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My aunt passed away and I have her iPad but don’t know her Apple ID or password. What do I do so I can use it??
iPhone 6s, iOS 13
If presume the iPad is Activation Locked after an attempted reset. The Activation Lock will have to be resolved before you’ll be able to reuse the iPad.
Here are the Apple support pages that outline the Activation Lock - and the only mechanisms by which it can be turned off:
Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support
As you will discover, unless you are the owner of the AppleID that was last used to activate the device, you’ll not be able to defeat or bypass the Activation Lock. Without documentary evidence that you are the original owner (such as sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple won’t assist - and nobody here will be able to help you.
However, that isn’t necessarily the end of the story...
A close Family member or Executor, with the required supporting paperwork, can make application to Apple to be granted access to the Apple accounts of the deceased:
How to request access to a deceased family member's Apple accounts - Apple Support
A self-help alternative may be possible. Quite often, close family also have sufficient knowledge - and access to likely recovery paths - that access to the AppleID account of the deceased family member can be recovered. Having done so, it is then possible to release the Activation Lock that prevents reuse of an iPad/iPhone.
The following guidance is written from the perspective of the owner - but a family member will get the idea as they run through the process.
—
If your device is Activation Locked, this help page will provide most of the information that you’ll need:
Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to any one of the following:
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:
If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support
More information about recovery of your AppleID password:
If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support
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:
Having recovered access to the AppleID account (and therefore the AppleID username and associated Password), Activation Locks can be removed. There are several routes to this, but for brevity, I’ll refer you to this support page:
Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support
If the passcodes of any devices are unknown, the data stored on the device itself is now gone - but from your question I surmise that data recovery is not you immediate aim. That said, if the device(s) have an associated iCloud backup, you can restore the backup data to the device. To do so, you would need to follow this procedure:
If you’ve forgotten the passcode on your iPad, or your iPad is disabled – Apple Support
You’ll need access to either a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS). At the end of the process, you’ll have the option to restore data from the backup.
If your intent is to wipe/reset the device(s) for reuse by a new user, you would be best advised to prepare them properly:
What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch – Apple Support
I hope to have covered all the likely scenarios - and similarly hope that this guidance is helpful in fully resolving your current difficulties.
If presume the iPad is Activation Locked after an attempted reset. The Activation Lock will have to be resolved before you’ll be able to reuse the iPad.
Here are the Apple support pages that outline the Activation Lock - and the only mechanisms by which it can be turned off:
Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support
As you will discover, unless you are the owner of the AppleID that was last used to activate the device, you’ll not be able to defeat or bypass the Activation Lock. Without documentary evidence that you are the original owner (such as sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple won’t assist - and nobody here will be able to help you.
However, that isn’t necessarily the end of the story...
A close Family member or Executor, with the required supporting paperwork, can make application to Apple to be granted access to the Apple accounts of the deceased:
How to request access to a deceased family member's Apple accounts - Apple Support
A self-help alternative may be possible. Quite often, close family also have sufficient knowledge - and access to likely recovery paths - that access to the AppleID account of the deceased family member can be recovered. Having done so, it is then possible to release the Activation Lock that prevents reuse of an iPad/iPhone.
The following guidance is written from the perspective of the owner - but a family member will get the idea as they run through the process.
—
If your device is Activation Locked, this help page will provide most of the information that you’ll need:
Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
If you have forgotten your AppleID or associated password, these can be recovered here:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to any one of the following:
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:
If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support
More information about recovery of your AppleID password:
If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support
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:
Having recovered access to the AppleID account (and therefore the AppleID username and associated Password), Activation Locks can be removed. There are several routes to this, but for brevity, I’ll refer you to this support page:
Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support
If the passcodes of any devices are unknown, the data stored on the device itself is now gone - but from your question I surmise that data recovery is not you immediate aim. That said, if the device(s) have an associated iCloud backup, you can restore the backup data to the device. To do so, you would need to follow this procedure:
If you’ve forgotten the passcode on your iPad, or your iPad is disabled – Apple Support
You’ll need access to either a PC (with iTunes installed) or a Mac (with iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of MacOS). At the end of the process, you’ll have the option to restore data from the backup.
