Activation Lock engaged without being prompted

This bug strikes again........

This just happened to my son on his 6th Gen iPod.

He only has music on his iPod now as we have had one problem to many with updates and as he was playing the music it stopped suddenly and gad a white screen with activate your device message on it. He brought it to me. I reset it and when it turned back on it came up with the hello page; then the wifi page so chose the wifi; then it was reaffirm the account for icloud so put in his username and password; then it was reaffirm your password so put that it; and it was back to normal

Talking to my parents I found out my fathers early model iPhone touch did something similar yesterday. I put it down to a software glitch, but maybe with the new Iphone X is just about to be released it has to do with minute changes to the software codes to help the new phone be operational. Just a thought.

Cheers

Kate

yes

There's so much wrong information in this thread it's unreal.

The sudden requirement by iOS to flip to the activation screen is nothing to do with a safari phishing scam. It's a bug in iOS. I was watching YouTube when this message came up.

Apple provided a so-called fix for the problem, with special regards to the iPad 2 inparticular. If you look at the text that's written on the screen you will see it asks for the password that was used to setup the iPad or iPhone in the first place, when you got the device. If you have changed the password multiple times and forgotten the first password you used it can be very problematic.

The suggestion from Apple is that you connect it to iTunes and press the HOME and POWER button until the recovery screen appears and you get a prompt in iTunes. iTunes will then download iOS and reinstall your ipad without (hopefully) deleting your data.

However, this does not appear to correct the problem for some people. You may have to login in to the cloud and remove the device from your account.

Find My iPhone Activation Lock - Apple Support

In case it's helpful for anyone else who got Activation Lock on their iPad without activating it themselves (same as the OP), here's what I did to fix it:

1) I powered off my iPad 2.

2) I logged into iCloud and went to settings: https://www.icloud.com/#settings

3) I found my iPad 2, clicked on it’s name under My Devices, and then clicked the “x” to remove it.

4) I booted up my iPad 2. Still saw the Activation Lock screen.

5) I entered my Apple ID username and password (success) and then was asked for my password again to update iCloud (success).

I then saw “Welcome to iPad” and then was back at my home screen.

6) As a precaution, in iCloud Settings, I clicked Managed under Apple ID. I was prompted to sign in. I did and then changed my password.

Good luck!

P.S. For what it's worth, after resolving this issue I checked my apps and all but 2 were up to date:

• Netflix
• Pinterest

The apps which had last updated, just before this glitch/error/hack appeared, were:

• Amazon
• YouTube
• Amazon Prime Video
• iHeartRadio
• Google Play
• PBS Video
• Google Chrome
• Magic Piano
• CBS
• Pandora
• United Airlines
• HBO Now
• Birch

If this isn't an iOS glitch, perhaps it's related to one of the apps above?

That was not anything generated by iOS and was definitely not a legitimate message. You're right that it would not have come from the newspaper itself, but an advertiser on their web site or a 3rd party site lnked by a cookie trail from your web browsing history.

If it happens again, just double click the home button and quit the browser by swiping up. Then go into settings, safari and delete all cookies and history.

Activation lock is never going to cause a web browser popup message - any such message is a phishing scam.

I too have experienced this just 45 minutes after you did at 7:46 EST, but it is on my iPhone6. I was just sitting at my desk and the Activation Lock screen flashed, and when I pressed it, the white screen came asking me to put in my user name and password. The only browsing I'd done this morning was on dictionary.com, so not sure if anything more recently, such as Wikipedia is the issue. I have tried to double click the home button, per Michael Black's instructions, but it wasn't in the browser, so that didn't work; it had been on the home screen when the Activation Lock appeared. I don't want to put in my password, even though I could change it later.

Gail, any suggestions?

Same. Spontaneous Activation Lock, preceded by iPad Activation screen I believe. It happened so fast I couldn't tell you exactly what the first screen said. The rest I'm typing in real time...

Upon forced restart, I was greeted by the Hello Screen and the Press Home to Open prompt, followed by the the standard Enter Passcode screen after depressing the home button. From there I got the WiFi screen (where my network settings had clearly been preserved, as I didn't have to enter network password). Then, back to Activation Lock screen.

After entering my correct Apple ID it showed a screen that stated Could Not Activate iPad. Plugged it into iTunes. Entered ID & PW. Same prompt, with a Try Again button.

iPad become unresponsive. Only displayed AL screen. Went to iTunes. It let me past that screen after second try. Then I got pop-ups on my iPhone and Mac from iOS about a new device signing in to iCloud etc.

iPad STILL showing Activation Required / Dismiss button.

