Can't reset iPad Mini from iTunes because Find My iPad is on. Can't use broken display.

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Can't reset iPad Mini from iTunes because Find My iPad is on. Can't use broken display.

My iPad Mini was water damaged so screen is completely blank and unusable, but I can connect via iTunes. I'm selling it on eBay and need to reset all data.

Within iTunes when I try to reset it, it tells me to turn off Find My iPad under Settings first.
However, I can't get to Settings because I can't use the iPad interface.

What are some workarounds so I can wipe this iPad Mini clean of all my personal data without using the interface?

iPad 2, iOS 7, Water damaged iPad Mini

Posted on Sep 24, 2013 7:38 AM

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Answer 1

Demo

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166,747 points

Sep 24, 2013 7:46 AM in response to smpackham

Go to iCloud.com in a web browser on your computer. Log in and use the Find My iPhone app. Click on Devices and then select your iPad from the list. You can erase the device from there.

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Answer 2

smpackham Author

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Sep 24, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Demo

Hi @Demo, I did that on icloud.com and it now says that my iPad will be erased when it connects to the internet. How do I force that to happen? In iTunes it still says "Turn off Find My iPad in Settings before doing a restore". So how does the iPad get restored? Do I just wait for whomever buys my iPad and repairs it to connect to the internet? Seems not safe.

Thanks for your response!

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Answer 3

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

Sep 24, 2013 9:03 AM in response to smpackham

Sorry, but I was under the impression that the iPad was just recently damaged so I assumed that WiFi was still turned on. You could wait until the buyer activates it, and turns on WiFi and it will then be erased, but I don't like that idea either. And besides, if the screen doesn't work, how will a new buyer activate the device? 😕

Anyway ... Have you tried recovery mode?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

I'm not sure that this will work either, unless you are able to at least use the red slider bar to turn the iPad off or on.

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Answer 4

smpackham Author

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Sep 24, 2013 9:15 AM in response to Demo

@Demo Awesome! Putting it into recovery mode and then restoring from iTunes worked!!! Thank you!!

It was a little tricky to put it into recovery mode without the red slider bar, but I just had to hold down both buttons and guess when it was turned off. All the rest of the steps worked as that page described. Now I have a blank iPad Mini to sell!

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