I bought a phone and it says it is Activation Locked. I do not have the previous owners Apple ID or password. Is there a way to get past this? Or what can I do, the phone has been sitting in a drawer for months and I don’t want to count it as a loss, but I need help!
iPhone 7 Plus
Apparently you were scammed when you acquired your phone second hand from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller. Unfortunately the phone will be useless to you. The links below explain what has happened. You didn't know to heed the advice given below.
Before you buy an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller, make sure that the device is erased and no longer linked to the previous owner’s account.
And see: Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365See
this heading Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else.
What all this means to you is that there is no way we can help you. We are not authorized to remove the activation lock from any phone. And, under your circumstances, Apple will not help you. All I can suggest is that you try to recovery your money from the seller.
Apparently you were scammed when you acquired your phone second hand from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller. Unfortunately the phone will be useless to you. The links below explain what has happened. You didn't know to heed the advice given below.
Before you buy an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller, make sure that the device is erased and no longer linked to the previous owner’s account.
And see: Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365See
this heading Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else.
What all this means to you is that there is no way we can help you. We are not authorized to remove the activation lock from any phone. And, under your circumstances, Apple will not help you. All I can suggest is that you try to recovery your money from the seller.
If a used iOS device has been 'Activation locked' then only the previous owner can unlock it, either by providing you with the account ID and password, or by removing it from his list of devices (as he should have done before selling it).
If you are unable to contact him to do this then I'm afraid you will not be able to use the device - there is no other way of unlocking it at all. Apple cannot unlock it for you, nor find the previous owner for you, and neither can the websites that offer to unlock it for a fee: these are scams.
In theory you should return it to wherever you bought it and ask for a refund as in this event the device is completely useless, but given the delay it seems unlikely this is an option.
Activation Lock
