Please excuse the lengthy narrative from a first-time iPhone user.
I purchased two iPhone 16 Pro last year, one for myself and one for my partner (I created both Apple IDs online via icloud.com). However, during the third week, one of the phones unexpectedly prompted me to log in and repeatedly indicated that the password was incorrect or that the account was inactive (the password was absolutely correct). After going through the account recovery process, I received an email eight hours later confirming that my account had been reactivated. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived, as just 24 hours later, the same issue recurred, leaving me utterly astonished. I wondered what could have led Apple to render my account inactive or locked, especially since I had only downloaded three free banking applications. The second recovery attempt yielded no response, and I began making phone calls for assistance, but no one could provide help. I even visited the retail store where I purchased the phones, bringing my invoice and ID, but they were unable to assist me, stating that Apple had removed their capability to reactivate or remove the activation lock. Can you imagine the sense of desperation I felt, wanting to try out the iPhone, only to be faced with two new unusable devices (as I could not sign out of my Apple ID with Find My enabled).
With no other options, I continued to contact Apple support, and on the third day, I finally spoke with an elderly gentleman (I could tell from his voice, and he later disclosed his age). I explained my situation to him, and he requested the details of the phone, including the serial number. He then placed me on hold, stating he would check something. Upon returning, he asked for permission to remotely connect to my PC (which involved me downloading a program or link, though I cannot recall the specifics now). After being on hold for 20 minutes, he informed me that my iPhone/Find My was showing as offline from his end and that there was no activation lock (contrary to what all the customer service representatives I had spoken to over the past few days, including those at the retail store, had told me).
He instructed me to connect my phone to my Windows PC and attempted an erase/restore, but this was unsuccessful. I mentioned that I also owned an M2 MacBook Air, and when we tried the same erase/restore process on the MacBook, it was successful. We conversed for another 10 minutes or so after resolving my iPhone issue, during which he informed me that he has been with Apple for a considerable time and that incidents like mine are quite rare. He also shared his age.
Following this ordeal, I returned both phones to the retail store. Initially, they were reluctant to accept the returns since I was well beyond the 14-day period. However, I explained my situation to the manager, who was very understanding. I expressed my complete loss of confidence in Apple's security, stating that I could not take these two phones with me while traveling, fearing they might lock or become inactive in a foreign country. Ultimately, she accepted the returns, and due to her actions, I no longer view Apple as hopeless; I am willing to give the iPhone 17 another chance.
We are quite simple individuals. My goal is to acquire two iPhones, as iPhones support more bands than any other phones, for travel purposes. I only need the phones for communication and to locate my partner. We do not use any social apps, and the iPhone with iMessage and FaceTime is precisely what we require.
I now have two new iPhone 17 Pro Max for 10 days now, and I want to ensure that I do not encounter the same situation as last year.
I am perfectly comfortable with Find My being turned off, as I can utilize location sharing to find my partner. If our phones are lost or stolen, so be it. We do not use iCloud to store anything, and there will be nothing of importance on our phones. Without Face ID and a passcode, I believe it would be difficult for anyone to access our phones. The most they could do is connect to a PC or Mac, perform a full erase/reset, and enjoy our phones; I am fine with that.
Some claimed that without FindMy activated, Apple cannot impose an activation lock on your phone. However, after a week of investigation, I have concluded that even with FindMy disabled, Apple can still activate lock your iPhone. This is because, even if you connect to a PC or Mac and perform an erase or restore, the phone remains linked to the Apple ID account, and you cannot log in to remove it from your profile. It presents a catch-22 situation, does it not?
With my M2 MacBook Air, I do not require an Apple ID, as I can directly download .dmg files from Firefox, and all applications running on my M2 are sourced from GitHub or Brew. In contrast, for the iPhone, an Apple ID is necessary even to download free banking applications.
I was contemplating the possibility of logging in and using my Apple ID to download all the applications at once, then signing out immediately. I would only log back in to update the banking applications when they cease to function unless updated. Once all applications are updated, I would sign out again promptly (Apple should not be able to activate lock your phone if you are not logged in, correct?). However, some posts on Reddit suggest that frequent logging in and out of an Apple ID may be a reason for the account being locked.
I have two more days to make a decision. I am quite fond of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the user interface is exceptionally fluid and clear, akin to water. Perhaps I am overthinking this due to my experiences from last year. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions, whether positive or negative, I am open to all feedback.
