New phone with old owner info? Forgot your password? Try these tips
If you buy a second-hand iPhone online but only to find the owner is still signed into the device and failed to remove their iCloud details, you may want to find ways to unlock the Unlock iCloud Locked iPhone. This skill may also prove very useful when you forget the iCloud password you used when setting up the device.
This article will explain what it means to have an Unlock iCloud Locked iPhone and share with you various ways to unlock iCloud locked iPhone. which means Activation Lock is turned on as an anti-theft measure. To unlock and use the phone, you must access its original Apple ID username and password. Instructions apply to devices with iOS 7 and later. Read on and check out.
What to Know
- If it’s your phone, enter the Apple ID username and password that was first used to activate it.
- For a used iPhone, ask the original owner to enter their credentials, sign out of iCloud, remove the Apple ID, and erase the device.
- If you can’t unlock the phone, show valid proof of purchase to Apple tech support and see if they can help.
How to Unlock iCloud Locked iPhone
- If the previous owner is nearby, you can try Method 1.1 to remove the iCloud Activation Lock.
- If you don’t know any information about the Apple ID information, you can try Method 1.2.
- Method 1.3 is the trick to bypass iCloud lock for old iOS devices.
Contact the Previous Owner
The easiest solution to unlock iCloud lock for iPhone is to contact the previous owner. He/she may know the iCloud passcode and get the iPhone unlocked.
- On the iCloud lock screen, you can ask the previous owner to enter the password to unlock the iPhone.
- When the lock is removed, go to Settings and click on the owner’s name.
- Scroll down and click on “Sign Out”.
Unlock iCloud Locked iPhone with a Tool (The Best Solution)
The most effective way to remove iCloud lock from an iPhone is to use iPhone Passcode Unlocker, a third party tool that is designed for that purpose. This tool will reset the device to its factory settings, consequently erasing the log in information and allowing the device to be set up as new. The following are some of the features that make it the most ideal solution:
- Easily remove iCloud account associated with iPhone or iPad, allowing you to enter your own.
- Once the iCloud account has been removed, you can easily erase the device, track it using Find My iPhone and even block the previous iCloud account from accessing the data on the device.
- Allows you to continue enjoying all the iOS features after the iCloud account is removed.
- It is very easy to use, allowing you to remove iCloud account without password in just a few clicks.
- It works on all iOS devices and iOS versions, including the latest iPhone 14/13/12 running on iOS 16/15.
- Many top-rated media site have highly recommended this program, such as D-addicts, GetDroidTips, Twitgoo, iLounge, Knowtechie, etc.
Activation Lock is an effective anti-theft measure. Your iPhone or iPad automatically turns on Activation Lock whenever Find My iPhone is active. Once you enable Activation Lock, nobody can delete the device, activate it on a different account, or disable Find My iPhone without entering the Apple ID username and password that originally set up the phone. If you encounter this issue, here’s what to do:
If It’s Your iPhone
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To determine if you have an iCloud-locked iPhone, look for the Activation Lock screen.
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Enter the Apple ID username and password first used to activate the phone.
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Your iPhone will open. You’ll need to reset your Apple ID password if you forgot it.
If you use Two-Factor Authentication to secure your Apple ID on iOS 11 or later, disable Activation Lock using your device passcode. Select Unlock with Passcode, tap Use Device Passcode, and then enter the passcode.
If You Have Access to the iPhone’s Original Owner
The process gets more complex when the username and password aren’t yours, for example, if you bought a used iPhone. If an iPhone is iCloud-locked to an account other than yours, and the person whose account was originally used is physically near you:
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Ask them to enter their Apple ID account credentials on the phone.
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When the phone gets to the home screen, they should sign out of iCloud:
- On iOS 10.2 and earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Sign Out.
- On iOS 10.3 and up, go to Settings > [your name] > Sign Out.
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When asked for their Apple ID username and password, they should enter it again.
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They should then remove the Apple ID from the iPhone:
- On iOS 10.2 and earlier, tap Sign Out, then tap Delete from My iPhone.