If your intent is to wipe/reset the device(s) for reuse by a new user, you would be best advised to prepare them properly:
What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch – Apple Support
I hope to have covered all the likely scenarios - and similarly hope that this guidance is helpful in fully resolving your current difficulties.
Depending on how old this iPad is, it may not be worth all of these efforts that have been suggested.
If the “old” iPad, in question is an nearly 9 to 11-year old iPad 1, 2, 3, 4 or 1st gen iPad Minii, Apple ended support for these nearly 9-10-year old iPads, at least, over 3 and 4 years, ago.
The original 2010 iPad ( chunky device with NO cameras ) stopped being supported by Apple by mid-2012.
The internal hardware in these old iPad models is too old, too underpowred and completely incompatible with all later versions of iOS/iPadOS.
Virtually, all third party iOS app developers ended/stopped/abandoned supporting these old iPads over two years, ago.
There are virtually, NO MORE older iOS 9 or 10 compatible apps available from the Apple iOS App Store, any longer.
There are NO MORE popular, useful apps or games for these old iPads, any longer!
Especially games as game makers push for upgrade compatibility for best interactive user and cross device gameplay.
AND, that old default iOS Safari Web browser is too old, not secure and not safe to use to access the Internet, any longer.
If this iPad is newer than this, it maybe worth resurrecting, but if it is any of the above iPad models, that I have mentioned, the efforts to get such an old tablet resurrected back to a working condition, are simply not worth it now, in 2021.
Such old iPad models are no longer supported, at all, and you'll find getting apps and surfing the Web on such old Apple tablets a frustrating experience, IF yoy can get that “old” iPad working again.
AND, the lack of older, third party apps will only get worse, now, as time passes.
These old iPad models are simply obsolete now.
If you need/want an iPad with an up to date iPadOS with access to current, updated apps, then you really need to seriously consider a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, used iPad models, from better known, trusted Apple product/device retailers/resellers, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions.
There are plenty of newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.
Sorry & Best of Luck to You!
MichelPM wrote:
The internal hardware in these old iPad models is too old, too underpowred and completely incompatible with all later versions of iOS/iPadOS.
Virtually, all third party iOS app developers ended/stopped/abandoned supporting these old iPads over two years, ago.
There are virtually, NO MORE older iOS 9 or 10 compatible apps available from the Apple iOS App Store, any longer.
There are NO MORE popular, useful apps or games for these old iPads, any longer!
I recall you were arguing just the opposite only a few days ago...
🙂
I continue to state VIRTUALLY all ( meaning NOT completely all ) older apps are gone and useful ( productive ) and popular apps ARE, mostly gone, as well!
Apparently in the past few months, I HAVE learned that some minority of older version apps ( like Netflix and a few older, single player games ) still exist for older iPad models.
Such a low quantity of older version apps for old iOS devices, is probably spotty, at best, and if a certain app/s maybe needed by an OP, I have recently included the only procedure that may or may not work to get a an older copy of an app, IF it is still available on the iOS App Store and has NOT been removed by either Apple or the third party developer.
Old iPad models that have to be completely reset and start from scratch will NOT be very useful, productive or fun devices to use now, at all, in 2021.
Old iPad models are a waste of time and efforts to get running as new devices as the reward/efforts quotient is simply a low one with a low expectation of a truly usable device.
I have this same situation. 3 older iPads (prob 1st-2nd gen) from grandparents who have since changed their Apple IDs as the could remember originals, originals were registered under old emails, don't remember the passwords to anything- including emails, AppleID/iPad code, etc. They're now the equivalents of oversized paperweights. Was hoping to get them up and running for my kids. Fully aware most apps won't be supported, just a way for kids to watch Youtube, do homework, etc via browser.
Everything i'm reading here, seems there's no way to really have it wiped and 'reset' without having the dang code? I read something about DFU mode, but question if its compatible for such old iPads, and frankly seems above my knowledge level. Would you possibly have additional insight besides your previous (very thorough and well written) replies?
