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How do I unlock an iPhone 4 with iOS 7 and bypass the activation lock?

How do I unlock an iPhone 4 with iOS 7 and bypass the activation lock? I can't find the previous owner and I really want to use my new iPhone, I did purchase it Second-Handed.and now I'm stuck. Ive tried recovery mode and nothing still restores and asks me the same thing. Been working on this forever- Please Help!

iPhone 4, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Dec 5, 2013 11:26 PM

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Posted on Dec 6, 2013 12:56 AM

The only way is to connect the phone to iTunes and do a restore as new in iTunes and this will clear any activation lock and you should then be able to get into the phone.

18 replies

Dec 6, 2013 1:18 AM in response to Ethmoid

No, not true. He is talking about Activation Lock, not a passcode.


Activation Lock is an iOS security feature designed to prevent activation of lost or stolen iDevices. There is not way around it. You need the cooperation of the original owner who needs to deactivate Find My iPhone in iCloud and remove the device from their iCloud profile before you can activate it.


Sorry, without the original owners help, you have a useless iPhone. Follow the instuctions in the link above.

Jan 8, 2014 12:58 PM in response to iBlink

If you want to risk your money, fine.

To answer your questions


Is this just an iOS 7 feature?


Yes, Activation Lock is an iOS 7 feature.


Could you not restore the device to an earlier version?



No, you cannot downgrade your iOS device.

That may mean jailbreaking, I'm not sure.



Jailbreaking is not supported by Apple or this forum.


Or what about replacing the motherboard?


There are no user serviceable parts on an iPhone.


Jan 9, 2014 5:50 AM in response to kadishia

i personally think apple has really started to downgrade in performance! i mean what happens if you give this phone as a gift to someone and dont remember your id or password?! i just bought an iphone 4 myself and have been into the apple products since the first iphone and have never had this problem until ios 7...... but ios 7.1 could be their come back they need to fix this problem in case people forget the info or something like that! they need to make a way that they(apple) can get around it in their computers! even if they have to charge you a lil bit of money it will be worth it!!!

Jan 9, 2014 6:02 AM in response to iBlink

Downgrading is not supported by Apple because there are far, far more potential problems with downgrading (the inability to restore from a previous backup, thereby losing access to all of your personal data, for one).


In this forum, we only discuss what is approved by Apple. And as far as a second hand iPhone having warranty-related options? Even an original iPhone, sold on day one, still has the option of an out-of-warranty replacement for $149. However, once any unauthorized service is done on the device, that option is removed. So, the fact that the warranty has expired doesn't remove all the Apple service options.


Once you proceed past the parameters that Apple has set, you are on your own. Additionally, Apple reserves the right to refuse activation to any device that has unauthorized modifications or service. That INCLUDES iOS downgrades. Some users have reported that such devices are not allowed to be activated by the Apple servers, and that the associated Apple ID has been banned from the App Store & iTunes Store.


I simply am advising your of the risks. I'm not telling you that you can't do whatever you chose with a device. Personally, trying to 'save a few bucks' isn't worth the risk of ending up with an unusable device.

How do I unlock an iPhone 4 with iOS 7 and bypass the activation lock?

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