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How do i get icloud lock off a phone?

ssledoux

ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
4,413
4,245
Down south
I sold my daughter’s 7+ and iCloud is locked. What can i do to help the buyer get it unlocked? Im so dang annoyed right now. I had no idea this was an issue. Ive never had this problem before.

I figured if it was erased, restored and unlocked, it would be good to go. I should've known better.
 
As far as I’m concerned, You cannot. It’s there for security. You can call Apple and ask.
 
ssledoux said:
I sold my daughter’s 7+ and iCloud is locked. What can i do to help the buyer get it unlocked? Im so dang annoyed right now. I had no idea this was an issue. Ive never had this problem before.

I figured if it was erased, restored and unlocked, it would be good to go. I should've known better.
Click to expand...

Sign into iCloud.com go to find my iPhone and remove your device
 
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If the iCloud.com method doesn't work here's the correct way to remove iCloud and Activation lock.

1. meet the buyer
2. log into your old phone
3. sign out of your iCloud
4. erase and reset

If you do not sign out of your iCloud it will not let them activate especially if you have say ATT and they are on T-Mobile.
 
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silverblack said:
Have your daughter change her password temporarily. Send her log in name and password to buyer, for unlocking iCloud. When done, your daughter change password back.
Click to expand...
No! DO NOT DO THAT.

You’ll be giving a stranger access you your daughter’s iCloud account: Photographs, messages, emails, notes, etc. All sorts of sensitive info, potentially. They’ll also have physical possession of a trusted device linked to the account. What’s to stop them changing the password and locking your daughter out of her iCloud account for good?

It could be an identity theft nightmare.
 
Last edited:
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You need to either meet with the buyer, and unlock the iPad, or provide them with the login credentials. That's really your only options
 
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dennysanders said:
it wasn't erased or restored if icloud wasn't signed out of
Click to expand...

Depends on how it was erased. You can do an erase with iTunes and recovery mode without signing out. I’ve done it many times.

I recommend anyone selling an iOS device to erase and then activate it before selling. If you activate it and skip setting a pin and adding your iTunes account and get all the way to the home screen, you can be sure it isn’t tied to iCloud anymore. Or have the buyer activate it on the spot to make sure they have no issues. They can always reset later if they want.
 
Arran said:
No! DO NOT DO THAT.

You’ll be giving a stranger access you your daughter’s iCloud account: Photographs, messages, emails, notes, etc. All sorts of sensitive info, potentially. They’ll also have physical possession of a trusted device linked to the account. What’s to stop them changing the password and locking your daughter out of her iCloud account for good?

It could be an identity theft nightmare.
Click to expand...

Good point. Would turning on 2-factor authentication get around the problem? This way, the buyer could unlock iCloud at activation, but not setting up the phone with the seller’s iCloud account...?
 
silverblack said:
Good point. Would turning on 2-factor authentication get around the problem? This way, the buyer could unlock iCloud at activation, but not setting up the phone with the seller’s iCloud account...?
Click to expand...
There's no circumstance where it'd be a good idea, or even safe, to give a buyer a password to an iCloud account.
 
ssledoux said:
I sold my daughter’s 7+ and iCloud is locked. What can i do to help the buyer get it unlocked? Im so dang annoyed right now. I had no idea this was an issue. Ive never had this problem before.

I figured if it was erased, restored and unlocked, it would be good to go. I should've known better.
Click to expand...

There is a chance that the phone WAS indeed unlocked when exchanging hands. But the buyer later lock it, and scam you for a refund. Was it sold over eBay? It’s known to have happened. Google it.
 
maflynn said:
That may not work, as noted above. It would be the simplest to be sure, provided it does work.
Click to expand...
it's possible for all of the options to not always work.
[doublepost=1510924869][/doublepost]
silverblack said:
There is a chance that the phone WAS indeed unlocked when exchanging hands. But the buyer later lock it, and scam you for a refund. Was it sold over eBay? It’s known to have happened. Google it.
Click to expand...
how could the buyer lock it with the original owners login info?
 
maflynn said:
No, I don't recall every seeing/hearing or reading that someone cannot deactivate the icloud lock using the credentials. That works all the time :)
Click to expand...
lol ok. icloud.com has always worked for me. sucks that others have had bad experiences. but, yeah this guy shouldn't even bother trying to sign in there. chances are it'll be a huge waste of time.
 
Well I removed it from “find my phone,” which says it means someone else can set up the phone, so I hope that does it.
 
ssledoux said:
Well I removed it from “find my phone,” which says it means someone else can set up the phone, so I hope that does it.
Click to expand...
yeah, that's basically like going to icloud.com but on an iOS device since icloud.com doesn't open in safari on iOS. i can't believe it worked!:eek:
 
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