Old iPad and no id /password.

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NT2024 Author

Level 1

4 points

Old iPad and no id /password.

Hi everyone, any suggestions on how to deactivate an activation lock on iPad ? It’s an old model and I have no id and password. It’s a gift from my current employer. It was a company owned iPad. Apple says they can’t help without a receipt and yet it’s not stolen , they can check the imei, serial number etc and verify it’s not stolen. So why so much fuss? It’s so frustrating because it’s an iPad 2 and it costs 60$ to buy a new one…why make life so difficult on a customer ? I could see the usefulness of asking for a receipt on a new iPad but this? It’s just very frustrating because I only want to connect it with my iPhone and use it as a back up for my photos.

iPhone 6s, iOS 15

Posted on Dec 13, 2023 12:07 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Limnos

Community+ 2026

Level 10

447,619 points

Dec 13, 2023 12:05 PM in response to NT2024

Get the company to remove the Find My setting. They were the ones who set it. They are the identified owners.

As for exceptions to the rules, how is Apple to know you aren't really a thief trying to bamboozle your way into getting Apple to unlock a stolen device? In fact Apple used to not have an unlocking service of any kind. It was really up to a store owner. That made it pretty subjective and they could turn everybody away if they wanted to. By establishing their policy with set criteria Apple leveled the field for everybody.

I can understand you're disappointed but at least with an iPad 2 it isn't a great loss. Anyway, you do have a means of getting it cleared and that is to go back to the company and ask them to clear it.

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Answer 2

Dec 13, 2023 6:23 AM in response to NT2024

Okay.

1) Why the fuss? Apple mobile devices are popular and a big target by thieves. It used to be all you had to do was erase one and you could make use of it. Now Apple has the Find My and Activation Lock features to ensure that only the owner can disable those. The owner is defined by the person whose account is signed into a device, or by a person who has the original sales receipt. I doubt Apple has a system in place where as the value of a device drops, they decrease the security surrounding a device.

As part of that, why won't they just trust you if you go and explain the background? Frankly, thieves have probably tried all kinds of stories, so Apple has pretty inflexible rules about this.

2) An iPad 2 is probably not worth the trouble. The software is so old and cannot be upgraded. You will find it very, very hard to get any apps that work on it. The web browsers are all so old that many web sites won't display properly. I have two iPad2s and I rarely even turn them on.

3) I don't know what you mean connect it to your phone and use it as a backup for your photos. I don't think an iPad 2 can connect to anything other than a computer. The only way to get them from a phone to an iPad is either transfer them to a computer and then to the iPad, or via iCloud. In either case they are backed up either on the computer itself, or in iCloud.

4) IMEI and serial numbers don't say anything about whether or not a device is stolen. Apple doesn't get involved with stolen devices but instead requires that you prove you are the owner. The default is if you can't prove you are then they assume you are not.

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Answer 3

NT2024 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 13, 2023 10:42 AM in response to Limnos

What you say is completely unreasonable. By having such a strict and rigid policy, Apple is making the customers go through **** to activate a gifted or second hand product.

And what do you mean Apple assumes that if you don't have a receipt, you must have stolen the product... ? There are several situations that people buy second hand iPhone/iPad or Mac. Sometimes it's so old that you yourself can't even remember what phone number you used let alone the Apple ID. I changed my number and I have deleted email addresses I don't use ,a couple of times so far. So even if the iPad wasn't given by my current employer to me , I would still have trouble unlocking it ... and you say that Apple would assume I was a thief ? That's a great policy...to insult your clients.

Now as far as the photo transfer goes, yes I wanted to use the old iPad as a storage for my iPhone photos. There never seems to be enough storage for me. And Apple doesn't support SD card slots.

And yes I would use my iphone's iCloud to do it , but what that has got to do with anything? My problem and question was to unlock the iPad...if I can't unlock it, I can't use the iCloud now can I?

All I hear from you is Apple is doing great to make your life a living **** from not unlocking an old iPad, which, as you yourself (!) pointed out, can't be used with any app anymore due to its outdated iOS... so where's the harm unlocking it then, if you have very limited use anyway ?

My point is that such a rigid policy is not always the best thing... the company could make some exceptions to the rules sometimes. Especially to outdated products that entered the market 15 years ago.

Also, I want to point out that by deactivating the activation lock , the system deletes all data of the previous owner so no data leaks are to be feared and previous owners are safe.

I'm starting to regret the day I bought my iPhone because it limits me with so many rules .

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Answer 4

NT2024 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 13, 2023 1:07 PM in response to Limnos

I don't have to go back to the company, I am currently working there. But it's not feasible to go to the owner of a big company and ask him to unlock it...i asked the employee who used it last ,although he is no longer working with this company. He says he doesn't remember the ID or password.

As for the Apple Co., confirming I'm not bamboozling them (... :)) ...) would be giving them the company owner 's name and company number so that they can confirm the purchase. They have the purchase on their files and they have warranty files don't they? So, it's a rule that could be broken in some cases . Besides ,I can't even imagine why someone would steal such an old iPad from anyone.

If Apple doesn't help me unlock it, I'm throwing this old thing away and I'm never buying another iPhone in my life. I don't care about safety so much. I don't want to take my iPhone to the grave with me so that noone else uses it.I care about good customer service .

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Old iPad and no id /password.

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