Unlock iPhone By Switching Logic Board

Question

Level 1

8 points

Unlock iPhone By Switching Logic Board

Hello, I have a question. I bought an activation locked iPhone 7 from an online police auction site. I've never owned an apple product, and had no clue how difficult it would be to have it unlocked. I've contacted the auction site where I bought it asking if they could possibly track who the original owner was to see if they could remove the lock with their Apple ID and password, however, they said they get thousands of items from thousands of police agencies, and it would be impossible for them to track it, there was no paper trail. Needless to say, I tried Apple, and they said they can't do anything without the original purchase receipt, so here's what I was thinking. I saw another iPhone 7 on another site that was unlocked but had a smashed screen, therefore I could get it for cheap since nobody is bidding on it, the description said they tested it and it powers on, and responds to touch, so I am wondering if I could buy that one and switch the logic board with the locked phone. Does anyone know if this is possible, and will it then be an unlocked phone? There is also another option, I could just switch screens, but the problem is the new phone is pink, LOL, so I'm leaning toward the logic board option. Well that's my question, thanks.

iPhone 7, iOS 11.1.2

Posted on Aug 22, 2018 1:30 PM

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Answer 1

joeboken Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 22, 2018 6:16 PM in response to Michael Black

Umm, 2, that's my limit of phones, which happen to be functional. I would disagree about the pointlessness of my situation. I'm trying to turn a mistake into a success, and your comment isn't helping, but thanks anyway.

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Answer 2

Aug 22, 2018 5:14 PM in response to joeboken

How many used, broken and nonfunctional iPhones are you willing to buy just to ultimately get a working one? Seems rather pointless to me (penny wise and pound foolish is a phrase that comes to mind).

P.S. the logic board itself, and several of its key components are tied to activation lock by their hardware ID.

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Answer 3

Aug 22, 2018 6:24 PM in response to joeboken

I've heard from people who got a receipt from the police stating that it was abandoned property, took it to an Apple store, and the store was able to remove Activation Lock. I can't promise anything, but that is really your only hope.

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Answer 4

Aug 22, 2018 6:30 PM in response to joeboken

joeboken wrote:

Umm, 2, that's my limit of phones, which happen to be functional. I would disagree about the pointlessness of my situation. I'm trying to turn a mistake into a success, and your comment isn't helping, but thanks anyway.

Sorry - you posted you had purchased an activation locked iPhone, which thus is useless and not functional to anyone. You mentioned that other than that, you own no Apple products, so I assumed you meant (since it is literally what you wrote) that you were preparing to buy yet another non-functional device to fix the other non-functional device.

From your original post, ther is no mention at all of even one functional device, let alone 2.

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Answer 5

joeboken Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 23, 2018 8:50 AM in response to Michael Black

Well I guess we both have two different definitions of "functional", I am thinking about buying an unlocked iphone that is functional except for the fact it has a cracked screen, the site that's selling it says it has been tested and it works as far as powering on and off and responding to touch, the iPhone I already purchased is also "functional" as far as powering on and off and responding to touch, however that one is activation locked. I'm not going to explain any further, it's all in my original post. Thanks for trying to help though.

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Answer 6

Aug 23, 2018 9:11 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Lawrence Finch wrote:

I've heard from people who got a receipt from the police stating that it was abandoned property, took it to an Apple store, and the store was able to remove Activation Lock. I can't promise anything, but that is really your only hope.

Wow, things must have changed. I called Apple once from my previous job about phones that were traded in that sales people failed to make sure were unlocked. I had paperwork providing the owners had traded them into to us, an Authorized Apple Reseller. Apple very politely said, no, they wouldn't remove the activation lock for us.

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Answer 7

deggie

Level 10

167,225 points

Aug 23, 2018 1:29 PM in response to joeboken

You would need to take everything out of the pink phone (including the Touch ID/Home button) and transfer it to the other, i.e. just use the case from the police auction phone.

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Answer 8

deggie

Level 10

167,225 points

Aug 22, 2018 2:37 PM in response to joeboken

As much as you hate pink your only real option is to take the screen from your current phone and put it on the new iPhone. Or just buy a different working iPhone.

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