iCloud Password Problem on iPhone 6 iOS 9.2

Your phone is activation locked with different icloud account.

If you lucky you will figure out what account it is ACTUALLY locked to either by yourself or with Apple support help and then sign out of icloud.

That will fix your problem and then you can sign back in with icloud that you are using right now.

If you unlucky -you will not figure out what account phone is Actually locked to or will not be able to reset the password. In that case with original proof of purchase Apple support may be able to deactivate the lock and then you may be able to restore iphone as new and use it.

If you extremely unlucky and do not have a receipt at the point of update or restore you will have an expensive brick on your hands - hope it does not come to that - good luck.

Change your Apple ID back to the old one (it doesn't matter if the email account no longer exists; it's just a user ID). Log out of iCloud, iTunes & App Stores, iMessage and Facetime. The change the Apple ID back to the new one and re-log in to all of those items. See: If you're asked for the password to your previous Apple ID in iCloud - Apple Support

Lawrence Finch wrote:

Change your Apple ID back to the old one (it doesn't matter if the email account no longer exists; it's just a user ID). Log out of iCloud, iTunes & App Stores, iMessage and Facetime. The change the Apple ID back to the new one and re-log in to all of those items. See: If you're asked for the password to your previous Apple ID in iCloud - Apple Support

Hi Lawrence,

As far as I know that article was not update after last change of apple id site. I noticed it Friday. Now you actually have to verify the email before change occurs by providing 6 digits code before change. May be it is incorrect on your account, but try and see for yourself.

Alirizia wrote:

Thanks dude, but how can I sign out of iCloud when it says wrong password, even if I knew that account you mentioned.

if you tried you CURRENT password and it does not work you go to step 2 "if you unlucky"

You go to icloud.com and remove device from your account.

iCloud: Remove your device from Find My iPhone

And then you restore your device in recovery mode

If you can't update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

That will require you to lose all of your info and will only work if you told the true when said you changed email on your account, but not the account itself.

I just tried, and I did not have to enter any codes. The only time you should be asked for a code (and it's 4 digits) is if you have 2 step verification enabled (I do). If you change your Apple ID to anything OTHER than the previous Apple ID you will be required to verify it, but you should not be required to if the Apple ID is the next most recent one.

BTW, that article was updated a week ago, so it should be current.

Step 1: On your computer log in to https://appleid.apple.com using your current email address.

Step 2: Click on the word "edit" to the right of your Apple ID

Step 3: Click "Change email address"

Step 4: Enter the email address that you used previously and that shows in Settings/icloud on the phone and save the results

Step 5: On the phone, go to Settings/iCloud and log out. Enter your current password when prompted

Step 6: Go back to https://appleid.apple.com and change your Apple ID back to the new one

Step 7: Verify the email if asked

Step 8: On the phone go to Settings/iCloud and log in with the new Apple ID

If the email address shown in Settings/iCloud is not yours, this is a completely different problem for which there is no solution other than finding the owner of that email address.

The article is not updated here is current one. Pay attention to step 4 and 5.

Change your Apple ID - Apple Support

1. Sign out of iCloud, the iTunes & App store, FaceTime, Find My Friends, Find My iPhone, and iMessage on each device that uses your Apple ID.
2. Sign in to your Apple ID account page.
3. In the Account section, click Edit > Change Email Address.
4. Enter the email address you want to use as your Apple ID. A verification code will be sent to your new email address.
5. Enter the verification code from the email into the fields provided and start using your updated Apple ID. Didn't get the email?

Alirizia wrote:

Hey guys I have some news for you
I restored my iPhone using recovery mode and after installing the iOS the "Activate iPhone" appeared which wants me to enter apple ID and password, and when I type in, it says this apple ID can't activate this iPhone.
So I called an apple advisor and after 2 hours of talking they told me that the linked apple ID is something else !!!!! and we cannot tell you what is it due to security except if you show us a picture of your purchase receipt !!!! which I've lost.
Since I have only 3 apple IDs and none of them works for activation, the only thing left for me is a piece of brick, not an iPhone. and I AM SURE this problem is from apple.

And I told you all that in the part of my original answer under "extremely unlucky"

Those are the instructions to change your Apple ID to a NEW email address, not to change it back to a previous one.

Thank you Lawrence, I didn't realize there is a different instructions for new and previous. Hopefully I will never need it since like I said above IOS 8 and 9 accept just the password on sign out, but the fact that you tried and it works, gives me some hope.... for other people.