Use iPhone 4s as iPod Touch, Can't Activate

Hello all,


I have an old Sprint 4s that I'd like to keep using as an iPod Touch and don't need cell service on. I wiped it clean when I got my new phone and haven't touched it in about a year. I turned it on and it started to take me through the activation process but I keep getting the error message "Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable" So I plugged it into iTunes and when I click the on the iPhone in iTunes I get a message that says "Your request couldn't be processed. We're sorry, but there was an error processing your request. Please try again later." I tried restoring the phone and got the same messages. Then I tried putting the phone in recovery mode, restoring it, and I got the same messages after it updated the ios.


I had a chat session with Apple and after some troubleshooting to do things I had already done, they transferred me to a supervisor who basically said "you need a support sim, go search the forums." Anybody know anything about this? Is the sim card really the problem, and how do I get a support sim card?


Thanks in advance.


Matt

iPhone 4S, iOS 8.1.2

Posted on Jan 24, 2015 1:08 PM

Reply
17 replies

Jan 25, 2015 3:59 PM in response to AustinJGibson

AustinJGibson wrote:


These phones do have sims... I had a Verizon one, and it had a sim for international calling...

Yes, they do. I believe that's been mentioned several times. However, no SIM is necessary for domestic use on a Verizon iPhone 4S. You can easily test this by removing the SIM. Your phone will still work just fine. The SIM is also not required to activate the device.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Use iPhone 4s as iPod Touch, Can't Activate

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.