i bought an iphone5 from a friend of mine working on the airplane and when i got home I charge the phone and find out that the iphone is being lock on an icloud account. I try to find who is the first owner of the phone but fail to do so. So i want to find out how to unlock this phone for me or if you can get the owner of this phone so i can chat with him/her about this phone.
iPhone 5, IMEI:013349007112309
The bottom line is, that you don't know what the provenance of those phones is any more than we do. You bought it from a "guy" who buys them as lots at "auctions"? So, where did they all come from? I don't know. Do you?
Whether you do or not, whether or not they are totally legit, or a broken device from your friend's kid, who doesn't know what password he put on a device, at the end of the day, there is only one answer:
You must either get the Apple ID and password that is signed into Find My iPhone, and use those to turn it off and remove the Activation Lock.
If you cannot get the original Apple ID and password, then you need the ORIGINAL sales receipt, a photo ID, and the device, which you can then take into an Apple Store, and they should be able to remove the lock for you.
The provenance of the device is really irrelevant here. The rules remain the same regardless of where the phone came from - either turn off the Activation Lock with the Apple ID and password that were used to put the lock on, or present the ORIGINAL sales receipt along with the device and ID to see if Apple can remove it for you.
You can do one or the other. Passing no judgement here - just telling you what you need to do to get it unlocked.
GB
The bottom line is, that you don't know what the provenance of those phones is any more than we do. You bought it from a "guy" who buys them as lots at "auctions"? So, where did they all come from? I don't know. Do you?
Whether you do or not, whether or not they are totally legit, or a broken device from your friend's kid, who doesn't know what password he put on a device, at the end of the day, there is only one answer:
You must either get the Apple ID and password that is signed into Find My iPhone, and use those to turn it off and remove the Activation Lock.
If you cannot get the original Apple ID and password, then you need the ORIGINAL sales receipt, a photo ID, and the device, which you can then take into an Apple Store, and they should be able to remove the lock for you.
The provenance of the device is really irrelevant here. The rules remain the same regardless of where the phone came from - either turn off the Activation Lock with the Apple ID and password that were used to put the lock on, or present the ORIGINAL sales receipt along with the device and ID to see if Apple can remove it for you.
You can do one or the other. Passing no judgement here - just telling you what you need to do to get it unlocked.
GB
Where in my post did you see a reference to a stolen device? You didn't. And, the first sentence in that post was a direct response to the poster, and neither you nor anyone else can vouch for where those phones that were auctioned off came from originally, now can you.
Apple is not and never will be in the business of invading people's privacy simply to fix a problem that you can avoid to begin with. It's really quite simple, and no matter how an Activation Locked device got into your hands, you always do the following to ensure it is not Activation Locked:
Make sure the device is showing the "Hello" screen. Select the first several options that are presented to you during the set up:
- select your language
- select your Region or Country
- select your Wifi network, or choose Use Cellular Connection
Only until you have gone to that point in the set up, you will not know if a device is Activation Locked or not.
Whether the Activation Lock Apple ID and Password are unknown for perfectly harmless reasons like my little brother changed it as a spoof, and now doesn't know what it is, to grandma is having a difficult time remembering how to get from her kitchen to her living room.... so: passcode? seriously?, to something as nefarious as you might want to imagine to anything in between, the resulting options do not change:
1. See if you can simply get your money back
2. See if the seller can provide the information you need (i.e., the Apple ID and password)
3. See if the seller can put you in touch with the person they got it from
4. If you have the original sales receipt, a photo ID, and the device, and you take it into an Apple Store, they may be able to remove the lock for you
So, again, how you got it is totally irrelevant. If you cannot follow any of the 4 steps listed above, then you are stuck with a device you cannot use. Chalk it up as experience, and next time, be sure to follow the instructions above so ensure that you do not encounter the Activation Screen as you are trying to set up.
Best of luck,
GB
If you want to buy used/damaged devices without verifying that they are not activation locked, that's your problem. The circumstances are irrelevant. The fact is that only the owner of the account used to lock the device or the original purchaser of the device, upon presenting proof can have the lock removed.
