Q: How can I bypass the previous owners password on my iPad?

Jerry,

As others have pointed out, the Activation Lock is not simply an Apple item, it is a government regulation that all electronic communication device companies are being mandated to comply with.

If you can at least get the original receipt from your Company accounting department, then contact Apple and ask to speak with someone in their Business services for your area. (most larger local Apple stores have someone), armed with the receipt they may be able to assist.

I am not stating this is a guarantee or anything like that, but it is worth a shot. on the other hand, it may be cheaper (company wise) to simply disregard that device and purchase another device for your testing. Have your IT staff add it to the budget for the App development. That is how I get my testing equipment approved through the process.

Good luck with your testing.

Jerry Palmroos wrote:

 

...unless the original owner has requested the phone to be bricked...

That's EXACTLY what the original owner requested when he/she activated the lock.

Jerry Palmroos wrote:

 

Truly truly, the individual(s) who thought up this scheme at Apple should be ashamed of themselves.

Truly, truly, the individual(s) who thought of this protection mechanism at Apple should be quite proud.

Jerry Palmroos wrote:

 

We can all agree on this: The "Attack the person with the issue" trolls are just as useless as this "feature".

Why, then, do you believe it's OK to attack the Apple engineers?

robdrage wrote:

Jerry,

As others have pointed out, the Activation Lock is not simply an Apple item

Yes it is.

it is a government regulation that all electronic communication device companies are being mandated to comply with.

No it is not.

California just passed a law that will require a "kill switch" but that goes into effect for cell phones made & sold after July 1, 2015 (and only in California).

Jerry Palmroos wrote:

 

Robdrage:

You're right - and thanks for being un-snarky.  However, going up the finance "food-chain" to locate who negotiates our contract with Apple is going to take time, and will require many layers of management involvement to get Apple to relent.  All for one single freakin' phone.

I definitely see both sides of the issue, but unless the original owner has requested the phone to be bricked, this is completely unneccesary.  Assuming every single used phone (with a new user who doesn't have the original password) has been stolen is logically incorrect and pathetic.  iOS allows remote bricking for cases of theft - that should be the only reason a phone should be rendered worthless.

 

Truly truly, the individual(s) who thought up this scheme at Apple should be ashamed of themselves.

We can all agree on this: The "Attack the person with the issue" trolls are just as useless as this "feature".

 

You blame Apple for an incompetent IT department?

No employee should be allowed to leave until all devices and equipment issued to the user have been returned and verified to be in full working order.  This includes checking to see whether the iPhone is locked or not.

Additionally, no employee who has been issued a company iPhone should be allowed to set their own Apple Id for iCloud / Activation lock at all.

This should be something the company IT department sets before issuing them phone to a general company owned Apple ID.

If you or your IT department were incapable of dong this, then its you fault the phone is useless.

Truly the only people that should be ashamed are the people in your IT department, and yourself for your complete lack of device management.

Learn to accept your errors instead of blaming other people for your own mistakes.

Phil0124 wrote:

 

You blame Apple for an incompetent IT department?

 

No check should be issued to terminated employees until all devices and equipment issued to the user have been returned and verified to be in full working order.  This includes checking to see whether the iPhone is locked or not.

 

Additionally, no employee who has been issued a company iPhone should be allowed to set their own Apple Id for iCloud / Activation lock at all.

 

This should be something the company IT department sets before issuing them phone to a general company owned Apple ID.

 

If you or your IT department were incapable of dong this, then its you fault the phone is useless.

 

Truly the only people that should be ashamed are the people in your IT department, and yourself for your complete lack of device management.

Learn to accept your errors instead of blaming other people for your own mistakes.

It is truly amazing the number of persons that are unwilling and/or unable to accept responsibility for their own actions.

Philly_Phan wrote:

 

It is truly amazing the number of persons that are unwilling and/or unable to accept responsibility for their own actions.

It truly is Philly.

Chris CA wrote:

 

robdrage wrote:

Jerry,

As others have pointed out, the Activation Lock is not simply an Apple item

Yes it is.

No it is not, Galaxy G5's are the first Samsung phone with it fitted, already on sale.

