Activation Lock engaged without being prompted

Please define "not from a legitimate source." As one of the victims of this anomaly, I can safely say that I tried every option to bypass the Activation Lock screen. It was absolutely NOT generated by some Safari-based pop-up or web app; I could not toggle out of the screen no matter whether I used the home key (single or double-tap), powered off/on, swiped, squished, etc.

At the time, I was playing an ad-free paid game that's been available through the app store for at least 4 years, and has seen few updates in that time. The Activation Lock spontaneously launched and denied me the use of my iPad until I was able to re-activate it (fortunately losing nothing in the process). I took the added precaution of lengthening and increasing the entropy of my passphrase well past the point where I could possibly remember it (all praise to LastPass!).

So I can only assume that "Apple, Inc." now belongs to the category of illegitimate sources ...

Again, the Activation Lock is not activated when you are using the device. It is not an arbitrary thing, it is triggered by specific actions as I indicated above.

I'm not sure why you couldn't at least reset the device. I have never run into anything that wouldn't let me reset.

Sorry you had the issue and that the approaches didn't work for you.

GB

This just happened to me and I put in the my user/pass and got access. It happened so fast I didn't even thing about it. Then I got worried and found this thread. I changed my password and security questions with no problem. I was watching an Amazon Prime Video - nothing out of the ordinary. I'm running iOS 10.1.1 at the moment on my iPad that is a couple of years old I think.

FYI:I had the same thing happen. Like others I changed my password after re-activating .

Just curious to find a possible common cause. My Apple ID was tied to a yahoo email account and wonder if there is some relation to the recent password hack over there....

I know it because it's happened to me a few times in moving from iOS 7 up to 10.2. Often it asks you to approve some new feature that came with the update. And there have been Apple help pages specifically related to activation after updating. I cannot show you one because the link now goes to a generic activation help page.

Here's http://appadvice.com/post/apple-releases-new-build-of-ios-9-3-to-fix-activation- glitch-on-ipad-2/708737 a typical news story. Mostly the reports are about problems re-activating when it is requested.

So let me get this straight: You're saying that a screen that claims activation is required and effectively locks your device from any productive use other than as, say, an ice scraper (or in the case of my iPad, a cutting board) is not an "activation lock?"

Oooookaaaaaayyyy ...

It's probably unfair to accuse you of "blindly believing" anything, it's more apt to characterize it as "foolish consistency" a la Thoreau.

You posted a bunch of generic responses about how to handle phishing without understanding what the OP was describing, nor with any knowledge of the fixes or background of the solution. Then someone called you on it and you drew into some ludicrous shell that this bug was uncommon and that viruses are common. While true, you honestly have a random million threads on the internet to spread that wisdom. Why put it on this thread? It didn't help, and honestly it probably wasted the time of people who relied on the top answer.

What's funny is that yes this is a board for IOS users who are regularly characterized as sheeple but it is in fact interesting how at least some of the answers on any particular thread will be along the lines of the old joke "doctor it hurts when I do this... then don't do that."

To be clear, your response was INCORRECT. It has nothing to do with viruses, malware, phishing, "illegitimate" activity, cookies, your browsing history, the home button, 3rd parties, or swiping up down left right on side to side. This last part is a joke. It's not that serious... you could not be more WRONG in this case and the other guy more correct in his criticisms but anyways other people have answered the question so I'm trying to use a bit of humor to lighten you up but I do advise that you actually know what you are talking about, and DEFINITELY what that thread is describing before you ad your generic 2 cents on cybersafety.

CellarD, Michael is wrong in his response to you as well.

Your question was where does the "Apple Recommended" rating come from. Michael proceeded to insist his post was not an "official" apple posting... something btw that no one has ever mistaken... and then linked a generic tutorial page that does not answer your question and posted a quote explaining WHAT “Apple Recommended” is supposed to provide for the reader.

The actual answer to your question is that both Apple Recommended and Solved are flagged by mods AKA apple employees. His previous answer to yet another poster he has problems with who complained that the wrong answer was flagged is wrong. Basically a non-technical apple CS flagged the response based on the authoritarian nature of the response and the generic "problem solved" type of thinking of bureaucrats, marked the thread internally as finished and no one has been back all these months to actually correct it

Sorry, but the link you provided is showing the Activation Lock screen. I am not sure what you are referring to, but I have never been asked to Activate my device except when I am trying to restore it from a backup after remotely erasing it using the Find My iPhone app on iCloud.com.

When I have done software updates, I am asked for my Apple/iCloud ID and password, but there is no mention of Activation - just the request to enter it. I'm pretty sure that is so that it can download my iTunes purchased media, because I also have the option to "skip" that step if I want, so it clearly isn't tied to activation.

Can you provide some specific examples of this occurring? If this is a particular expected behavior, then it would be good to nail it down for future reference.

And are you indicating that just in the middle of doing something the Activation screen will pop up and ask for your to enter your Apple ID and password? Because that is not normal, and should not be happening. You should only see an Activation screen when you are attempting to actually activate the device. Requests for your Apple/iCloud/iTunes ID and password at any other time should be specifically identified and be requesting a sign in only.