You pays your money and you takes your chances.
people to assume that every iProduct someone inquires about is stolen.
What other reason(s) can there be for an owner of a iOS device to not prepare it for someone else's usage?
Logic would dictate they did not expect to lose control of their device.
An activation locked device is one where Find My Device was not properly disabled before being erased.
That would make it highly likely that the device is lost or stolen.
Either way, it is not in the hands of the user who enabled the protection Find My Phone delivers. That makes title to it questionable.
It is simple for the rightful owner of a device to have their password reset in order to turn off FMIP. Barring that, submit the proof of ownership to Apple and request they remove the lock.
Yes it is a risk buying used electronics. My point IS.... Not everyone steals them and for people to assume that every iProduct someone inquires about is stolen. Thats like saying you bought a used sweater but was too big, so you came online maybe to see if you could shrink it to your size maybe. but then your confronted by a bunch of pompus internet warriors say Why doesnt it fit you... who did you buy it from did you steal it, you stole it thats why you couldnt try it on. Im just saying it would be nice to have some options on how to achieve this goal. How many families do you know that take a damaged touch device and give it to their kid to play with? then when the kid kills the battery, or breaks the screen etc... the parent either tosses it or maybe gives it to a friend to restore or sells it at a tag sale etc... but what if said kid set a password, or set an account and then did not remember the passwords etc. my 11 yr old locked her iPod for 46 years because she forgot her pasword... so relax with all that the only person who should have it is the person who purchased it. people give away broken electronics all day everyday in this whole big wide world friend.
No matter how much you whine about it, it's not going to happen.
SERIOUSLY? Did you even bother to read my post:
Your issue, on the other hand, is simply that you got screwed by an unscrupulous person. When did this sale go down? I'm hoping your answer is "some time before June 12th", because if it is after that date, then you have only yourself to blame. The Activation Lock link provided on that date has very specific instructions on how to protect yourself from getting a device that has been Activation Locked:
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.
You can check the current Activation Lock status of a device by visiting icloud.com/activationlock from any Mac or PC.
Or you can follow the steps below to make sure that you can use the device you purchase:
You will know that a device is ready for you to use when you're asked to “Set up your iPhone," “Set up your iPad," or “Set up your iPod” during the device setup process.
Sorry you got screwed by the person you sold the device to. [But, again, in many of the cases where a 3rd party seller is involved, there is likely a stolen phone involved as well. Not saying that the person selling the device knows it is stolen. It's kind of like money-laundering. It just gets passed through the various mechanisms, and by the time you get the device, the person who sold it to you can't help you because the person who sold it to them can't help them, etc., etc., etc.] this last part in brackets was simply to emphasize that the reason people keep talking about stolen phones is because most of the posts we get on this topic do involve 3rd party purchases, and because the line of custody is unknown, it is likely that a stolen phone got in there at some point.
I am fully aware that YOU sold the phone to HER, then SHE returned it to you with her iCloud Activation Lock turned on. I was simply inquiring as to whether this event took place before or after June 12th. It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, if you are purchasing/refunding and retrieving, getting a phone free, the point is: If you are receiving an iPhone that has not been in your control (even for half a day), it's a good idea to make sure the Activation Lock is not on.....
Something to keep in mind in future if you sell an i-Device to a person who then wants to return it to you for their money back because they are having some issue with it. To protect yourself, do not give anybody any money until you have determined the device is fully functional (this includes NO Activation Lock).
GB
Sorry, but unless you can contact the previous owner, you will not be able to use the device:
Removing Previous Owner from Device
You are seeing the Activation Lock and there is no way around it:
Sorry,
GB
thanks alot for your support Maine....so this tells me that if you find any iphone on the street or enywhere and its lock by iCloud then its better for you to throw it in the rubbish because it wont work anymore if you dont find the previous owner....but thanks alot for you support Maine.
