Activation Lock Primer

Apple products are costly, and they are prized. When a 5-year-old Android device might be left alone without anyone stealing it, you cannot risk that with an iPhone 6S, even today. Apple has built an Activation Lock in its devices to deter theft and so far, as we know, it has largely succeeded. If your iPhone 13 13 gets stolen, no one else can use it with their Apple ID unless they key in the credentials it was using previously (your credentials) and, even then, Apple has bolstered iCloud Find My Activation Lock to be more restrictive. You may have to key in a lot of information ranging from your device password (if you are also using the same Apple ID on a Mac) to your iOS device passcode too, obviously, your Apple ID password. It is a system that works in favor of Apple users.

Yet, in some cases, users want to get around the Activation Lock for genuine reasons, say, when you buy a used Apple device from someone. They may have forgotten to remove that device from their Apple account and Activation Lock would not let you use it. Or, you are an IT administrator, and you manage devices given out to employees. Some employees did not remove their accounts from their devices, and now those iPhones are riddled with Activation Lock. You can remove it using this step-by-step guide.

Bypassing Activation Lock using official methods (iPhone 13)

An Activation Lock is not the end of the world, as Apple might have you believe. Nothing in the world is perfect, except for the world itself. As such, there are ways to bypass Activation Lock on an Apple device that you bought used, and the previous owner forgot to unlock or did so intentionally and is now trying to fleece you for more money to unlock it. Or an employee who just left the job surrendered their iPhone 13 but forgot to erase the device before submitting and consequently, the device is still associated with their Apple ID, and you need to bypass Activation Lock for that iPhone 13 to make it useable again. There are a few ways you can go about it.

Bypassing Activation Lock Using Apple ID

Disabling Activation Lock on iPhone 13 is easy if you have the Apple ID credentials that are associated with the iPhone 13.

• Step 1: Enter device Recovery Mode and Restore the device to factory settings.
• Step 2: When you set up the device again, you will be required to sign in to the Apple ID associated with the device. Do that and you are golden!

Bypassing Activation Lock from iCloud Website

You may also do away with Activation Lock using the Find My iPhone app in iCloud remotely by erasing the device and removing the device from the associated iCloud account.

• Step 1: Visit the iCloud website on a computer at https://icloud.com .
• Step 2: Sign In and go to Find iPhone.

• Step 3: Click All Devices and select the device that was sold to the user.
• Step 4: Click Erase iPhone and if the device is still there after the erase is complete, click Remove From Account.

This process requires that the data service be functional on the iPhone in question, otherwise, this will not work. When the process is done, restart the iPhone and set it up with your Apple ID to remove the lock.

Bypassing Activation Lock Using Microsoft Intune

If you are an IT administrator and are using Microsoft services, you may have given employees iPhones. When employees leave or are made to leave, it is possible that the devices they leave behind are still signed in with a password only they know. There is a way Apple provides for Microsoft Intune to disable Activation Lock for corporate devices.

• Step 1: Sign in to the admin center on Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
• Step 2: Select Devices under Intune.
• Step 3: Select All Devices.
• Step 4: Locate the device you want to disable the lock for, and under the Hardware section, copy the Activation Lock Bypass Code given under Conditional Access.
• Step 5: Under the Overview pane of the device, select Wipe.
• Step 6: When the device resets, it prompts for the Apple ID and password. Leave the ID blank and enter the bypass code as a password.

The device will be reset, and employees can set it up again with a new Apple ID.

Bypassing Activation Lock with a Professional Tool

For iPhone 5S to iPhone 13 users who prefer an easier way to remove Activation Lock, Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) is a suitable option.

Dr.Fone is a set of modules that cater to a myriad of requirements that phone users can have from time to time, and one of them is the need to be able to disable the Activation Lock for Apple devices when the need arises. A need never arises in our wildest dreams, until it does, at the most inopportune time. It has, hasn’t it?

Here is how to use Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) to quickly circumvent Activation Lock and get on with setting up your iPhone 13. Who needs to wait to talk with the previous owner or go through all other time-consuming methods when you have Dr.Fone?

• Step 1: Get Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) .
• Step 2: From the list of modules on display, select Screen Unlock.
• Step 3: Select iCloud Activation Lock Removal.

• Step 4: Then select Start to initiate unlocking the iOS device’s Activation Lock.

• Step 5: Follow the instructions to continue to jailbreak the iPhone.

• Step 6: After the jailbreak, continue to agree to the terms of use and note the device details displayed are correct.

• Step 7: As the final step, click Start Unlock.

