Second-hand iPhone is locked to owner which I need help

If you see a "Locked To Owner" message, one referring to iCloud locked, or activation locked:

Read this article about removing Activation Lock --> https://support.apple.com/HT201441 To remove the lock you will need either:

-The account information that set the lock (if the previous owner is deceased, read —> https://support.apple.com/HT208510 )

OR

-The original sales receipt from Apple itself or an Apple approved vendor. Other ways you may think might be “proof” of ownership or purchase, such as having the box, or a receipt from a third party vendor such as Ebay, will likely not be acceptable by Apple. Apple may have no way of verifying the authenticity of other methods. If you have an acceptable receipt, ask Apple to unlock the device —> https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support

If it is asking for an account that is not yours, take it back to the person from whom you received it. Get them to do the things in this support article or ask for a refund --> https://support.apple.com/HT201351 There is no way to discover the owner of a device unless they left a message to display on the device when it is turned on, or the person who gave you the device knows them. Note that the device cannot have Lost Mode set on it. If your device has been taken over as a result of you having entered a scammer’s Account then the scammer may have set Lost Mode too and the device is lost to you.

Return or recycle the device if you cannot unlock it; it is useless to you. From the very bottom of https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in :

"Does Apple offer recycling?

Yes. Apple Trade In lets you recycle any Apple device (including devices from Apple-owned brands) at any Apple Store and on https://www.apple.com/ for free. That includes your batteries and old electronic products as well as free, on-demand packaging recycling for our commercial, education, and institutional customers. When we receive your device, it will be thoroughly inspected to determine if components can be recycled or reused. Whether recycled or reused, all activities relating to the processing of your device will be managed in an environmentally responsible way."

When considering future purchases read these:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250001038

https://support.apple.com/104999

You will need to contact the owner and have them unlock it, they are the only ones who can.

Neither Apple nor anyone in this user to user forum can unlock it.

Unfortunately we see this all to often, the seller disappears after the sale. Usually this means you purchased a stolen phone.

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a Used iPhone.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250001038