Hello - I am trying to unlock an iPad that we lost when moving and just found it. The email address (Apple ID) I used to set it up originally is no longer a valid email address, so I can't reset the password or do anything at this point. We purchased this way back in 2012, so we no longer have a receipt for it.
iPad mini, iOS 9
As outlined in my initial reply, for a correctly set-up AppleID account, you can recover your AppleID using your secondary (recovery) email address or any one of your trusted telephone numbers.
If you have not configured any of these, then loss of access to the primary email address makes self-recovery impossible.
Without acceptable proof of ownership, Apple are unlikely to assist. However, you might still try:
Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security – Apple Support
As outlined in my initial reply, for a correctly set-up AppleID account, you can recover your AppleID using your secondary (recovery) email address or any one of your trusted telephone numbers.
If you have not configured any of these, then loss of access to the primary email address makes self-recovery impossible.
Without acceptable proof of ownership, Apple are unlikely to assist. However, you might still try:
Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security – Apple Support
If your iPad is disabled, or you have forgotten your iPad passcode, you’ll need to follow this process:
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).
You’ll also need your AppleID and associated password. If these have also been forgotten, they can be recovered here:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to 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:
Thank you so much - I have tried that whole process, but it is asking to send an email to the appleID that the iPad was set up with. The problem is that the email it was set up with is no longer a valid email address - we switched from comcast email to gmail. I can't get past the step that requires a receipt and we don't have the receipt since this was purchased in 2013. I can't imagine that there is no way around this and that this iPad is just useless now. Any other remedies?
Unlocking older iPad