TT
I see a lot of accusations of stole devices. Whether you believe me or not is your assumption. I have a local guy who buys electronic lots at auctions. Sometimes he gets newer projects in that he doesnt have time for the refurbishes that are not bigger profit. I often buy some of his overburden smaller projects he doesnt have time for. I recently received from him a bunch of iPods, tablets, laptops and of course iPhones.... all of these iPhones had no screen or busted screen bad battery etc... so I purchased new lcd for iphone5, 5c, and 5s. the iPhone 5 works great after battery and new lcd but yup you guessed it icloud locked. 5c is not locked but has a bad IMEI which I did look up and it was reported lost or stolen. I have not tested the iPhone 5s yet still waiting for parts to arrive. Now in the world of auctions there is NO WAY to contact any previous owner. When I do a restore sometimes I get a name but That doesn't help. If apple had a way to be a middle party for people who legitimately just want to refurbish older devices to be able to send a email or request for previous owner to remove icloud or maybe ask if apple can step in to mediate. I would return someones device if after apple contacted them and they wanted it back. I would obviously remove any newly purchased parts I installed first and I would provide a receipt of what I paid. If they wanted to cover documented costs and cost to ship back to them that would be great. I would even offer them to receive it fully refurbished.... Also, I have come across situations where, sometimes people break their phone or have a dead battery and fortunately for them going out and spending a few hundred for a new phone is nothing for them so then they toss the old one. This is a problem I run into due to the nature of how we obtain them. NOT EVERYONE IS A THIEF...!!! I know there are a lot of people out there who are and I see some posts on here that im like.... yeah umm STOLEN lol hahaha "tourist" good one!! but in reality there are some decent business people out there that just like to take on repairs to re-sell, myself being one of them. But even still I would be willing to fallow any guidelines to try and get an iCloud locked or password protected device back up and operational. I dont root or jailbreak anything and never have.
Bro what is your deal... what have I said that has you acting like the forum patrol. Chill out man. If you didnt like the questions being asked then why did you take your time look at this question and decide to come in here. You said it cant be done. people are trying to have a discussion and you over here like a c**k blocking chic. No need to be bashing people looking for answers. coming out the box going full potato. Just breath relax dont take life so serious no on gets out alive....!!! I am done here. wont be responding back so bash me if you like call me a thief, call me stupid I dont care. bye now... ta-ta
Your opinions on the matter are irrelevant. It is what it is. If you don't like it, tell Apple. You'll get very little sympathy here.
No one is presuming that a phone is stolen, although when it is purchased via a 3rd party, there is no way to know one way or the other, and when that 3rd party refuses to help the person they sold it to clear up the issue, it seems to point to something less than on the up and up....
Your issue, on the other hand, is simply that you got screwed by an unscrupulous person. When did this sale go down? I'm hoping your answer is "some time before June 12th", because if it is after that date, then you have only yourself to blame. The Activation Lock link provided on that date has very specific instructions on how to protect yourself from getting a device that has been Activation Locked:
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.
You can check the current Activation Lock status of a device by visiting icloud.com/activationlock from any Mac or PC.
Or you can follow the steps below to make sure that you can use the device you purchase:
You will know that a device is ready for you to use when you're asked to “Set up your iPhone," “Set up your iPad," or “Set up your iPod” during the device setup process.
Sorry you got screwed by the person you sold the device to. But, again, in many of the cases where a 3rd party seller is involved, there is likely a stolen phone involved as well. Not saying that the person selling the device knows it is stolen. It's kind of like money-laundering. It just gets passed through the various mechanisms, and by the time you get the device, the person who sold it to you can't help you because the person who sold it to them can't help them, etc., etc., etc.
GB
There is really no way to do that. I would suggest that you ask the friend that you purchased it from where he got it and see if you can trace it back that way. If it was a phone that he "found" on an airplane, then it should be turned into the authorities, or the airport lost and found.
GB
No, it's better to do the right thing and turn it into the authorities. It is not your device, so it shouldn't work for you. You didn't purchase it. Someone is probably desperately looking for it. You have no right to the device. Get it?
GB
How to bypass iCloud account for iphone 5
