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

wd22900 wrote:

 

To bypass the password, just hold down the power and home button until the device turns off. Keep holding it until you see a "connect to iTunes" picture. Then, plug the iPad into the computer and restore it. There you go! This also works for iPhone and iPod.

that you have sync'd to this computer before.

If you have not sync'd the device to the computer, it will not remove the Activation lock (as others have noted numerous times).

The ONLY way to remove the Activation lock is to know the AppleID & Password of the AppleID it is locked to.

As the original owner of an iPad and on installing iOS8 and removing iCloud etc just in case. My originally purchased by me iPad is now stuck on activation.

It is asking for a login and I have no idea what it is being it only gives a vague hint to the email address, I do not recognize.

As an IT consultant (perhaps not the only one in the world ??) I have multiple email addresses, and I do not know for the life of me what email address it is referring to especially based on the vague hint offered at activation. There is a point that seems to be missed in this thread.

• If purchased originally, not knowing the email address can make a reset impossible. (my case)..
• If purchased legally 2nd hand not knowing the email address ... yep can make a reset impossible.
• It is NOT unfair and unreasonable to make a legitimate 'easier way' to solve this problem..
• For instance.. send email (still hidden even), to the account holder ALERT ALERT please reset their account as your ipad is being reset .. contact apple if stolen..
• If purchased illegally then it alerts the original owner.. bad guys are alluded.
• Am I being too simplistic here ?
• I think this is a legitimate bug, Apple needs to fix.
• I am going to see a genius tomorrow and comfortable they will resolve this (just not sure how).

Hi If you are going to Apple Store you Must take proof of purchase or they will not help you This is to stop IPhones/iPads being used that are lost or stolen. Cheers Brian

Good point thanks..

I always have apple email my receipt, ALWAYS ... it give me and Apple a permanent record of all large purchases in case I lose my receipt.

mr-internet wrote:

 

It is asking for a login and I have no idea what it is being it only gives a vague hint to the email address, I do not recognize.

 

It's NOT asking for an e-mail address ... what it's asking for is an APPLE ID ...

 

As an IT consultant (perhaps not the only one in the world ??) I have multiple email addresses, and I do not know for the life of me what email address it is referring to especially based on the vague hint offered at activation. There is a point that seems to be missed in this thread.

 

 

 

 

You may indeed have multiple e-mail addresses, but you should have only one APPLE ID. If you happen to have more than just one, I can't see the rationale for it other than perhaps just one additional. There really is not any good rationale for having scores of Apple ID accounts, as any apps or songs or movies or any purchased items would be IRRATIONALLY divided between them!

And so, an Apple ID is like a bank account so to speak, because that Apple ID has "stores of value" in them, and with the "Activation Lock" there is another "store of value" in that "Apple ID" ... the value of the iPad itself (because it's worthless if it won't work).

AND SO ... don't you CAREFULLY PRESERVE your bank account information? You should ... and likewise you should CAREFULLY PRESERVE your APPLE ID ACCOUNT (and NOT merely scores of e-mail accounts).

FOR ALL OTHERS reading here ... keep your Apple ID information stored in the same way you store your bank account information! AND ... there is absolutely no good reason for having scores of Apple ID accounts, like a person might have for e-mail addresses. Have ONLY ONE (or perhaps two, at the maximum) and treat them as you would a bank account with thousands of dollars in it.

Geez,

• Firstly there is a clue in my user tag , (I am an IT consultant / for 15 years exp) thus the multiple apple IDs, and supporting many clients and 200 domain names around the world.
• I cover 4 countries and various services, for security I never use anything but my own ID on my own device. 
• I have always kept THIS iPad away from my other apple IDs. and other iPads and why that was not the issue here...
• Thanks to Apple I have resolved the matter, but being nice to Apple I should not say what happened..
• Suffice to say Apple can look at the hint email / id in question ..,
• OH yes ... so you know an Apple id IS AN EMAIL ADDRESS (note the format xxxx@XXX) Apple can offer guidance or as happened here just remove it.
• All they need is a proof of purchase.
• So if the original buyer ALWAYS ALWAYS have the store email you the receipt if an apple store they can verify the purchase instantly and equally remove the EMAIL ADDRESS / Apple ID instantly or within 48 hours, depending on the level of product specialist you are speaking to.
• I did a restore again and got a completely different apple id / email
• After the 3rd restore my own Apple ID was picked up.
• I have flagged this to apple as there really is an easy fix to the activation process that could do with some tweaking yet still protecting security.
  
  

I have an unusual take on this issue.

I am fixing an iPad for a friend. It had serious issues including inability to log in to iCloud or Apple ID although i did reset the password with the owners help and can access Apple ID and iCloud online (on a desktop computer). I could not access the Find My iPhone settings because of the strange issues on the iPad. It was likely never been setup anyways because in the online iCloud Find my Device page there are no devices listed at all. With all that info handy i did a back up and restore using iTunes and now get 'This Apple ID cannot activate this device'. It does accept the Apple ID and password, as incorrectly entered passwords echo 'Incorrect Apple ID or Password'. So i assume that even though the owner can verify her account and has a new password the very first original password must be used.