Csound1 wrote:

 

Chris CA wrote:

 

robdrage wrote:

Jerry,

As others have pointed out, the Activation Lock is not simply an Apple item

Yes it is.

No it is not, Galaxy G5's are the first Samsung phone with it fitted, already on sale.

The previous poster was attempting to state the the Activation lock on the iPhone was put there as a requirement by the govt.

It is not. The activation lock on the iPhone is simply an Apple item.

Apple has not put any activation lock on Samsung devices.

and the Activation lock is not the same as a Kill Switch.

Kill switch law is required (in California) to erase & brick the device.

Yes, this was Apple's choice, a choice surfing just ahead of the legislation that has gone from a possibility to a reality (in one state), a state that has an economy larger than most countries. All other major smartphone manufacturers have signalled their intent to do the same (or, as in the case of Samsung) commenced production.

I remain unconvinced that this will fade away (and it's a storm in teacup anyhow).

The Activation lock incorporates all of the functions required to meet the 'Kill Switch' statute, plus an extra or two.

I don't understand why this thread was so long and in many parts unnecessarily negative.. You get that on the big jobs I guess lolol

In summary...

          If your iProduct is reported lost, you will have to contact the previous owner and have them enter the unlock code and pin if necessary, this is the only way to get the device unlocked.  Failing that you will not be able to unlock the device and it will only be useful as parts.  I personally didn't know that until I bought one second hand and it was reported lost after a few weeks... You live and learn I guess, at least I won't be making that mistake again.

          If you are a business, your IT dept will have someone who specifically deals with Apple products, is registered to deal directly with Apple & is the only one who can fix the issue for you.  Although it may be quicker and save your company money to just replace said device.

Thanks to gail from maine who gave me the only response I personally found useful, this is the post....

gail from maineAug 27, 2014 8:55 AM Re: How can I bypass the previous owners password on my iPad?
Re: How can I bypass the previous owners password on my iPad?in response to Klaidas 175

Not sure what you are describing. If you purchased the device and it was a sealed, new device, then it wouldn't get blocked out of the blue. A used i-Device that the previous owner is still linked to via Find My iPhone will only "block" you when you attempt to restore it, at which point the iOS 7 software will show you the Activation Lock message.

As far as it being "reported stolen", there is no way to enforce this concept. And it is not Apple's job to be policing devices to determine if they are stolen or not.

It's quite simple. If you purchase a used device, follow the instructions that Apple provides to ascertain whether the device has been properly staged for resale. If it has not, and a previous owner has not dis-engaged their Find My iPhone from the device, then the lock will be in place, and only that previous owner will be able to cause it to be removed. With stolen devices, they can pass through many hands before they land with an end purchaser. So, you have no idea whether or not you have purchased a stolen device. Just make sure that any time you purchase a used i-Device, you follow the instructions below:

How do I check for Activation Lock before purchasing a used device?

When purchasing an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller, it is up to you to ensure that the device has been erased and is no longer linked to the previous owner’s account.

Follow each of these steps to make sure that you can use the device you purchase:

1. Turn the device on and slide to unlock.
2. If the passcode lock screen or the home screen appears, the device has not been erased. Ask the seller to completely erase the device by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Do not take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been erased.
3. Begin the device setup process.
4. After choosing a language, choosing a country, and connecting to a network, the device will begin activation. If you are asked for the previous owner’s Apple ID and password, the device is still linked to their account. Hand the device back to the seller and ask them to enter their password. If the previous owner is not present, they can remove the device from their account by signing in to icloud.com/find. Do not take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been removed from the previous owner’s account.

You will know that a device is ready for you to use when you are asked to “Set up your iPhone", “Set up your iPad", or “Set up your iPod” during the device setup process.

I hope this saves you some time if you skipped to the end, hope your issue is solvable or your next purchase is carried out in the correct manner avoiding the drama and stress that purchasing an unlockable, lost or stolen device can cause you.

All the Best - Rob

Also helpful after you have contacted the previous owner, get them to follow the steps in this link .... Find My iPhone Activation Lock: Removing a device from a previous owner’s account

RELHarvey wrote:

 

I don't understand why this thread was so long

 

no idea whatsoever

 

and in many parts unnecessarily negative.. You get that on the big jobs I guess lolol

 

In summary...

