iphone 6s plus activation error

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Level 1

4 points

iphone 6s plus activation error

i found my moms old iphone 6s in a drawer. i charged it and went right in the lock screen. havent been connect to internet in years. i connect it and nothing happend. the moment i took out the old locked sim from it it deactivated itself saying it needs a new valid sim to activate. i got a new sim and tried to activate it. it keeps looping saying activation error. i dont want to restore it because ill lose all the photos from it and its a old account and she doesnt remember the password. what can i do? also the phone its carrier locked but i put a different sim and it does connect to mobile data.

Earlier iPhone models

Posted on Apr 7, 2026 4:33 PM

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Answer 1

Bob Timmons

Level 10

194,352 points

Apr 7, 2026 5:49 PM in response to zensushii

she doesnt remember the password

And unfortunately, that is the problem.

Even if you submit an Activation Unlock Request to Apple and wait the 4-6 weeks for an approval, the unlock process will not allow you to view any of the data that was formerly on the phone.

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

235,766 points

Apr 7, 2026 5:06 PM in response to zensushii

If it's now disabled, it's too late. Any data on the phone is gone.

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