I believe this is an error in implementing the security feature. I work in IT and know that people lose passwords all the time. Why else would there be recovery numbers and secret questions (which she can answer).  I talked to Apple support and after some effort they could not help but said with a receipt they could activate it. Sadly she does not have the receipt anymore as the device is a 2011 iPad and long out of warranty. If the owner can verify their account and log in with Apple ID on other devices (in browser and iTunes) why can't that same log in info work to activate their iDevice. I don't see how that adds to the security of the device.

Really?

You don't understand that this is the mechanism that has reduced iPhone thefts (and associated violence) by 13%

It's not about IT, it's about crime.

It all the same thing. Security is paramount that should not be ignored. Again it is simple

• Allow the secret apple id / email address to be  sent to the holder / notified of a reset request. This would not impact only assist all parties (and bad for the bad guys). I do not see a down side.
• Worth checking to see if the receipt was emailed to your client as well. Apple sometimes does it even if the customer does not ask, (that's how I discovered they could email receipts) .
• This easy fix, would help good guys and prevent bad guys alike.

mr-internet wrote:

 

It all the same thing. Security is paramount that should not be ignored. Again it is simple

• Allow the secret apple id / email address to be  sent to the holder / notified of a reset request. This would not impact only assist all parties (and bad for the bad guys). I do not see a down side.
• Worth checking to see if the receipt was emailed to your client as well. Apple sometimes does it even if the customer does not ask, (that's how I discovered they could email receipts) .
• This easy fix, would help good guys and prevent bad guys alike.

You're entitled to your opinion but I would not support changing a system that works. All you have to do is remember your password, it's not much to do.

If you buy a used iPhone that is locked and you can not get the seller to unlock it then you can only take it as a learning experience.

Did you ever get this worked out?  My 4th gen iPad was stolen from me in September 2013 in Los Angeles and was password protected and had a Hotmail apple ID.  As far as the "Find my iPad" app can tell, the thieves were never able to even use it to get onto the internet. 

• Yes in the end Apple was kindly able to ask my security questions for the stray apple id my device had picked up, ( I have 20 apple ids all similar but different) Apple then give me the apple id / email in question. A bit different that your situation.
• Unfortunately if you read the threads there is an easy way for the bad guys to circumvent the procedure using Apple themselves and worse no guarantee find my ipad / iphone etc, will work.
• Based on the threads the process is about 90% perfect already unfortunately I touched my toe in the 10% and my suggested fix would address at least another 5%.. keep the password hidden but send an email to that hidden address saying a reset request has been placed.. This alerts the good guys, and would have solved my problem, if the bad guys that stole your device clicked .. in fix .. it would have also alerted you as well.
• My contents insurance covers each of my devices for $120 per year.. not sure if a good deal or not. Even if left on a bus, train, or stolen in a Zombie apocalypse. 

hi

• Curious if you ever got a resolve to your issues.
• If I follow your conversations, I do not think apple charged you to bypass anything.
• They have a minimum cost they charge sometimes if other criteria is not met to replace your device, or if out of warranty if they are doing you a favor.
• For instance getting a phone wet, might incur a swap out fee or they may say tough luck, it happened to me. I was screwed they charged me $100 to replace a 2 week old phone.. yay they had no obligation to do so. I am a business customer and do refer and use a lot of product.
• If you provide Apple with a proof of purchase (receipt) they can (free of charge), remove the logins causing you problems if that is the case.
• I did not need to do it in my case but was literally minutes away from doing so.
• Apple have never been anything but great to me, but sometimes you have to play the game in relation to their specfic requirements (that in the long run is good for everyone).
• If you are in a country where you do not have that level of support, perhaps you can mail it to where you got it form or a more freindly country, and have the returned item forwarded. It is a bit harder, but might save you a lot of money in the long run.
• I am also going in to get apple care on a recent purchase as I now see the benefit

Explain to me how having the original password makes it more secure?

Even banks and Apple themselves allow you to change passwords with sufficient verification. If the original password is required then Apple should warn you or not allow you to change your password if forgotten. I work with consumers on a daily basis and people forget passwords.

mr-internet wrote:

• OH yes ... so you know an Apple id IS AN EMAIL ADDRESS (note the format xxxx@XXX) Apple can offer guidance or as happened here just remove it.

 

The "Apple ID" is NOT an e-mail address ... it is only formatted to LOOK LIKE IT. It isn't an e-mail address because it can be totally non-functioning as an e-mail address, but it WILL ALWAYS REMAIN your "Apple ID".

There can be several e-mail addresses ASSOCIATED WITH your Apple ID and those HAVE TO BE FUNCTIONING e-mail addresses. SO, you can have something that LOOKS LIKE an e-mail address but is TOTALLY NON-FUNCTIONING as e-mail and that is your Apple ID, but you'll also have e-mail addresses ASSOCIATED WITH your Apple ID and they MUST BE FUNCTIONING as e-mail addresses.

I have had it that way where the e-mail address was TOTALLY NON-FUNCTIONING as e-mail, and yet it was my Apple ID. And then I had several e-mail addresses ASSOCIATED WITH that Apple ID and they HAD TO BE FUNCTIONING or Apple would not accept them as verified.