GB

I do agree with you Gail, in that an Activation Screen has never been presented to me that way before (while already doing something else -- in my case I was in the middle of watching a show in the Amazon app). In fact I've never had cause to lock a device remotely and when I update I get the option to sign in now or later, but I'm not locked out.

But neither does it seem to have been any kind of fishing attempt. I was not using Safari -- my iPad's default browser is Chrome -- and not the app I was using. Nothing was amiss with my account, I was able to login and change my password & security questions.

Behind the activation dialogue was the screen with the languages (Hola, ect.) like when you do install for the first time or a major update. If an auto-update was pushed to the iOS and occurred while the iPad was in use I could see how a forced sign-in would be in order as a security measure. But as far as I know updates to the iOS always require user permission. Strange & SterMystious ...

What is also weird is as you indicated, the Hola screen is displaying. When I do an update, it always goes to that screen, I unlock the device, select my language, and I think it just displays my normal Home screen after that. I would love to be able to figure out what is happening in the scenario that has been described here. It is extremely odd (and puzzles that I can't solve make me a little bit crazy.... ).

If it is caused by some sort of stealth cyber voodoo, then I don't think the type of browser you are using would matter. I think all that would be required is live internet activity - it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma....

GB

Chocolate Ice Cream wrote:

The actual answer to your question is that both Apple Recommended and Solved are flagged by mods AKA apple employees.

No. Patently incorrect. Solved answers are marked by the OP and only the OP. When you generate an original post, you have the option of marking any answer that you receive as "Helpful" or as "Solved". You can mark 2 posts as Helpful, and one post as Solved. Helpful and Solved are not marked by the Apple Team.

Chocolate Ice Cream wrote:

His previous answer to yet another poster he has problems with who complained that the wrong answer was flagged is wrong. Basically a non-technical apple CS flagged the response based on the authoritarian nature of the response and the generic "problem solved" type of thinking of bureaucrats, marked the thread internally as finished and no one has been back all these months to actually correct it

No, no, and no.... Michael's response was correct - the only person who can mark the post as Solved is the OP, and if it is marked as Solved, then the OP inadvertently clicked on the Solved button within the post that was marked as such.

Not sure what you think a non-technical Apple CS is, but the depraved state of mind that you associate with this imaginary person is really a bit beyond the pale. I suppose you think Apple is involved in multiple conspiracies to force you to purchase new hardware, upgrade software when you don't want to, and use iCloud despite your vehement protestations.

Threads do not get "marked internally" as finished. This is a live forum. The hosts moderate the content of active threads. They occasionally archive a thread. The rest of them (the threads) just sit out there in threadland. Sometimes they are revived by people who decide to answer a post that was made 6 years ago. Sometimes they just fade away like old soldiers. But no one goes into threads to "correct", "change", "update", "modify", or otherwise, after the fact*. And, a Solved post cannot be "Unsolved". Since marking the post as "Solved" is a user initiated action, the hosts are not going to take any action on that particular rating, and there is no way currently, for you, as the poster, to remove it. You can "upgrade" a Helpful to a Solved, but you cannot un-Helpful or un-Solve altogether.

Since you took such umbrage as the perceived (real or not) "incorrectness" of Michael's posts, I would suggest that you make sure that when you are holding forth, you ensure that you are doing so with accurate information.

* the only exception to this is when a post is reported. In that situation, it can be edited to remove personal information, modified to correct or provide a meaningful title, deleted if it is derogatory, uncivil, vulgar, or inflammatory, or removed it if is spam.

GB

I had this happen to me today also
I was browsing the internet reading an article - then the screen on my ipad went to the boot screen (black with white apple) for about 3 -4 seconds, then back to my lock screen, where i put in my lock password, then onto the
welcome screen (english)
then WIFI (did not ask for my wifi password)
then my Apple ID / password screen - with the right email address characters D**********S@F*********.com
i had to enter my password 5-6 times - wrong password each time
I then rebooted ==> Hard reboot
then entered my password again -- after 3 tries it went through

got nervous -reset password from Computer through Apple
then had to reset again on IPad

Was it a hack?
or glitch?

i have a similar problem.. i have a brand new iphone 5s... when i begin to set it up, at some point it asks for my apple id and password. so when i type it in, i continue to set up my phone. i dont believe i ever get to actually finish setting up, but after some setup that i dont remember, the get started screen comes up. but when i press get started, it'll go to the home screen for a split second, and kick me back out of the iphone and say activation required or some kind of message.. then when i connect to internet again it asks for my activation lock details. i'll type it in and the same thing happens.. get started, it takes me to the home screen for a second, and i am booted back out.. is it a problem with my account?

Where did you purchase the new iPhone?

Have you tried resetting it? Hold down the Home and Power buttons at the same time and continue to hold them down until the Apple appears (up to 30 seconds). Once the Lock screen displays, try again.

Cheers,

GB