          If your iProduct is reported lost, you will have to contact the previous owner and have them enter the unlock code and pin if necessary, this is the only way to get the device unlocked.  Failing that you will not be able to unlock the device and it will only be useful as parts.  I personally didn't know that until I bought one second hand and it was reported lost after a few weeks... You live and learn I guess, at least I won't be making that mistake again.

          If you are a business, your IT dept will have someone who specifically deals with Apple products, is registered to deal directly with Apple & is the only one who can fix the issue for you.  Although it may be quicker and save your company money to just replace said device.

 

Thanks to gail from maine who gave me the only response I personally found useful, this is the post....

 

gail from maineAug 27, 2014 8:55 AM Re: How can I bypass the previous owners password on my iPad?
Re: How can I bypass the previous owners password on my iPad?in response to Klaidas 175

Not sure what you are describing. If you purchased the device and it was a sealed, new device, then it wouldn't get blocked out of the blue. A used i-Device that the previous owner is still linked to via Find My iPhone will only "block" you when you attempt to restore it, at which point the iOS 7 software will show you the Activation Lock message.

 

As far as it being "reported stolen", there is no way to enforce this concept. And it is not Apple's job to be policing devices to determine if they are stolen or not.

 

It's quite simple. If you purchase a used device, follow the instructions that Apple provides to ascertain whether the device has been properly staged for resale. If it has not, and a previous owner has not dis-engaged their Find My iPhone from the device, then the lock will be in place, and only that previous owner will be able to cause it to be removed. With stolen devices, they can pass through many hands before they land with an end purchaser. So, you have no idea whether or not you have purchased a stolen device. Just make sure that any time you purchase a used i-Device, you follow the instructions below:

 

How do I check for Activation Lock before purchasing a used device?

When purchasing an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller, it is up to you to ensure that the device has been erased and is no longer linked to the previous owner’s account.

Follow each of these steps to make sure that you can use the device you purchase:

1. Turn the device on and slide to unlock.
2. If the passcode lock screen or the home screen appears, the device has not been erased. Ask the seller to completely erase the device by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Do not take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been erased.
3. Begin the device setup process.
4. After choosing a language, choosing a country, and connecting to a network, the device will begin activation. If you are asked for the previous owner’s Apple ID and password, the device is still linked to their account. Hand the device back to the seller and ask them to enter their password. If the previous owner is not present, they can remove the device from their account by signing in to icloud.com/find. Do not take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been removed from the previous owner’s account.

You will know that a device is ready for you to use when you are asked to “Set up your iPhone", “Set up your iPad", or “Set up your iPod” during the device setup process.

 

 

I hope this saves you some time if you skipped to the end, hope your issue is solvable or your next purchase is carried out in the correct manner avoiding the drama and stress that purchasing an unlockable, lost or stolen device can cause you.

 

All the Best - Rob

Thanks for the acknowledgement, Rob! And the second link you posted was a good idea to add to the whole picture. One more item that may be of help, is the full Activation Lock article from Apple (the last part of which I cut and pasted into my original response):

ACTIVATION LOCK

Cheers,

GB

deleted

dapowell88 wrote:

 

I understand the idea behind this and for typical people this is totally fine.  However, as stated before im in IT we distribute iphones, and let our people put their accounts on the device makes sense, they will be using it, so why not right? Now we have users thats been fired, turned in their phones and oh guess what, its locked out.  So yes in theory its a good feature, but we dont have alternative numbers for them, cant see their email address, and chances are, if we did have the info, answer would be go **** yourself. so now what? Its OUR phone, we paid for it, its on our account, but we cant wipe it? Insanely stupid. So in theory i should be able to send this paperweight back to apple for a new one yes?

 

keep it even simpler, hypothetical*  you bought my girlfriend/boyfriend an iphone its on your account with their itunes. now you broke up and they wont answer or help, you want to use your phone that you legitimately bought and still pay for.  then what? again, can you turn it in to apple for a new one? Same outcome.

 

<Edited by Host>

The solution is simple.  Withhold their final paycheck until they resolve any issues regarding company property.  Even IT people can figure that out.

Regarding the girlfriend/boyfriend.  If you bought her/him an iPhone, then SHE/HE owns it.