I've bought an iPhone from a friend who has reset it but when I try to activate it it asks for his Apple ID and password. Hes given me the correct and only Apple ID and the password but it states it is incorrect. He has then gone to iforgot to change his password and it says that his Apple ID is invalid. How is this possible? This isn't the first time of heard of this as my son has the same thing with his phone. What can be done????
iPhone 5s, iOS 9.3.1
Hello there, KNone.
It sounds like you're unable to activate your iPhone 5s due to an issue with the previous owner not being able to unlock it with their Apple ID password. The following Knowledge Base article offers up the available options:
Find My iPhone Activation Lock
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201365
What if I forget my Apple ID password?
If you forget your password, you can reset it at your Apple ID account page or you can contact Apple Support and verify your identity.
If you forget your password and can't reset it, you'll lose access to your Apple ID and might be unable to use or reactivate your device. To help prevent this, visit your Apple ID account pageperiodically to review and update your account information.
What if I purchase a device that is still linked to the previous owner's account?
Contact the previous owner as soon as possible and ask them to erase the device and remove it from their account. Learn how to remove a device from a previous owner's account.
Thanks for being a part of Apple Support Communities.
Kind Regards.
Perhaps he forgot his original Apple ID. This might help:
Thanks for the updates but he hasnt forgot his Apple ID....the Apple ID he used is no longer valid...when he types in iforgot it states that the Apple ID is not recognised!
Come up with the following.
No Apple ID Found
We can’t find an Apple ID matching the information provided.
Apple ID not recognised
