings in the “General” group. In addition, to save time, it is advisable to know the foreign operator. The procedure for so-called “unlocking” a smartphone takes up to 20 days, and the cost varies from one to 10–12 thousand rubles.
In conclusion
The main condition for successful unlocking is knowledge of the Apple ID data. When buying secondhand, you should definitely make sure that the smartphone is unlinked from the previous owner’s account and reset to factory settings.
Video instructions
You can see how the described unlocking methods work in the overview video below.
The iPad activation lock is tied to the Apple id and password that were used to set up this iPad - these are the words with which my working morning once began and it would be a good morning if I knew this Apple id and password.
But after the latest updates from Apple and when you enable the find my device function, re-flashing the device does not help and the only working way to unlock your Apple device is to correctly enter the Apple ID and password and reset the device settings.
But as you probably already understood, if I had a way to find out the Apple ID and password, then this article would not exist. But it just happened that the iPad came with such a problem, and I could not find out the user’s Apple Id in order to reset the device and the person under whose id the iPad was blocked is inaccessible. This is where the dancing with the tambourine began.
After reading the Internet on the problem of how to unlock an iPad or how to bypass the activation lock, I could not find anything intelligible and really working. Then the only option that came to mind was to call the service Apple support and try to unlock the iPad with their help, since the device was purchased legally and all documents for the purchase are available.
What is required to unlock your Apple device when contacting technical support.
- You need to know the S/N and preferably the IMEI of your device;
- You must have a receipt for your device;
These are two main conditions, without which there is no point in calling technical support. If you have a receipt and you know the serial number, then you can call everything, as you may ask, how to call the Apple technical support service, and not how they will call you themselves.
To do this, go to the Apple website https://appleid.apple.com and go to the “Support” section.
Then we scroll to the bottom of the page and find the following phrase: I need help with the iPad and there is a “Get support” button, click on it.
Afterwards you will be taken to the next page where apple wants to clarify your problem, but we accordingly select “Apple ID and Password”.
Then you get to a narrower list of problems according to apple and select “Apple id password forgotten or lost”
Well, we have all reached the step we need: “Select the option to talk to Apple support.”
You press the continue button and wait, they called me within 10 seconds.
Or there is an even simpler way - just call the single free apple number in Russia 8-800-555-67-34.
A young man named Sergey called me, I told him about my problem and to my surprise he was very friendly and attentive. Sergey asked the serial number of my device, went away to check something for a couple of minutes, confirmed that such a device was blocked and invited me to email him scanned documents confirming the purchase of my iPad. I told him that this device was purchased for an organization, to which I received an answer that no problem, send the delivery note in the format in which you have it. It was all online.
I would like to warn those who would like to play tricks a little and correct their documents “to make them look better”, it is better not to do this or to do it so that it is not noticeable. As it turned out later, Sergei checked the files I sent for changes. Also, my documents did not contain any information about my iPad S/N, IMEI, Sergei suggested that I add this data to the delivery note and send him a photo. I did everything as he said.
And so after 4 days, as promised, a letter arrived from Apple support, see screenshot below.
But to complete the iPad unlocking process, you need to connect the device to the computer on which iTunes is installed. Where should you see something similar to this.
After you click the “Get Started” button, all you have to do is set up your iPad as new and voila, you can use your device like new.
Hooray! We were able to return the iPad to working condition I managed to bypass the activation lock, if I may say so. But my advice is not to forget your username and password; the procedure is not very fast, and not very pleasant. But I would like to note that if you are a legal buyer of an Apple device and you have documents confirming the purchase of your device, you will still be able to unlock your device. Good luck everyone! Bye!
About an extremely useful application for iPhone/iPad and Mac computers“Find iPhone” (aka Find My iPhone) and its capabilities. In the instructions, we mentioned a wonderful feature of this application, which is called “” (Activation Lock). It is designed to protect iOS and OSX devices from unauthorized use. However, in some cases, even the rightful owner can turn his device into a “brick”. And it is Activation Lock that is to blame.
How to bypass activation lock using the iPhone as an example, read “under the cut.”
