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iPad activation locked

My old iPad is activation locked and the email attached is an old work one so I can’t reset it . What do I do ?

iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi, Cellular

Posted on May 14, 2020 5:23 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 14, 2020 5:49 AM

If your device is Activation Locked, this help page will provide most of the information that you’ll need:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365


If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com


To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

  • Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
  • Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
  • Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID


Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.


More information about recovery of your AppleID:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354


More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487


When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com


13 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 14, 2020 5:49 AM in response to BenHeath77

If your device is Activation Locked, this help page will provide most of the information that you’ll need:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365


If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:

https://iforgot.apple.com


To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to one of the following:

  • Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
  • Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
  • Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID


Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.


More information about recovery of your AppleID:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201354


More information about recovery of your AppleID password:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201487


When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers:

https://appleid.apple.com


May 31, 2020 12:14 AM in response to BenHeath77

i have the original ipad and the apple id used is no longer a valid email address nor can i remember the password. the email address is from a previous job i had. the phone number that would be linked to this is also a previous number. the ipad is at the original set up screen but when i use wifi to setup it gets the activation lock screen which i do not have the details to get through. if i choose to do this through itunes i also encounter the same issue of needing the apple id. is there anyway that the ipad can de erased and start as if brand new?

May 31, 2020 12:27 AM in response to monty2604

With all this information you are pretty well not going to be able to use the old iPad. If you can’t remember the password and don’t have a way for them to get you the information to reset the password because it was used in an email you can’t use anymore you are pretty well out of luck. Apple isn’t going to be able to help you get your account back because you don’t have a way to get the password reset and nothing matches up to anything that you have access to.

May 31, 2020 1:39 AM in response to monty2604

The whole point of having recovery/secondary email addresses - and trusted telephone numbers - is to provide the means to recover access to an AppleID if the primary email address (this being your AppleID account username) is not available for any reason.


Reset instructions and authentication messages can be sent to any of the recovery email or trusted phone numbers. If you have neglected to set these in your AppleID account, then you’ve sunk yourself.


Unless you have the original sales invoice, that clearly shows the serial number of the device, Apple will not assist - and nobody here can offer you any constructive help beyond that already provided.


So, in summary, you have three choices:

1) Recover access to your AppleID account using the information already provided.

2) Produce the original sales invoice (the only only acceptable proof) to Apple to seek assistance with the account.

3) Accept that you iPad is now unusable.


Sorry if this isn’t what you’re hoping to learn - but there is no other way.

Jul 8, 2020 2:04 AM in response to sonam365

Sorry, but no.


You giving details of the previous owner won’t help. Apple has a strict protocol of assisting only the original owner - who themselves must be able to demonstrate ownership of the device to Apple’s satisfaction.


Just because you may know the identity of the owner - doesn’t imply legitimate possession of the device.

Jul 9, 2020 2:28 AM in response to LotusPilot

The person who bought the ipad is my sister, she bought it from Apple Store Bangkok, Thailand...... If i have stolen how would i know alk these details.... And i can you the email id before the activation lock because that was done by my nephew and he forgot the Apple ID he used...... And also the pass code thats how it got disabled..... Earlier i also gave the device name and also know the old mobile number used for the ipad which is in my name.

With all these details if apple support can help with the Activation lock it would be helpful.. This is because i am here in Bhutan and we dint have an Apple Store and all the borders are sealed at the moment.... I can provide any personal information required aside from getting the receipt because thats almost a decade back i dont have it ...

Thank you

Looking forward for your cooperation.


[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]

Jul 9, 2020 7:40 AM in response to AKRBTN

Knowing something about some one is a pice of evidence to present that its not stolen . Further if Apple really wants know the authenticity of the device its best to know who is the actual owner with this kind of information. That someone you are referring to is me so please dont make it personal and if you are not Apple please dont respond it makes more complications.

Jul 9, 2020 7:55 AM in response to sonam365

sonam365 wrote:

... if you are not Apple please dont respond it makes more complications.


Well, that statement ends all conversation here. Sorry, we cannot help you further.


Just to be clear, no contributors here represent Apple in any way. We are all end-users, just like you. We do, however, share the benefit of technical knowledge and expertise, for the benefit of others, in resolving problems.


I guess you’ve now reached the end of what we can do for you.

Jul 9, 2020 8:00 AM in response to sonam365

Nobody here is Apple, so if it is Apple you’re after you’re in the wrong place. I’m not making anything “personal”. These are the rules that Apple works to in these situations - for everyone. It appears that you posted some personal information here earlier which the moderators removed because it was visible to everyone looking at this forum. So personal information isn’t hard to come by with so many people giving it away like that.


No point in arguing about it here. Contact Apple Support and see what they say.

iPad activation locked

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