- On iOS 10.3 and later, tap Turn Off.
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Erase the phone again by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
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When the phone restarts this time, you shouldn’t see the Activation Lock screen.
If the Original Owner Isn’t Nearby
That’s the easy version. The slightly harder version comes when the person whose account you need isn’t physically near you. In that case, they need to remove the lock using iCloud, by doing this:
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Ask them to sign in to iCloud with their Apple ID.
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Select Find iPhone.
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Select All Devices, then select the iPhone that needs to be unlocked.
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Select Erase and then follow any other on-screen prompts.
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Once the previous owner has removed the phone from their account, restart the iPhone, and you won’t see the Activation Lock screen when it starts up.
Unlock iCloud Locked iPhone via DNS Bypass
You may also be able to unlock iCloud locked iPhone through Settings. However, it is important to note that this method is temporary and you’ll have to use it to unlock the device every time it gets locked again. Follow these simple steps to do it:
Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone and then tap on “Wi-Fi”.
Step 2: Tap on the “i” right next to the network you would like to use.
Step 3: Replace the DNS settings with one of the following depending on where you are:
- USA/North America: 104.154.51.7
- Europe: 104.155.28.90
- Asia: 104.155.220.58
- Other areas: 78.109.17.60
Step 4: Tap “Back” and navigate to “Activation Help”. If the process was successful, you should see “You have successfully connected to my Server” on the screen. This means that you have unlocked the device successfully.
If You Have No Access to the Phone’s Original Account
If you don’t have a way to log in with the iPhone’s original account, you’re basically stuck. Activation Lock is a powerful and effective tool and you can’t get around it. It’s important to make sure used phones are not iCloud-locked before you buy them.
Your one remaining option is to reach out to Apple. If you can provide valid proof of purchase to Apple, the company may be willing to unlock the phone for you. Get a receipt or other proof of purchase, and then contact Apple for tech support to see if they can help.
Are All iCloud-Locked Phones Stolen?
Just because an iPhone is showing an Activation Lock message, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s stolen. It’s possible to enable Activation Lock accidentally. Some situations in which this could happen include:
- Forgetting to turn off Find My iPhone before erasing the iPhone.
- Forgetting to sign out of iCloud before erasing the iPhone.
- If your Apple ID is disabled.
In those cases, you’ll get the Activation Lock screen when trying to set up the phone again. These mistakes are somewhat common when buying used iPhones.
iCloud locking is also a sign that you need to check to see if an iPhone is stolen. If you’re buying a used iPhone, be sure to ask whether Activation Lock is disabled, and if it’s not, don’t buy the phone.
Other Methods to Unlock iCloud Lock iPhone Via iCloud
If you are able to contact the previous owner and don’t want to download any third-party tools on your computer, you can remove the iCloud activation lock through official iCloud website. This method can be taken out remotely.
What the owner requires is stable network connection and the iCloud login credentials. The following steps should be helpful for you to unlock iCloud locked iPhone remotely online.
- Open the official website of iCloud and log into iCloud account.
- After logging into the iCloud account, click on the option of “Find iPhone”.
- On the next screen, click on “All Devices” and select your iPhone.
- Tap on the option of “Erase iPhone” and remove the account.
The iPhone will soon be removed from previous owner’s account, you can then link the device to your own iCloud account.
About Sites Promising to iCloud-Unlock an iPhone
If you’ve done any Googling on this topic, you’ve likely come across dozens of sites and forum posts claiming other companies can bypass iCloud locks. Some may call themselves “official” unlocks. Whatever they say, they’re all scams looking to get money for a service they can’t provide. The only away around an iCloud lock is the original Apple ID used to activate the phone.
These services claiming to bypass iCloud locks are generally either just looking to take your money, or they may be engaged in an even more complex fraud scheme.
A few services can get around Activation Lock, but in doing so, they break your phone’s connection to Apple. You won’t be able to update the operating system or activate the phone again after erasing its data, among other limitations. Those are pretty big drawbacks, and it’s hard to see how they’re worth it.
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