Trouble using Verizon SIM with older iPhones; Apple ID sign out warning

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Level 1

30 points

Trouble using Verizon SIM with older iPhones; Apple ID sign out warning

Four months plus, attempting to move a Verizon sim card to a working older iPhone or two.

iPhone 7+ - turns out there were two hardware versions made; one Intel, one Qualcom. The phone was purchased at an Apple store when it was released and there was no mention that the Intel version would not work on Verizon's network, or that we were receiving the Intel version. We were on AT&T. Fastforward to this summer, we tried putting a Verizon sim card in, and of course we discovered the above.

We found an old iPhone 5s, put the Verizon sim in there and discovered AT&T still had the phone carrier-locked thriteen years later; it was purchased new for cash; they released it upon request.

But failure does not end there. Somehow Apple locked the phone to an older, but still active Apple ID. And attempting to "Sign Out" warns that "Signing out will delete all the data on the phone." But Apple says here in this link, you have a choice: Sign out of iCloud on your devices - Apple Support

It says "Tap Sign Out" then "Choose Erase this [Device] or Sign Out But Don't Erase."

We're supposed to trust this? We're supposed to trust that there's another step after the warning that all data will be deleted from the iPhone after signing out? That we'll have another popup with the choice then to "Sign Out But Don't Erase"?

Earlier iPhone models

Posted on Aug 16, 2026 4:40 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 18, 2026 12:05 PM in response to JIM140

JIM140 wrote:

You are stating "If you Sign Out of your AppleID on your phone, the phone will be erased", even though the link we sent you to a page on Apple's website says you can Sign Out and choose not to erase the phone?

I think you should contact Apple Support for clarification. Or, if there is an Apple Store in your area, make an appointment there. Either would get you a more definitive answer.

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Answer 2

Bob Timmons

Level 10

194,314 points

Aug 16, 2026 5:11 PM in response to JIM140

You are planning to back up the iPhone to iCloud, a Mac or a PC.....before.....you do anything else.....correct?

If the iPhone that you found is still locked to an unknown Apple ID, you are going to run into Activation Lock roadblocks when you try to set up the phone again after it has been erased.

Apple will not remove the Activation Lock without a copy of the original invoice indicating that you are the owner, the sales date, the serial number, IMEI, etc. Details on the unlock request here:

https://al-support.apple.com/#/al/agreement

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Answer 3

JIM140 Author

Level 1

30 points

Aug 16, 2026 7:16 PM in response to Bob Timmons

You are not answering the questions asked. We own the phone. We have the AppleID and password. We DON'T want to erase the phone. We want to sign out without erasing the phone. However the language on the website link says one thing, whereas the language on the iPhone says something else.

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Answer 4

Bob Timmons

Level 10

194,314 points

Aug 16, 2026 7:23 PM in response to roque19

This is your only hope. The phone will be erased. Back up the phone before you erase it. Otherwise, all of the data on the phone will be erased if Apple approves your unlock request.

https://al-support.apple.com/#/al/agreement

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Answer 5

JIM140 Author

Level 1

30 points

Aug 17, 2026 12:49 PM in response to Bob Timmons

You are stating "If you Sign Out of your AppleID on your phone, the phone will be erased", even though the link we sent you to a page on Apple's website says you can Sign Out and choose not to erase the phone?

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Answer 6

Bob Timmons

Level 10

194,314 points

Aug 17, 2026 1:52 PM in response to JIM140

Please read the information in the link that I provided for you previously.

You told us.....

Somehow Apple locked the phone to an older, but still active Apple ID.

You are going to have to provide proof to Apple that you are the original owner of the phone in order to have the phone unlocked and the old Apple ID information deleted from the phone.

Here is the link again:

https://al-support.apple.com/#/al/agreement

Apple states that all of the data on the phone will be erased during this process. There are no other choices.

You can contact Apple Support to confirm, if you wish.

Support

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Answer 7

JIM140 Author

Level 1

30 points

Aug 18, 2026 10:56 AM in response to Bob Timmons

You seem intent on implying we don't own the phone, and that we're some kind of thugs looking to steal data that is on the phone that doesn't belongs to us, why? because you keep referencing an article that states we have to provide Apple with "papers" that show we own the phone.

We purchased the phone new from Apple at an Apple store 13 years ago. We have the receipt. We have the serial number and IMEI number and proof that we bought this on a credit card on the AT&T network 13 years ago. When we set the phone up we used an Apple ID that is STILL active, that we own, and that we have the password for.

All we want to do is 1) sign out of the Apple ID on the phone without erasing it. And then 2) put in a Verizon sim card to change the phone number and continue on the Verizon network. There's no correlation we know of that links a carrier to an Apple ID.

We put a link in our original question that Apple states we can Sign Out of the AppleID on the phone without erasing the phone. Did YOU read it? What we found instead is that if we hit Sign Out on the phone, we don't see an option to Sign Out and not erase the phone. We're asking why? You keep sidestepping that question, talking as if we are fighting Apple to save the data on the phone without proof that we own it.

What's missing here?

Also, are our posts here shadowbanned?

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Answer 8

Aug 18, 2026 12:07 PM in response to JIM140

JIM140 wrote:

Also, are our posts here shadowbanned?

If any posts you've made in this thread are no longer here, it's because they were removed by the Hosts for a ToU violation. You will have received an email explaining why. Note that in longer threads, if you have the sort order set to anything other than "Newest" or "Oldest," things can get very confusing. Sort order can be selected under the lower right of your initial post.

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Answer 9

JIM140 Author

Level 1

30 points

Aug 16, 2026 5:01 PM in response to Bob Timmons

It was backed up to a computer. That doesn't answer the confusing situation where there's the "statement on the Apple site" and "something different in the field."

Which can be trusted?

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Answer 10

roque19

Level 1

13 points

Aug 16, 2026 6:27 PM in response to JIM140

Help me my iPhone XR forgot my password and my phone number to registered this missing

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