How to Get Around Activation Lock on iPhone

Did you purchase a used iPhone from someone only to be welcomed with an Activation Lock screen? Or, did you forget your Apple ID details and get locked out of your own iPhone? Either way, there are multiple ways to go about resolving the activation lock situation on an iPhone (or iPad for that matter).

Activation Lock, if you aren’t aware, is Apple’s security feature that’s tied to the Find My iPhone service. This is to make sure your device and the data stored remains secure in case if it’s lost or stolen. If Find My was enabled on your iPhone and you erased it without signing out of iCloud, it may still be protected by an Activation Lock.

Unlocking the iPhone is easy if you have the correct Apple ID login details, but what if you don’t? In this article, we’ll cover how you can get around Activation Lock on an iPhone.

How to Get Around Activation Lock on iPhone

First, if you have the proper Apple ID login information, using that will resolve the activation lock, so if you can remember the details or get them from someone else, do that.

If you’re still having trouble with a locked iOS device, you will likely need Apple’s help to get it unlocked. Simply follow the steps below to get around an activation lock.

1. If you forgot the email address that’s linked to your Apple ID, you can try finding your Apple ID here. Enter your first name, last name and type in your email address to see if there’s an Apple account linked to it.
   
   
2. If you forgot your Apple ID password, you can try recovering your account here. However, you’ll need to answer a few security questions correctly to be able to reset your password. Just type in your Apple ID email and click on “Continue” as shown below.
   
   
3. If you don’t know the answer to your security questions, contact Apple technical support at (800) MY–IPHONE (800–694–7466) and see if there are other options to recover your Apple account.
4. You can start a Support Request from Apple about Activation Lock if you have proof of purchase of the device, typically in the form of a receipt, and/or serial number, IMEI or MEID. This will erase all data on the phone, however.
5. Had no luck with the above steps? Then your best bet is to visit an Apple store with proof of purchase where they can normally remove the Activation Lock from the device for you, but all the data will be erased in the process.
6. Now, if you bought a used iPhone from someone, you can request them to remotely disable the Activation Lock from the iPhone. They’ll need to erase and remove this device from their Apple account by heading over to iCloud.com.

Those are pretty much all the ways to get around the Activation Lock on an iPhone. If you know of any other approaches, share with us in the comments.

Although we were focusing primarily on the iPhone in this article, you can follow these steps to get around the Activation Lock on an iPad or iPod Touch too.

Activation Lock turns on automatically when Apple’s Find My service is enabled. Therefore, the next time you decide to turn on Find My on your iPhone, keep a note of your Apple ID login details so that you don’t end up in a similar situation again.

Apart from these steps, there aren’t any ways to legitimately get around an Activation Lock. You might find third-party services on the internet claiming to resolve this issue that require you to pay money, but be aware that most of them are either scams or temporary fixes, as they’ll be inevitably patched by Apple with a software update, so they aren’t worth pursuing.

We hope you were able to access your iPhone again by getting rid of the Activation Lock. Which of the following methods we discussed here worked for you? Did you find another approach or method? Do share your valuable thoughts and experience in the comments section down below.