Is there a foolproof method to prevent activation lock? Losing all data is acceptable; I simply do not want brand new phones to turn into unusable devices!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
I purchased two iPhone 16 Pro last year, one for myself and one for my partner (I created both Apple IDs online via icloud.com). However, during the third week, one of the phones unexpectedly prompted me to log in and repeatedly indicated that the password was incorrect or that the account was inactive (the password was absolutely correct). After going through the account recovery process, I received an email eight hours later confirming that my account had been reactivated. Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived, as just 24 hours later, the same issue recurred, leaving me utterly astonished. I wondered what could have led Apple to render my account inactive or locked, especially since I had only downloaded three free banking applications. The second recovery attempt yielded no response, and I began making phone calls for assistance, but no one could provide help. I even visited the retail store where I purchased the phones, bringing my invoice and ID, but they were unable to assist me, stating that Apple had removed their capability to reactivate or remove the activation lock. Can you imagine the sense of desperation I felt, wanting to try out the iPhone, only to be faced with two new unusable devices (as I could not sign out of my Apple ID with Find My enabled).
With no other options, I continued to contact Apple support, and on the third day, I finally spoke with an elderly gentleman (I could tell from his voice, and he later disclosed his age). I explained my situation to him, and he requested the details of the phone, including the serial number. He then placed me on hold, stating he would check something. Upon returning, he asked for permission to remotely connect to my PC (which involved me downloading a program or link, though I cannot recall the specifics now). After being on hold for 20 minutes, he informed me that my iPhone/Find My was showing as offline from his end and that there was no activation lock (contrary to what all the customer service representatives I had spoken to over the past few days, including those at the retail store, had told me).
He instructed me to connect my phone to my Windows PC and attempted an erase/restore, but this was unsuccessful. I mentioned that I also owned an M2 MacBook Air, and when we tried the same erase/restore process on the MacBook, it was successful. We conversed for another 10 minutes or so after resolving my iPhone issue, during which he informed me that he has been with Apple for a considerable time and that incidents like mine are quite rare. He also shared his age.
Following this ordeal, I returned both phones to the retail store. Initially, they were reluctant to accept the returns since I was well beyond the 14-day period. However, I explained my situation to the manager, who was very understanding. I expressed my complete loss of confidence in Apple's security, stating that I could not take these two phones with me while traveling, fearing they might lock or become inactive in a foreign country. Ultimately, she accepted the returns, and due to her actions, I no longer view Apple as hopeless; I am willing to give the iPhone 17 another chance.
We are quite simple individuals. My goal is to acquire two iPhones, as iPhones support more bands than any other phones, for travel purposes. I only need the phones for communication and to locate my partner. We do not use any social apps, and the iPhone with iMessage and FaceTime is precisely what we require.
I now have two new iPhone 17 Pro Max for 10 days now, and I want to ensure that I do not encounter the same situation as last year.
I am perfectly comfortable with Find My being turned off, as I can utilize location sharing to find my partner. If our phones are lost or stolen, so be it. We do not use iCloud to store anything, and there will be nothing of importance on our phones. Without Face ID and a passcode, I believe it would be difficult for anyone to access our phones. The most they could do is connect to a PC or Mac, perform a full erase/reset, and enjoy our phones; I am fine with that.
Some claimed that without FindMy activated, Apple cannot impose an activation lock on your phone. However, after a week of investigation, I have concluded that even with FindMy disabled, Apple can still activate lock your iPhone. This is because, even if you connect to a PC or Mac and perform an erase or restore, the phone remains linked to the Apple ID account, and you cannot log in to remove it from your profile. It presents a catch-22 situation, does it not?
With my M2 MacBook Air, I do not require an Apple ID, as I can directly download .dmg files from Firefox, and all applications running on my M2 are sourced from GitHub or Brew. In contrast, for the iPhone, an Apple ID is necessary even to download free banking applications.
I was contemplating the possibility of logging in and using my Apple ID to download all the applications at once, then signing out immediately. I would only log back in to update the banking applications when they cease to function unless updated. Once all applications are updated, I would sign out again promptly (Apple should not be able to activate lock your phone if you are not logged in, correct?). However, some posts on Reddit suggest that frequent logging in and out of an Apple ID may be a reason for the account being locked.
I have two more days to make a decision. I am quite fond of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the user interface is exceptionally fluid and clear, akin to water. Perhaps I am overthinking this due to my experiences from last year. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions, whether positive or negative, I am open to all feedback.
Is there a foolproof method to prevent activation lock? Losing all data is acceptable; I simply do not want brand new phones to turn into unusable devices!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
