reset iPhone without passcode

Question

Level 1

8 points

reset iPhone without passcode

My brother recently passed away, and left my wife his old iPhone. I do not need to break into his phone and get his photos etc (we got all of that from his iCloud account). We simply want to factory reset the phone without it and start anew.

The device is an iPhone 5S model A1533. We are using OS X 10.2.2

What we have done so far:

1) Done a reset via iTunes - got to activation lock on the iPhone

2) Realized we reset the stupid iCloud account the phone is linked to and have deleted his gmail account and shredded his credit cards (because, well, he is dead) and wiped his home computer.

3) I have requested activation reset through my phone #, but I have no idea if this will work.

I guess my question is this - is this phone just basically bricked, or should I take it in to an Apple store in person to try to get it factory reset.

Thanks.

iPhone 5s, iOS 10.2.1

Posted on Feb 21, 2017 3:52 PM

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Answer 1

KiltedTim

Level 10

229,710 points

Feb 21, 2017 4:57 PM in response to wwalshiii

Sorry. You've basically turned it into a brick. There is no way pas the activation lock, now. The only way it could possibly be reset would be if you had the original proof of purchase for the phone, a copy of the death certificate, and documentation from the estate naming you the inheritor of the phone. Without all of that documentation, Apple can't do anything for you. Recycle it.

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Answer 2

KiltedTim

Level 10

229,710 points

Feb 21, 2017 4:25 PM in response to wwalshiii

I'm a bit confused. If you managed to get his photos from his iCloud account, then you have the credentials for his iCloud account... right? If so, then you should be able to get past the activation lock.

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Answer 3

wwalshiii Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 21, 2017 4:25 PM in response to KiltedTim

Thanks. After getting all of the photos etc on the iCloud account, we then: 1) Reset the password to the account, (which none of us remember), 2) deleted his email account, 3) shredded his credit cards and bills (after paying them). We forgot about the phone, generally because that was not what we were thinking about after he died... and several months passed, so that is where we are. Normally to reset a device you need another device the account is linked to (which we don't, his computer was basically dead so we wiped the drive and got rid of it), the credit card the account was linked to (which we shredded), or a trusted phone number (which is the device itself).

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Answer 4

wwalshiii Author

Level 1

8 points

May 19, 2017 8:27 AM in response to wwalshiii

OK -

While I was fairly convinced after this discussion, it turns out that the phone was not bricked. A few things:

A) I had the death certificate, which helped; I think posting here also helped, but I don't know that.

B) I requested, through Apple, that the safety email for my brother's account be sent to my phone. I specifically stated who he was, who I was, and that he had died. After two months I received a note from Apple to proceed and send the reset code.

C) I then wiped the phone and reset it as a new phone with my Apple family password. It works like a charm.

So, I think, that, as long as you are willing to publicly identify yourself, link to your phone and email (which should be known to Apple already), Apple is willing to look past complete electronic idiocy and let their phone work. They were very reasonable. This would be a very weird route for thieves to take (e.g. waving here I am! with this specific phone at this address!), so I doubt it presents a vulnerability in the system.

Thanks!

Bill Walsh

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