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Locking activation

Background.

I work in a hotel. Where guests often forget their things. And if after three months they don't come back for the things they forgot, they just give them to the employee who found them. And three months ago at our hotel stayed a couple who lived a few days, when checking out they forgot their iPad. During that time they never came back. They must have been from another country. The iPad was given to me. But after charging the screen showed the inscription "Locking activation".

I have two questions:

1. How can I contact the owner of the iPad?

2. Can I unlock and wipe the iPad to the factory settings so that I can use it?

Posted on Jul 8, 2023 1:45 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 8, 2023 2:21 PM

Perhaps the hotel records can help you contact the iPad's owner. Apple cannot assist you with that.


The iPad is Activation Locked. Without the original owner's assistance, the iPad will remain useless forever.

How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support


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3 replies

Jul 8, 2023 3:51 PM in response to serhii291

If the iPad disabled or Activation Locked, unless you can independently obtain assistance from the previous owner, the iPad is (and will remain) useless to you. If you are able to contact the original owner, they will require this information:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support


Here are the Apple support pages that outline the Activation Lock - and the only mechanisms by which it can be satisfied:

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 the original sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple may be prepared to assist - otherwise they and nobody here will be able to help you.


Apple will not assist with tracing the owner. If you are unable to return the iPad to its rightful owner, your only course of action is to return the unusable device to an Apple Store - from where it can be responsibly recycled.


Locking activation

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