Previous owner is dead and I can't reset iPad

kowetas wrote:

Surely there must be some way to get around this, even if it involves going into a store with paperwork to prove this?

That is what I would try at this point. Unless you can get Apple's help on this, the iPad is just a useless brick now.

While I understand Apple's concerns about security, I personally think that this is one of the dumbest features that they have ever introduced..... Just my opinion.

Lighten up caspar....

No, my situation isn't sad. Read the entire thread. I am not the one with the deceased grandfather and the iPad that cannot be unlocked.

I said it was just my opinion. And by the way, I have seen so many problems caused by this new security feature, and that's why I feel the way that I do. Perhaps saying it is "dumb" was not the best way to express it. I just want to believe that there was a better way of increasing security without having to do something like this.

You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine.

Hey! try letting it die and waiting 10 days and charging it then turning it on, because it 100% runs out of battery causing the hardware to reset, worked on my mothers laptop, and my ds and 3ds (Even though i wasnt trying too)!

I had a similar problem.

Instead of trying to get access to the persons Apple's ID, send apple a request to change thier passoword (Under 'Forgot my password' section).

Then try to get to access to thier registared e-mail account (e.g. Hotmail, Gmail etc).

If you know thier password for thier email account, you can get access to thier new apple password, and use it to log into thier Apple account.

But if you don't know thier e-mail account password, try contacting them directly with your problem, and as long as you show them some sort of proof/document (Death Cert.) then they should be more helpful then Apple, du eto Apple's strict sercurity rules.

hope this helps,

Caspar35, if your device was stolen and then RESET, there would be no information left on the device. He would not be able to get any bank info or etc... So your claim confuses me. I don't think its dumb they have high security on unlocking it, but there should be steps around RESSETING a device to factory settings upon a death. That way the expensive device is not a waste.

This is sadly a special situation. I Googled "deceased ipad" and got numerous results, far too many to post here and none seemingly had a definite solution. Try Googling it and see what info you can come up with.

Also try taking it into an Apple Store with the proper documents and see what they can do for you. Make a Genius Bar appointment first. You now need an Apple ID to do that. If you don't have one, go here to create one:

https://appleid.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MyAppleId.woa/

It would not seem so dumb to you if your relatives house was burgled, the ipad stolen and the thief then just reset it and got all his bank details or similar. You would want him and his property to be protected, and that's what you have got.

You can't wander into the bank and say 'Hey, could,you let me have the details of the account for X? They have died and I need access.' Can you? Would you not expect the Bank to ask for proof of ID and a whole lot more? And if you could get to the account as easily as you want to get to the iPad there would be fraud and uproar.

Your situation is sad but the 'problem' with the iPad is in fact a feature built in to protect users after popular request, and I think, the Police. It is inconvenient for you, but definitely not dumb.

I'm afraid you're probably going to have to go to an Apple Store and get them to help you. They probably will, as long as you bring in paperwork to prove who you are and that you are related to him. That should probably get it fixed, but until then your iPad is useless.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Sorry, Demo. Like your many contributions and hit the wrong button for the reply.

Keep your opinions and keep posting them, but it isn't getting heavy to explain why something which is inconvenient for some people is actually a good idea, it's trying to give the OP - who I missed - an explanation why they have the issue. We actually agree the feature is not really 'dumb', in any case.

I didn't mean to come off too harshly and if I did, I apologize.

The important thing is to try to get kowetas situation resolved and hopefully, he/she will post back so we can keep this dialogue open.

Thecheater887 wrote:

try letting it die and waiting 10 days and charging it then turning it on, because it 100% runs out of battery causing the hardware to reset

It won't work. The iDevices and iOS 7 will not just "reset themselves" after the battery dies, allowing frees access to the device to anyone who does this. The Apple ID needs to be entered for device activation. It's part of iOS 7's more secure measures.

Im having a similar situation where I bought a phone at an estate sale today. I asked him for the pass code after realizing when I got home and it was charged that there was one. He texted me back and said the owner of the phone is deceased. I unfortunately do not have proof other than a text message 😟 Im out my money because all sales are final.....

You would need an receipt from when it was originally sold, not one from the estate sale. If you can find who the executor of the estate is you can get documentation from them that you could take to an Apple Store.