The Safari Web browser in these old iPads and even third party Web browsers, that I currently recommend that are still being supported for old iOS devices ( only about a half dozen lesser known third party Web browsers ), still use very old versions of the Apple iOS Webkit, meaning that many modern, up to date coded Websites may not work very well or behave erratically with these newer, still supported Web browsers, as well as older versions of Apple's own iOS Safari Web browser really cannot be trusted for being safe or secure on the Internet, any longer.
Without any more security updates forthcoming for old iPad models, it is risky to try and use these very old iPad models online given their age and in 2021.
Also, the performance of these old iPad models can be excruciatingly slow, making them a problem to just being able to work on these old devices.
DzinrDude wrote:
I have this same situation. 3 older iPads (prob 1st-2nd gen) from grandparents who have since changed their Apple IDs as the could remember originals, originals were registered under old emails, don't remember the passwords to anything- including emails, AppleID/iPad code, etc. They're now the equivalents of oversized paperweights. Was hoping to get them up and running for my kids. Fully aware most apps won't be supported, just a way for kids to watch Youtube, do homework, etc via browser.
Everything i'm reading here, seems there's no way to really have it wiped and 'reset' without having the dang code? I read something about DFU mode, but question if its compatible for such old iPads, and frankly seems above my knowledge level. Would you possibly have additional insight besides your previous (very thorough and well written) replies?
A DFU recovery will not be any help.
The Activation Lock cannot be bypassed by anything that you can do with the iPad itself - as the “activation” record is held in Apple’s security/activation servers.
On the 2010, 1st gen iPads, there are absolutely NO apps available for that nearly 11-year old iPad, any longer!
None.
Also, the 2010 iPad can no longer play content from YouTube, any longer, even from that over 8-year old Safari Web browser.
Google has constantly updated the code on the YouTube Website that is impossible to even load the YouTube Website, much less see and watch YouTube videos on the original 2010 iPad.
An iPad 2 will have better luck with the YouTube Website, but getting the site to load in any Web browser is hit or miss, at this late time, and watching videos is a slow process, but can work.
All of these older iPad models have issues with various online Web content due to Web browsers restrictions and difficulties and the old WebKit code used in these old Web browsers AND the selection of older apps is sparse, at best, and may require a newer device to download the most current version any app in an attempt to get an older version of an app to these very old iPads, IF one still exists.
I have taking plenty of precautions over many years to keep my old iPad 2 and my wifes's old iPad 3 and my Mon and Dad's old iPads runnng with our older apps by keeping working. running copies of old MacOSes on multiple hard drives/SSDs and older compatible versions of iTunes with all older apps installed/saved, in case I ever need to reset and restore these devices in the future.
I still have all of the older apps for all of these old devices so these old iPad 2 and 3 models keep running as long as the internal battery in these old devices hold out!
Most common users DO NOT ever do all of this to keep these old iPads running.
Many common users don't even DO device backups, much less try and save all of the older device apps they have downloaded on these old iOS devices over the years of use.
It didn't help that Apple did away with this app saving feature in iTunes when iTunes 12.7 was introduced many years, ago.
I saw the handwriting on the wall and I did everything I could do to make sure that all of my families old iPads will stay viable as long as possible until the internal batteries in these devices finally fail.
Most user do not ever go to these lengths nor really understand what to do to keep these old iPads running in the event that something bad happens to them.
Apple offers no real education in maintaining their products and really leaves the education up to the user to keep their personal mobile devices and computers running and operating for years and preserving these devices’ data.
A lot of this education is beyond most common users comprehension, also.
Sigh... it is what it is for your older iPads at this late stage.
Sorry.
Apple WILL NOT help without the proper paperwork, like a sales receipt with the serial number of the device and, with a deceased relative, a death certificate and other proof that will be needed that will release that iPad to any other next of kin.
I think that you can go to apple support and ask for help.
Also, you can ask relatives that are close to your aunt to see if they know.
My aunt passed away and I ha e her old I pad but don’t know her Apple I’d or password so I can use it. What do I need to do to use it?
