Q: Can't Activate with my Apple ID

This is an iPad user to user forum, so you are not addressing Apple.

It appears you have a used (or stolen) iPad that was set up by the previous user. Without the previous ID/password, you will not be able to activate.

 Cheers, Tom

With iOS 7 there’s no workaround.

They should have done this.

What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5661

If the iPad was running iOS 7,  iCloud: Find My iPhone Activation Lock in iOS 7

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5818

iCloud: Activation Lock

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13695

Find My iPhone Activation Lock: Removing a device from a previous owner’s account

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts4515

Buying or Selling a Used iPhone or iPad Running iOS 7? Read This First!

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/buying-or-selling-a-used-iphone-running-ios-7-read- this-first/

 Cheers, Tom

Hello, Texas Mac Man

You seem to be very helpful on here, so I thought I would send a note. I too am having trouble activating my ipad. The thing is, the mini randomly had the "ipad is disabled" message yesterday even though my kids and wife swear that they didn't try to log in (with the wrong password). So I took steps to restore it - which was fine even though I don't have my usual sync computer here (I'm on vacation at a cottage and only have my wife's laptop). So I went through all the restore steps and saw that the ipad is restored, but on activation it says I can't use my own email to activate. The blanked-out email that it says is "currently linked to Apple ID" is my email address. When I try to sign in with that, it says I can't.

What's up? This is my ipad - not second hand or stolen - and I can see it's linked to my email. How do I proceed?

Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm using the ipad to work here at the cottage and maybe the universe is telling me to just walk on the beach :-)

STuart

i have the same problem, but with my ipod touch. Its an used ipod but I saw the previous owner log out his id and then i'm logged in. I came home and restored my ipod with my laptop and cant activate my ipod. it's currently linked to an Apple id n*****@gmail.com which is not my id. So i'm try to contact the previous owner and ask him to log in with his id and guess what, it doesnt work either. can anybody help me ?

(sorry for the English)

You have run into Activation Lock. You need the person who originally activated

the iPad using iOS 7 to release it. That may not be the person you purchased it from.

When you restored the iPad, it relocked to the AppleId used to activate it - you need

that information. If you cannot get help from the seller, return the iPad for a refund as

it is useless without the AppleID and passcode used for activation.

There is no workaround for Activation Lock.

iCloud: Find My iPhone Activation Lock in iOS 7

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5818?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4515

Hi! i have a an ipad mini now ready to updates the new IOS is 8 but they say i have to use the old apple id? but i thing that the old id have been lock or stolen? now i can't activate my Ipad mini with that an old apple id! i was try to get reset in the www.apple.com but did't work? what should i do now? and how i cancel the new IOS 8 to use again IOS 7? thank you first

          Ipad IOS 7

     boyxinh1516

Hello.... I have this same email n*****@gmail.com  linked to my iPad ,,,and can't activate it. Did you ever find out what this email was completely and the password by chance?  THANKS for any reply

stephimoe wrote:

 

Hello.... I have this same email n*****@gmail.com  linked to my iPad ,,,and can't activate it. Did you ever find out what this email was completely and the password by chance?  THANKS for any reply

It's not the same email address, it just happens to start with the same letter. The previous owner has Activation Locked the iPad and only he can unlock it. If you can't contact him to do this then you will not be able to use the device. There is no other way round this: Apple cannot unlock it for you and neither can anyone else.

boyxinh1516 wrote:

 

Hi! i have a an ipad mini now ready to updates the new IOS is 8 but they say i have to use the old apple id? but i thing that the old id have been lock or stolen? now i can't activate my Ipad mini with that an old apple id! i was try to get reset in the www.apple.com but did't work? what should i do now? and how i cancel the new IOS 8 to use again IOS 7? thank you first

What do you mean by 'the old id have been lock or stolen?' If the ID in question is yours then you will have to find its password and use it to unlock the iPad. If it's a second-hand iPad and the previous owner has Activation Locked it then only he can unlock it. If you can't contact him to do this you will not able to use the device. And you can't downgrade the version of iOS - even if you could it wouldn't get round the Activation Lock.

OK...thanks for taking the time and giving me a solid reply.

Much Appreciated !

Hi Tom,

On icloud my ipad is there:

When I click on above iPad it looks like:

The same above serial number is mentioned on my ipad mini and on it's box.

When I try to activate my iPad it returns the error :

Please can you help me to solve this.

It all started when my facetime got stuck and I tried to activate it.

Regards

Rahim

I locked myself out of my iPod and when i reset it i redid all the settings, but when it came to the "sign in with the apple id that was used to set up this ipod,'' i didn't know what to do. when i locked myself out, i threw away the paper that i wrote my apple id password on and cant get in now. can anyone help me or do i have to send it in to apple?

Find your AppleId: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5625?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

  https://iforgot.apple.com/appleid

how to reset password:

https://iforgot.apple.com/password/verify/appleid