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Sim change on iPhone 5S now requires you to validate Apple ID used with iPhone?

JOSE891

JOSE891

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 15, 2012
601
2
Las Vegas
Ok, so out of curiosity I put a different sim into my AT&T iPhone 5S and when I did I got a "Activation Required" screen, and it said
"This iPhone is currently linked to an Apple ID (j*********@i****.com). Sign in with the Apple ID that was used to set up this iPhone."

You can't bypass, even if you remove the sim card. And then it asked for my Apple ID & Password (Which I logged in with).

I just tried this on my brother's 5S as well and it does the same thing.

Does anybody know what's up with this? It seems like a cool feature incase you lose you'r 5S but didn't have Find my iPhone feature and somebody try's to put a diff Sim Card to use your iPhone.

My 5S has a password but my brother's didn't.

Have only tried this on the 5S, might be the same with the 5,4S, or 4.
Would be nice if other ppl confirm it does this on other iPhone running iOS 7.

EDIT: This was with a T-Mobile US Sim Card.
 
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M

mbhforum

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
755
189
Yes, this is a new security feature added by Apple in ios7. It is meant to discourage thieves and making phones bricks if they are stolen. Th government has been pressuring mobile vendors to implement this and Apple was the first to respond. If you try and erase your phone, you need your Apple ID first also.
 
JOSE891

JOSE891

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 15, 2012
601
2
Las Vegas
mbhforum said:
Yes, this is a new security feature added by Apple in ios7. It is meant to discourage thieves and making phones bricks if they are stolen. Th government has been pressuring mobile vendors to implement this and Apple was the first to respond. If you try and erase your phone, you need your Apple ID first also.
Click to expand...

I knew about this while ago. But I thought it was only if you remote lock/wipe it. Didn't know it does the same thing with a Sim Change.
 
M

mbhforum

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
755
189
Me neither and I'm glad you posted it. It seems to make sense that if you swap sims that some security would need to be enforced. Good job Apple.
 
nihilisticmonk

nihilisticmonk

macrumors 6502
May 4, 2005
295
29
mbhforum said:
Yes, this is a new security feature added by Apple in ios7. It is meant to discourage thieves and making phones bricks if they are stolen. Th government has been pressuring mobile vendors to implement this and Apple was the first to respond. If you try and erase your phone, you need your Apple ID first also.
Click to expand...

my 4S doesn't do this with a sim swap. Just switched from o2 > Three and I can swap sims without any trouble.
 
B

benguild

macrumors 6502a
Jul 29, 2003
827
39
nihilisticmonk said:
my 4S doesn't do this with a sim swap. Just switched from o2 > Three and I can swap sims without any trouble.
Click to expand...

I think it only does it the first time you attempt to swap it if the phone is not currently unlocked. It will attempt to reactivate, and I think any iPhone activation in general now requires an Apple ID login.

However, once the phone is unlocked successfully (after reactivating) ... you won't need to reactivate it again after swapping the SIM. Only the first time. So I think this is the only time you need to login.

In the past, if you phone is pending unlock or not unlocked, it would attempt to reactivate over iTunes or Wi-Fi. This is the same process, it just has the same Apple ID login as a system-wide security feature now.

FYI, I was prompted as well and then, when trying two other SIMs after that, I was no longer prompted. I doubt that will come back considering the phone is already activated as unlocked now.
 
nellynelly1993

nellynelly1993

macrumors newbie
Nov 12, 2016
1
0
It's one of the most annoying features I've ever come across on a phone, because when transfering data from an old iphone to a new one I switched the sim card and both went off, and I had to wait for hours to be emailed the code by a family member who was elsewhere, and again, when a friend's mobile data wasn't working I switched sims with them to see if it was the phone or the sim, and their phone went off, and they couldn't use it till they got back to wifi...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Applejuiced

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
nellynelly1993 said:
It's one of the most annoying features I've ever come across on a phone, because when transfering data from an old iphone to a new one I switched the sim card and both went off, and I had to wait for hours to be emailed the code by a family member who was elsewhere, and again, when a friend's mobile data wasn't working I switched sims with them to see if it was the phone or the sim, and their phone went off, and they couldn't use it till they got back to wifi...
Click to expand...

Because its a good security feature.
If you're using someone else icloud account you can ask them to enter your device or phone number to the list of trusted devices.
Its not Apples fault your family member took hours to get in touch with you.
I dont mind being inconvenienced by security.
Sure I could get in my house faster by leaving all the doors unlocked but I rather unlock doors and enter security codes on my alarm pad in order to protect my property.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
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