I think I might have accidentally bricked my iPhone

[Gatriel]

Hello All -

My university closed down my email address and I was forced to swap from an email address I have used forever to a new email address. For anyone who has had to do this, you can appreciate what a digital-life change that can be. (seriously, think about everything you have tied to a primary email address)

That same day that I swapped my email address on iTunes (I did this through the iTunes website) my iPhone 5 battery died with 51% charge left. Having battled egregious battery issues for a while on this device -- this was, more or less the last straw. I went straight to the T-Mobile store after work and I dumped my iPhone 5 for a Windows Phone, and am quite happy with the new device. My iPhone 5 sat in a drawer for the past 2 months until yesterday.

However, I am wanting to use my old iPhone as the work phone, and thought it would be an easy process to wipe it, and start over with nothing on it save work stuff. However, before I can wipe it I have to enter an iCloud password, as iCloud attempts to sync with MY OLD EMAIL address. I cannot edit the email address within the OS, nor can I delete iCloud on the device without first entering the iCloud password -- all the while iOS keeps trying to Sync with my old inaccessible email address. :-/

I have entered a menagerie of potential passwords and none of them work. I refuse to believe that I bricked my device by simply changing my iCloud password.

Someone help.

 

[808?]

iCloud doesn't sync with your email address, the login window just needs your old email and your password.

You have a brick until you remember your password.

If you have forgotten your password, then you should have updated your email address when you changed it on all your devices.

 

[Gatriel]

iCloud doesn't sync with your email address, the login window just needs your old email and your password.

You have a brick until you remember your password.

If you have forgotten your password, then you should have updated your email address when you changed it on all your devices.

Right - I get that -- I just never figured, forgetting a password would brick a device I own and paid for and used for over 2 years.

I am restoring it in recovery mode right now, I realize it won't do anything. Just trying to make myself feel better.

 

[a-m-k]

Whatever happened with this, Gatriel?

 

[C DM]

Whatever happened with this, Gatriel?

There's a pretty good chance you won't get a reply to that as the user hasn't been in the site in well over 2 years.

 

[a-m-k]

There's a pretty good chance you won't get a reply to that as the user hasn't been in the site in well over 2 years.

OK.