And... back to the Hello Screen.

After I pressed the Home button, it displayed my proper Apple ID and asked for the password again. Typed that in, and after an eternity, ended up on Welcome to iPad / Get Started screen.

Now I'm finally back in to my iPad. But somehow it updated itself from to 10.0.2 to 10.1.1 WITHOUT my permission, without my passcode ever being entered, and against my wishes.

In iTunes settings, my backup shows as being for a device running 10.0.2, but in Settings on my iPad, it says it's currently running 10.1.1 and to top it off, iTunes is showing the "a new version of the iPad software" message with the 10.1.1 IPSW already downloaded and waiting to go.

What I'm thinking is this... that it somehow crashed overnight, and proceeded to update the iOS itself, as if I had chosen for an OTA update to do its thing during a period of downtime. But I never use OTA updates for this device. I always backup, restore, update, and then restore again on my Mac.

Jeez. What a mess. Hope this helps someone else. I need a new iPad (currently on a 4th gen iPad).

Definitely change your AppleID password, at least for the peace of mind that (a) you can still change it (i.e. have control of your AppleID) and (b) just in case it has been compromised.

You may also wish to set up 2-step verification on your AppleID (Frequently asked questions about two-step verification for Apple ID - Apple Support) which replaces your AppleID security questions with the requirement for a time limited code every time you try to login to the AppleID secure management web site. It means that anyone who ever tries to alter your AppleID password must be able to receive a short (~10 minutes active) code either on one of your trusted devices via find my iPhone push notifications, or an SMS text to your trusted cell phone number. Your login password is also still required - that is, to login and alter anything related to your AppleID, overtime, you must have the password and be able to receive a code (which expires in just a few minutes or so).

This is different from 2-factor authentication (Two-factor authentication for Apple ID - Apple Support). 2-factor authentication requires a code every time you first use your AppleID on any new device. But once trusted, that device is always trusted as long as that same AppleID is used on that device. You can still use this newer form of additional security along with 2-step verification if you wish (I do that as I had 2-step verification enabled anyway, prior to the release of the 2-factor authentication feature).

You're welcome and it sounds like you should be fine now. The pop-ups, FLASH SMS and other phishing scams and such can be a real nuisance. But one good rule to follow is simple never, ever click on any link in any message or enter any information when prompted by any message. You can always independently verify account information and such yourself via your normal web login or app. So even if a message ever were legitimate, there is never any reason to actually use or follow any of the links or requests for info actually contained in the message.

Apple's approach to privacy is spelled out at their web site, along with suggestions for good security practices:

http://www.apple.com/privacy/

Good security practices don't, unfortunately, remove the annoyance factor though. I just got two emails "from" fedex saying my packages could not be delivered and I need to respond with account info or they'll be sent back to the sender. Of course, I know for a fact that I have no forthcoming Fedex packages at this time (not to mention I don't have a standing account with fedex), so they went promptly into junk and hopefully they can help train my email providers filter to better intercept them automatically. PITA, but it is part of the information age we live in.

Explained in the community tutorials - Tutorials

Get recommended with “Apple Recommended”

Apple Community Specialists can recommend posts that provide clear and helpful information. You’ll see anyrecommended answers to discussions right below the original question so you don’t have to read an entire conversation to get the answers you need.

That does not mean that the post was a formal Apple Technical Support post. I and the vast majority of users here do not, and never have worked for Apple and are not affiliated in any way with Apple. And when an Apple employee does post, their post authorship will clearly indicate they work for Apple (and you will find such posts extremely rare in the forums).

And I did find Jason1973's last paragraph insulting - I don't see any other way to interpret that paragraph. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it, but the choice of words and tone was clearly intended to be derogatory.

No - that is not how 2-Step works. You put in your password, and it then sends a verification code to a trusted device. If it is not accepting the password, then the one you are trying is undoubtedly incorrect. Go to: Apple - My Apple ID, click on "Forgot Password", then answer the Security Questions so you can then change the password.

If you can't remember the answers to the Security Questions, you will have to contact Apple Support to get a reset link: ACCOUNT SECURITY SUPPORT. The will require you to be able to answer at least one of the Security Questions correctly (at least that is what I have experienced).

Best of luck,

GB

Thanks Micharl. Youre a lifesaver

i forgot my password and apple ID

Can you clarify what you mean by it was "engaged"? What indicated that to you? Also, not sure what "Where's My Device" comes in to play here? The Activation Lock on an iDevice is called Find My iPhone.

Cheers,

GB