Let us remind you that Activation Lock starts automatically when Find My iPhone is turned on in the device Settings in the iCloud section and is active until Find My iPhone is disabled or the device is unlinked from the existing Apple ID.
What is Activation Lock?
Activation Lock is a feature in iOS version 7.x.x that makes it difficult for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to be sold or used by unauthorized persons if it is lost or stolen.
When Activation Lock is enabled, you must enter your Apple ID and password every time you:
- turning off the Find My iPhone function in the device settings;
- signing out of iCloud on the device;
- when erasing data and reactivating the device.
What can Activation Lock do?
Activation Lock can turn your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch into a brick. In other words, as a result of Activation Lock, the iPhone or any other iOS device is completely blocked; neither restoring the device nor updating iOS will help.
When restoring/updating an iPhone, after selecting a language, country and connecting to a cellular network, to activate the device, you will need to enter the credentials from the Apple ID to which the device is linked; without this, it will be impossible to use the device.
This is what Activation Lock looks like on iPhone
Why is Activation Lock dangerous for the rightful owner of an iPhone?
If your iPhone is running iOS 7 or later, Find My iPhone is enabled in its settings. and as a result, the Activation Lock function was automatically activated and you forgot your Apple ID or password, nor disable “Find iPhone” and Activation Lock, nor delete your iCloud account, nor erase personal data, nor, most importantly, You will no longer be able to activate your iPhone after flashing it.. Even contacting Apple support will not help and you will be left with an electronic “brick” in your hands.
You can try to recover your Apple ID password if you have access to the email that is registered as an Apple ID, but there are known cases where it was not possible to recover the password.
When you enable Find My iPhone, remember and write down the Apple ID and password that is specified in the iCloud account settings on your iOS device, do backup copy notes.
System requirements for Activation Lock to work?
Activation Lock only works on iOS devices: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch available only on iOS 7 and higher.
The feature is not available on iMac and MacBook desktop systems running OS X.
How to bypass Activation Lock on iPhone?
Is there a way to bypass Activation Lock? Employee of the German company Security Research Labs Ben Schlabs showed real way how to bypass activation lock and completely unlock your iPhone. The method is not simple, but 100% working.
Let's assume that your iPhone is in standby mode, the lock screen is active, and you need to enter a passcode to unlock it. We do not know either the lock password or the Apple ID with the password.
1 From the Control Center on the lock screen, activate Airplane Mode or simply remove the SIM card from the iPhone to disconnect the device from the cellular network and, as a result, disconnect from the Internet. This will give time to select a lock password and make a fingerprint of the phone owner;
2 Select a 4-digit lock password (10,000 combinations) or, if possible, make a fingerprint left by the previous owner on the iPhone screen;
3 Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings -> iCloud -> Account. record, write down the value of the “Apple ID” field, this will be the Apple ID to which the device is linked;
4 On the official Apple website (iforgot.apple.com) initiate the procedure for recovering your Apple ID password;
5 Connect your iPhone to the Internet via Wi-Fi for a few seconds and launch your email client. After you receive an email on your iPhone with a link to the password recovery page, copy it into your notes and rewrite it. Don't forget to disconnect your iPhone from the Internet;
7 In the iCloud settings on your iPhone, delete the account to which the device is linked. Find My iPhone will be disabled and Activation Lock will also be disabled.
8 Restore your iPhone to the official firmware and set it up as a new device.
Video instructions for bypassing iPhone activation lock
To ensure that you understand us correctly, we looked at the possibility of bypassing Activation Lock on iPhone from the position of an attacker in order to develop security measures that will help legitimate owners of iOS devices protect themselves from unauthorized use of their devices.
How to protect your iPhone from theft and unauthorized use?
Deny access to Control Center on the lock screen. To do this, go to Settings -> Control Center on your device and turn off the switch. This will prevent an attacker from turning on Airplane mode, connecting to known wireless networks via Wi-Fi, and turning on Bluetooth on the iPhone;
Enable iPhone Passcode Lock. This will prevent a thief from using the device after switching it to airplane mode. Go to Settings -> General -> Touch ID & Password and enter the 4-digit lock password;
In the Touch ID settings, create a fingerprint of a finger that you don’t normally control on your iPhone. This will prevent a thief from creating a duplicate of your fingerprint left on the device screen;
Do not connect an email account on your iOS device that is used to recover your Apple ID password.. This will prevent the thief from receiving a password recovery link from your Apple ID;
If you've lost your iPhone or it's been stolen, first go to Find My iPhone via iCloud. This will allow you to lock your device using a lock password.
