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My sister passed away. She had an Imac,iphone,ipad. I want to reuse them. I dont want any info. Why cant appjust reset them?

Appl wants a "court order" to give me access to these items. I dont want any info. I just want the devices erased and reset so they are useable. I am her heir and power of attorney. Why involve the legal system?

iMac 21.5″, OS X 10.11

Posted on Oct 15, 2021 6:51 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 15, 2021 8:31 AM

Hi tschlar,


Sorry for your loss.


The article you linked appears to be related to getting data from your sister's Apple ID. If you only want to reuse the devices and not her Apple ID, you can erase those devices via these steps:


How to erase her iPhone and iPad: If you forgot your iPhone passcode - Apple Support (CA)


How to erase her Mac (select the appropriate article, depending on the processor):


How to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support (CA)

How to erase a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support (CA)


How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support (CA)



After erasing the iPhone and iPod (possibly the Mac as well), you might run into Activation Lock (the device might require your sister's Apple ID and password). If this is the case, you can ask Apple to delete your sister's Apple ID and remove Activation Lock at the Digital Legacy portal. You'll need proof of death documents in order for Apple to proceed.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 15, 2021 8:31 AM in response to tschlar

Hi tschlar,


Sorry for your loss.


The article you linked appears to be related to getting data from your sister's Apple ID. If you only want to reuse the devices and not her Apple ID, you can erase those devices via these steps:


How to erase her iPhone and iPad: If you forgot your iPhone passcode - Apple Support (CA)


How to erase her Mac (select the appropriate article, depending on the processor):


How to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support (CA)

How to erase a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support (CA)


How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support (CA)



After erasing the iPhone and iPod (possibly the Mac as well), you might run into Activation Lock (the device might require your sister's Apple ID and password). If this is the case, you can ask Apple to delete your sister's Apple ID and remove Activation Lock at the Digital Legacy portal. You'll need proof of death documents in order for Apple to proceed.

Oct 15, 2021 2:51 PM in response to Encryptor5000

hi there first off power of attorney should be all you need its a legal document, present it to apple they can't refuse it at all, i would go into a genius bar with it and present the legal document, they should not need a court order as they can't refuse a legal document like a power of attorney that is what it's for. if they refuse it then i would go in there with a police officer and present it again this time in the present of a law officer.

My sister passed away. She had an Imac,iphone,ipad. I want to reuse them. I dont want any info. Why cant appjust reset them?

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