activate an ipad 3

Ask your son, who should have performed these steps before giving it to you:--> What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If he didn't perform those steps, It may give you Activation lock error and, in such a situation, neither we, just users like you, nor Apple can help you, sorry, unless you are the original owner and you still have the proof of purchase (receipt/invoice reporting your device’s IMEI or Serial Number). Should be this case, start your request using this link: https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support

Shouldn’t be this case, activation lock can be removed only by the previous owner, with the credentials that were used to activate that iPhone/iPad. Without those credentials, that device is useless to you.

You can also take a look at this support article:--> How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support

Regards

Giulio

If the iPad was previously used - and not correctly prepared before you purchased it, without assistance from the previous owner, the iPad is useless to you.

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

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. With documentary evidence that you are the original owner (such as sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple may be prepared to assist - otherwise they and nobody here will be able to help you.

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

https://iforgot.apple.com/

To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to any 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:

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:

https://appleid.apple.com/

I hate to, constantly, be the bearer of bad news, but that iPad 3rd gen is an old iPad dating back to March/April 2012.

That iPad model is over 9-years old, now, in 2021.

Even if you can get this iPad working, Apple ended support for all 8-10-year old iOS devices nearly 5 years, ago, in 2016.

Third party app developers abandoned and stopped supporting these 8-10-year old iOS devices nearly 3 years, ago, in 2018.

There are, virtually, NO MORE third party apps available from the iOS App Store, any longer!

Third party compatible apps for such old devices are few and far between, now, in 2021.

This includes apps for both iOS 9 AND iOS 10 devices!

AND, that well over 4/5-year old default iOS Safari Web browser is too old, not secure and not safe to use to access today's modern Internet, any longer.

There are virtually NO MORE third party Web browsers left for 8-10 year old iPads!

Available and more popular third party Web browser choices are pretty much GONE, now.

If you must use these old iPad models, here is what is left for still updated Web browsers.

Pickins’ are slim, now!

ALook Web browser ( A fairly new Web browser primarily designed for old iOS device versions, but is still available to newer iOS/iPadOS devices, as well )

Dolphin Web browser

Maxthon Web browser

TOR private browser

TOR + VPN private browser

Turbo VPN private browser

This is pretty much it for iOS 9/10 compatible, up to date, third party Web browsers today.

Simply put, a 3rd gen iPad is too old and obsolete now.

Sorry, but this is the reality for ALL 8-10-year old AND OLDER iOS devices now. Especially now in 2021!

There is one last thing you can try/attempt, if you need older versions of apps.

If you own much newer iOS device that can run either iOS 12 and.or iOS/iPadOS 13 and later, you can install the most recent app/s onto that more recent iOS device.

Then go back to your older iPad, open the iOS App Store, go to the Purchases section of the store app, search for the app/s you wish to try and download to that older iPad and see if an older version of the app is allowed to be downloaded/installed to that older iPad.

These newer iOS/iPadOS devices must use your same Apple ID user account and password as the older device you ard trying to get an older app for.

Failing that OR IF NO joy, then there is nothing more to be done.

It's 2021 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 purchase of a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, refurbished or used iPad models, from better known, trusted Apple product/device retailers/resellers, some locally or from online, on the Web/Internet, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions.

There are PLENTY of less expensive, newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.

I am sorry that you had to learn all of this, but this does not change any of the facts regarding these very old iOS devices.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!