Ipad 2 activation required

Question

Level 1

8 points

Ipad 2 activation required

My IPad2 is Requiring Activation

I have an IPad2 which is approximately 5 or 6 years old. It does not have any cellular service. I have not updated the software in a while. I normally only use one active app (in 'Airplane Mode') that contains a lot of sensitive historical data that I need to access. I went back to it yesterday and punched in my code. It said that I had to activate my IPad. This made no sense to me because I had not done anything that would require an activation. But, since it was not letting me in, I figured I would try. It had a screen showing all of the wifi networks available. I clicked on one of mine and hit "next." It tried to activate and then gave me the message "Your iPad could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPad to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a couple of minutes. If this problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/support."

Since the message gives the alternate solution of going to www.apple.com/support, I did that. Unfortunately, the www.apple.com/supportpage page did not contain info for this issue, and the site did not actually allow me to contact Apple Support.

I see that a lot of people have this same problem. Has anyone found a solution?

Thank you.

iPad 2, 9

Posted on Mar 20, 2019 12:38 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

MichelPM

Level 10

80,980 points

Mar 20, 2019 8:34 PM in response to freestate67

You are not trying to update or DO ANYTHING with the iPad through iTunes.

You are simply using iTunes as a way to get the iPad 2 to be recognized by iTunes, then try the activation process on the iPad, itself, while being connected to iTunes on a computer.

The computer does need an active Internet connection though for all of this to work, though.

That is all you are trying to do. iTunes is just acting as a “helper” conduit app to help get your iPad 2 to try and get activated.

You plug the iPad into the computer, wait for iTunes to “see” your iPad, with the iPad still connected to the computer, go back to your iPad and try the Apple ID and password entries, again to see if your iPad will activate.

You should NOT be doing anything within iTunes itself.

If your iPad 2 won't activate with it connected to computer with iTunes with the SIM card in the tray, try all of this, again with the SIM card removed from the tray.

Reply

Answer 2

MichelPM

Level 10

80,980 points

Mar 20, 2019 2:28 AM in response to freestate67

Here is the common solution I post.

This issue has mostly affected iPad 2 models with SIM cards for Cellular data service.

If you can't reactivate this iPad by simply re-inputting your Apple ID and password, then you need to proceed to the next steps below.

If you have a cellular iPad 2 model, try removing the SIM card from the SIM card tray, located on one of the long sides of the iPad ( you may need something small or pointy or the original SIM card tray tool that came with your Cellular service iPad 2 to open the tray ), remove the SIM card, try either a simple restart of your iPad 2 AND/OR try a hard reset of your iPad by holding down both the Home and sleep/wake buttons simultaneously until your iPad goes to black and restarts with Apple logo, then release the buttons.

Then, try re-activating your iPad 2 without the SIM card in the tray.

If successful, return the SIM card back into the tray.

If no joy,

Leave the SIM card installed, first, and try to re-activate your iPad 2 with it connected to a computer running iTunes.

If STILL no joy,

Try taking out the SIM card and try the re-activation with your iPad 2 connected to the computer and iTunes, once again.

Good Luck!

Reply

Answer 3

freestate67 Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 20, 2019 8:58 AM in response to MichelPM

Thanks for your suggestions. I tried all these (with and without the sim card) with no success. I could connect via Itunes and the update process would cycle through (about 10 minutes each time) and seem to download and update the ipad, but in the end it was still not activated and would not open.

Reply