My ipad keeps saying activation required

Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities, Akisa.
If I understand your post correctly, you're having trouble activating your iPad. I'd like to help.
If the iPad was purchased used, it may be locked to another user with Activation Lock. This article can help:
Turn off Find My iPhone Activation Lock
If the iPad was purchased new, make sure that you're using the steps in this article to activate your iPad:
Set up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
If you're still having an issue try these steps:
If you can't activate your iPhone
Let us know if that resolves this issue for you.
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Take care.

There seems to be rash of these Activation Required errors and seem to be affecting, mostly, iPad 2 models.

I have an iPad 2, but currently, it is unaffected by this issue.

It, also, seems this Activation Server Required error is affecting some other older iDevices, as well.

So, clearly, this bug/glitch/error/issue hasn't affected every single older iDevice still in existence and still running.

Hopefully, Apple is aware of this issue.

Just to make sure they are aware, make Apple aware and submit feedback here.

iPad Feedback

http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

Good Luck!

The SIM card removal is the key for the Activation Server error on iPad 2 models with cellular data service.

You need to take out/remove tge SIM Card out of the SIM card tray of the iPad 2 to either re-activate it from the device or re-activate it using iTunes on a computer.

Removing the SIM card in a cellular data model iPad 2 will, in most cases, fix the activation server error.

Did anybody get a solution? My iPad was working this morning and this evening it is telling "Your iPad could not be activated....Try connecting your iPad to iTunes....in a couple of minutes. If problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/support.

This just happened to me on my very old iPad 2 which I have owned since it was new. It has been somewhat flaky recently, changing to the Apple logo randomly, but this time it came back saying activation required. It first asked to join a wifi network and seemed to remember the one I had been using, but did not continue. After trying that network several times, it finally asked for my Apple ID and password, with a hint about my email address. Once I got the message that the authentication server was not reachable, but the next time it went on to say I needed a two step verification, please enter a phone number for a text or call with a code. This could have been before or after it asked for iCloud setup - I would skip the iCloud stuff if it happened again, and, yes, that is an option. It also wanted a 4 digit number associated with iCloud, but one option was just to reset all iCloud (something) which I did. I half expected it to come up with a blank home screen, but happily, it looked just the same as it did an hour or two ago. I hope this helps someone, including Apple who should have fixed this by now.

I can't get past the activation part either. Also getting server connection is down. Is this another ploy to get us to buy NEW ITEMS all because APPLE got caught out with its pants down due to them slowing down batteries?

I have the same issue with an ipad2, 4 years old. Occurred in the last few days. I called support and they said I need to mail in proof of purchase and they will unlock. Unfortunately I don't have proof of purchase any longer. I was told this is the only way. Guess I'll toss it and buy something not apple.

Conspiracy theories!,, hmmm? like apple updates slowing down older iPads, IPhones they too were called Conspiracy theories at the time, However didn’t this particular conspiracy Theory recently get proved to be correct. I stand by my comment.

Not sure why this is happening.

I have an iPad 2, nearly 7 years old and mine is still running fine and still receiving app updates.

Have not have this activation issue.

Do you remember what you were doing before you got this activation issue?

Has anyone here just tried to reset their WiFi MODEM/routers to see if that clears up the issue?

Could be a connection issue.

My ipad had been sitting a few days without being used. The activation lock was there when I turned it on. We did add a new wifi router, I hadn't thought about that possibly causing an issue. I'll try resetting.

I woke up this morning to find the same problem on my iPad 2. I've spent the best part of 8 hours today trying to circumvent this including updating, restoring, the lot. No joy. I bought this from new about seven years ago so I do hope they don't ask me for proof of purchase, and that they can fix this somehow.

Oh, and Michel, just because your iPad 2 works fine, it doesn't mean the rest of us are imagining this.

Instead of just trying solutions on your iPad only, have you checked/troubleshooted your MODEM/WiFi router for problems/issues as I previously suggested to a previous user?

There seems to be ONLY a very small minority of iPad 2 users experiencing this issue.

I solved it on my iPad 2!

The issue was a had a old SIM card inserted from years ago. I took that out and the activation proceeded perfectly.

Big thanks to the people who suggested connecting it to iTunes because when it was plugged in to my laptop and it failed to activate, there was a pop up that suggested checking the sim was inserted correctly. No conspiracy this time! Hopefully this helps everyone else

MichelPM I'm not sure who you are but why are you so rude and condescending to everyone on this forum? No I don't have cellular and my question about whether Apple had responded. I'm not actually interested in your opinion nor in being treated like a moron regardless of whether or not I read the posts above!

Hello Brenden - I know it’s been many months since the original post and I dont know if you received any feedback but here’s mine. I should not need to activate my ipad because I have had it for 5 years and used it all that time. I was using it this morning to play a game, I clicked on a link in the game and the ipad restarted

itself, and now wont do anything except show an “activate ipad” message, which does not work. It tlls me the activation server is down.

Again, why do I need to activate it in the first place, I activated it 5 years ago.

I own a second ipad, which has not done this even though it has all the same games and apps.

Any solutions?