Of course, the Activation Lock feature for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is extremely useful. When using basic security measures, it will help not only limit the use of a stolen iOS device, but also completely block it and make it unsuitable for use and sale. Just be careful, don’t forget the Apple ID and password to which your device is linked.
When setting up your iPhone, remember that by gaining access to the device settings, attackers can gain full access to email, accounts social networks, passwords and strictly confidential information. Take care of the protection of your device and personal data.
If you have experience in bypassing activation lock using other methods, please share with us and our readers in the comments, we will be grateful.
Let's figure out what "iPhone Activation Lock" means if you just bought it and how to remove it in various ways. Users encounter this problem quite often and there is no need to worry.
This article is suitable for all iPhone Xs/Xr/X/8/7/6/5 and Plus models running iOS 12. Older versions may have different or missing menu items and hardware support listed in the article.
What is Activation Lock on iPhone?
Activation Lock is a security tool that is an extension of the previously introduced Find My iPhone feature. Activation Lock was introduced into iOS in 2013 with the release of the 7th generation of software. Locking has been described as an ideal method against thieves.
Apple has already reported that the number of thefts of iPhone gadgets has decreased significantly. If thefts are committed, then they are no longer accompanied by the loss of information and its falling into the wrong hands.
Steps to take when erasing information from your gadget
If you did not sign out of iCloud before putting your device into recovery mode and restoring it using iTunes, it may remain operating in Activation Lock mode. You must enter the same Apple ID identifier and password that were used during the previous device setup.
Don't remember your Apple ID password or Apple ID? If you are running iOS 12 or later and your account is protected using two-factor authentication, activation lock can be removed using your iPhone password.
Click “Unlock with Passcode”, and then select the “Use Device Passcode” section.
Steps to take when purchasing an iPhone
Before purchasing an iPhone from an authorized dealer or not from Apple, you need to make sure that all information is erased from the device and that it is no longer linked to the previous owner’s account. If one of the following 2 screens is displayed when you turn on the gadget, then you need to contact the previous owner for help.
The appearance of a lock screen, as in the screenshot above, indicates that the device is still linked to the account of the previous owner.
Displaying the Home screen or password lock screen (in the screenshot above) indicates that the gadget has not been erased.
Help from a former iPhone owner
If the gadget is linked to the account of the former owner, and he is nearby, then you need to ask him to provide an Apple ID identifier and password. After this, we remove the device from the account.
If a password request is displayed, but the data has not been erased from the gadget, then the previous owner must be asked to unlock the gadget. To do this, select “Settings”, click on “General”, “Reset” and “Erase settings and content”. Then you need to enter the Apple ID identifier and password of the former owner.
The previous owners are not near you
If the previous owner is not with you, then you need to ask him to do the following:
- We go to the resource https://www.icloud.com using our Apple ID.
- Go to the “Find iPhone” screen.
- Click “All devices” at the top of the screen.
- Select the device that needs to be removed from iCloud.
- If necessary, click “Erase device”.
When the previous owner removes the iPhone from his account, you need to turn off and turn on the device again to begin setup.
Unlocking iPhone via iTunes
If you have forgotten your activation lock password, you can unlock your iPhone using iTunes program. To restore the gadget, follow the steps:
- We connect the smartphone to a laptop or PC using a USB cable.
- We wait until the screen displays a message from iTunes that the smartphone has entered the recovery state.
- The action must be confirmed by clicking on the consent button.
- Select the iOS version and enable the firmware.
Then the process will be carried out automatically, iTunes will do everything independently. After completing the procedure, the device settings window will appear on the display, where you should select its settings section in the form of a new device.
Contacting Apple technical support
The most effective, legal and honest way to unlock a gadget is to call Apple technical support. You can contact Russian service support (order a call on the official website), but you must provide proof that the gadget was officially purchased.