How To Bypass Activation Lock on an iPhone or iPad

The activation lock on your Apple device can be annoying but it exists with good intentions. The activation lock is designed to protect your device should you lose it or it gets stolen. The device can only be used once the correct password has been entered and only the rightful owner has that information. The activation lock is the account that the owner uses for all of their Apple services like Apple Pay and iTunes and is linked to iCloud.

This service is also tied to Find My iPhone which helps you track and lock your iPhone remotely so not only can you lock your device but you can also trace where it is. The activation lock is so secure that it can be difficult to get passed it if you accidentally lock your device or you buy a second-hand device and it is locked.

Luckily, there are a few ways that you can get around the activation lock and we will discuss them in this post. There are three key ways to bypass the activation lock for your iPhone or iPad that we have discovered so read on to find out.

1. Speak to the previous owner or bypass the lock using iCloud
2. Ask Apple for help
3. Use a third-party service

1# Contact the previous owner

If you have bought a second-hand iPhone then chances are the previous owner has tried to wipe their account or lock it on your device. In this case, you’ll need to contact them to get their password so you can remove their iCloud account from your phone. Hopefully, they’ll remember their password and if you are close to them and their account hasn’t been erased (you’ll be able to tell because you’ll still see the unlock password screen) you can ask them to do the following;

Go to > Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

They will then need to enter their Apple ID and password to complete the process.

Alternatively, if they are not nearby then you can ask them to do this remotely if their account is still linked to your device (just hope they remember their Apple ID and password and they are friendly enough to do this for you!)

Follow the steps below to get them to do it on iCloud.

Remove the Apple account by using iCloud

1. Go to https://www.icloud.com/
2. Type in your Apple ID (email address) and password
3. Click ‘Settings’.
4. Click the device you want to remove from your iCloud account found under ‘My Devices’.
5. Click the small X opposite the device name to remove it.
6. You will be asked to confirm the removal. Click Remove.

This is a fairly straight forward way to bypass the activation lock through www.icloud.com. However, it’s always best to make sure the previous owner proves to you that they have removed the activation lock before you buy an Apple device because it can be a nightmare if you buy a stolen iPhone or iPad that is locked.

2# Ask Apple For Help

The next way to try and bypass the activation lock is to ask Apple themselves to do it for you. For them to be able to do it though, you’ll have to prove that you are either the owner or you bought the phone off the original owner. To do this, you’ll need proof of purchase like a receipt, for example. Again, if you find that you have bought a stolen device then this is not going to work and will cause you all kinds of headaches.

They will also run a few checks to make sure that the device hasn’t been stolen or is lost. This can be a little frustrating to do though because sometimes they might outright refuse to help you if they don’t believe you are the legitimate owner or you can’t prove that you bought the phone in the right way.

It’s also time-consuming and involves waiting for them to respond before you can use your device. So this brings us on to our final way to bypass the activation lock on Apple devices.

3# Use A Third-Party Service

The other option if you want to bypass the activation lock is to use a third-party service which might just be the fastest way, especially if you can’t get the previous owner of a second-hand device to unlock it for you on iCloud using their account details.

Before you use an activation lock remover you need to make sure that the website you use is safe. Unfortunately, there are many scam websites that prey on people who are desperate to unlock their iPhones, iPads or Apple Watches.

We did a scan of some of the best unlocking services online that offer the best and the fastest services and we would personally recommend you use iPhoneIMEI.net.

Here’s how it works;

1. Enter your IMEI number
2. Wait for a little while whilst they remove the iCloud account from your device
3. You’ll receive an email telling you that your device is unlocked!

This is a safe method and uses the same Apple Care method for removing Apple accounts from your device. Once the process is complete you’ll be able to enter your own Apple ID and use your device as if it’s brand new.

If you come unstuck and the previous owner doesn’t remember their account details or has just plain vanished leaving you with a locked iPhone, don’t worry, you can always find other ways of unlocking your Apple activation lock by using services like this.

It used to be so complicated trying to unlock your Apple device but now it’s a lot easier these days. We hope you found this post useful and don’t forget to check out iPhoneIMEI.net for all of their other unlocking services.