My Ipad 2 Can't Be Activated After update to IOS 9.3

Otlichno 🙂

I spent 90 minutes on the phone to Apple 1st and then 2nd line support. Despite trying many different things, they could not overcome it. They could have fixed it by removing the activation lock but guess what? They wouldn't do it unless I could provide proof of purchase for a 4-year old iPad 2! I told him that I would not have waited 90 minutes on the phone with them having all my details if it were a stolen one and how many of you still have the receipt for an iPad 2? They said I would have to wait for them to fix their activation servers and for this there was no timeline. Unbelievably poor customer service.

iOS 9.3 "Could not activate iPad" and I tried a Restore, not nothing works! Now it won't even let me get into the Restore again.

This really stinks. I've been trying for 3 days and I'm tried of reading about it, and trying to fix.

This is iPad 2, so I'm out of warranty so I doubt Apple will help!

Does Apple force these software updates on purpose so we have to buy a new one?

You can't blame this on hardware cause it worked fine before the Operating System update!!

This is so poor and my iPad 2 has also been slow ever since IOS7 so it does make you think they are trying to make you upgrade.....As you said, they worked perfectly before the upgrade.

So, I call Apple and the recording says, there are no advisers available and tells me to go online for support and HANGS UP!

NO option to wait for adviser. Really???

I've spent all morning to try and work this out and found this on another post. It works.

DFU mode to Restore

DFU mode is signified by having a completely black screen on the device.

Follow the seteps below:

1. Connect the iPad to your computer and launch iTunes
2. Turn the device OFF (hold down the power button at the top of the device)
3. Continue to hold down the HOME button until a message appears in iTunes telling you 'an iPad is in recovery mode has been detected'
4. Then follow simple instructions on iTunes on your computer.

Once it's recovered, you will notice that it's installed the ios 9.2.1 instead of ios 9.3

I hate to be a cynic, but I tend to agree. I was in tech support for 20+ years and I don't think they system test on older models at all.

I tried this several times too, and I can't get it into DFU mode, or the standard Restore mode. In my iTunes, it just stays on

"iTunes was unable to verify your device".

Apple have released a patch, if your iPad2 is bricked, you will need to plug it with USB and iTunes will detect the update.

Problem, there's still a bug that block the update: iPad2 - After the updated iOS 9.3 Build 13E236

I've followed the instruction from another thread and have managed to get my iPad 2 to start restoring with a clean build but it's now wiped but I had saved my photos. Will confirm if this works as it's a large download but the thread says it works like it used to before IOS7 so excited about that!

I had the same problem at first. This is exactly what I did:

Plug iPad into iTunes

Close down using the power button.

When the screen is black press and hold the home button

check your iTunes - it should say there is a problem with the iPad and give you the option to restore.

There is a version of the above that says hold the power button and home button together - I tried that a couple of times and it didn't work. Just shut down as normal and then press the home button.

Good luck!

I tried my iPad 2 today with iTunes and there is an update which is 1.34 GB hope it works.

Fantastics; this help me to restore back my Ipad2, after follow the instruction on this community.

Thank you

Hi ottoindo,

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities! I understand that you may be having some issues activating your iPad 2 after a recent update to iOS 9.3. If that is the case, you may find the information and steps outlined in the following article helpful:

If you can’t activate your iPad 2 (GSM model) after you update to iOS 9.3 - Apple Support

Regards

Took some time but it's working after 5 days without iPad 2. Now I could continue enjoying my iPad 😝