How do I factory reset my locked iPhone and iPad mini?

frustratedwahine wrote:

work for cleaning company. anything left in units automatically belong to cleaning crews when tenants vacate do to evictions, abandonments, death, etc. So happen this was a death. (R.I.P.). Both items are locked and i would like to have them factory reset. id hate to see them go to waste

Nope. You can't unlock them. Apple won't help you unlock them. We can't help you unlock them. It doesn't really matter how you came in possession of them as Apple will ONLY unlock a device for the owner, who has the original purchase receipt, with the device serial number on it. Since that's not you, they are useless devices, which cannot be used. Recycle them responsibly is your only option.

If you come across a lost iPhone or iPad, the safest and most responsible action is to immediately hand it over to your local law enforcement authorities. You cannot be certain of the device’s history or what it may have been used for before it was thrown away, lost, abandoned, or discarded. Attempting to keep, sell, or even access it could unintentionally involve you in legal issues, including criminal investigations, data privacy violations, or property disputes. By promptly turning it in, you protect yourself from potential legal complications.

You can’t unlock them without the help of the owner. So, in this case they are useless to you. All you can do is recycle them.

You don't.

The heirs can potentially unlock them, given the right legal paperwork.

Anybody else, as mentioned in thr earlier replies, no.