After a while, Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) will notify you of a successful bypass. You can now restart the device and use it. This option is restrictive in nature as you will be unable to use the iPhone to make calls or access cellular services including iCloud. This option is best for when you want to see/ recover some data from the device that you would otherwise lose.

Checking If Your Apple ID Is Locked

A locked Apple ID is rather unmistakable. Your iPhone 13 would keep telling you that your Apple ID is locked for your security. Your Apple ID could be locked or disabled altogether if someone has tried to gain access to your account (and, obviously, failed). Apple would disable access to the Apple ID unless you are able to prove rightful ownership and reset the password successfully.

Unlock iPhone 13 without Passcode or Face ID

A problem commonly faced by all iPhone users is that they forget the password, and then they are stuck because they cannot use their phone anymore. This might seem impossible because iPhone users cannot use the phone without a passcode, but let us show you a magical application that makes this impossible.

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock, the well-known application among most iPhone users, can resolve the problem quickly. This is a very secure platform for iPhone users because it promises to safeguard user’s personal information. The application is easy to use, that even a new person can use it without facing any trouble. Let us highlight its features.

• It runs on all major iOS versions.
• It can unlock the phone. It doesn’t matter if it’s second-hand or if you forgot the password.
• Easy to handle and use, no technical skills are required.
• It can even unlock a disabled phone without using its passcode.

This might be possible that not all iPhone users know about Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock, so, for such users, let us take you through the steps that are required to unlock iPhone 13 using Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock without a passcode.

• Step 1: Download and Install the Application

First of all, the user is supposed to download Dr.Fone – Screen Unlock from its official website and install it on your Windows or Mac system. Once it is installed, the application is all set and ready to use; launch it in the time of need and unlock your iPhone 13 without a passcode.

After the application is launched, the Welcome Screen will appear with different options. The user is requested to select the option of ‘Screen Unlock.’

• Step 2: Connect Phone with System

In the second step, the user should connect their phone to the system and let Dr.Fone ‘s application automatically detect it. Whenever you are ready to initiate the process, click on the button ‘Unlock iOS Screen.’

• Step 3: DFU Mode Activation

Once the application has detected your iPhone 13, you now need to activate the DFU mode. Step by step illustration on how to activate DFU mode is shared on-screen.

• Step 4: Download Firmware Update

A new window will appear now on which the application will ask for some information regarding your iOS device. Provide the application with asked information and click on the ‘Download’ button to get the firmware update for your iPhone 13.

The user is requested to wait for some time, as the firmware update is being downloaded for your phone. Once that is done, now click on the ‘Unlock Now’ button to complete the process.

• Step 5: Confirmation Code

The application will now ask for the confirmation code. Just provide the on-screen confirmation code and let the process complete itself. As soon as that is done, the application will notify you through the interface. The process can also be repeated by clicking on the ‘Try Again’ button.

Unlock Disabled iPhone 13 Using Find My iPhone App

There are times you have another iOS device in the family or just lying around, you can use that device to unlock your disabled iPhone 13. This method is particularly useful if you’re traveling with family or alone, and only have family members with their own iOS devices or, say, your iPad with you. As always, note that all these methods will wipe your data from your iPhone.

• Step 1: Open the Find My app on your other iOS device or Mac.

• Step 2: Select your disabled iPhone 13 from the devices from the left pane, click/ tap your disabled iPhone 13 and click/ tap Erase This Device

The disabled iPhone will be wiped and reset to factory settings. You can then set it up again.

Difference Between Activation Lock and Locked Apple ID

Apple being Apple, does a lot to make sure that users get the smoothest experience possible when interacting with their Apple products, both hardware, and software. Yet, sometimes, the messaging gets confusing, and people are not sure what is what. One such thing is the difference between iCloud Activation Lock and Apple ID Lock. While people are more likely to encounter Activation Lock and less likely to encounter Apple ID Lock, they are often confused when they encounter Apple ID Lock and struggle to figure out what that means and how to resolve the issue.

Activation Lock is when your supported Apple device is locked for a number of reasons. The most common reason is a stolen device that was locked by its owner, however, there are other perfectly valid reasons such as an outgoing employee forgetting to sign out and erase their Apple device before submitting it back. The IT department would not be able to reset that device without turning off Find My Phone and Activation Lock on the device.

A locked Apple ID usually happens when the user has forgotten their password to their Apple ID account and attempts to figure out the password have been unsuccessful. Sometimes, Apple ID gets locked automatically under some conditions, and that requires users to reset their password to gain access. A locked Apple ID does not mean that your device is locked for your use. You can keep using it so long as you do not try to use another Apple ID with it since to do that you would have to sign out of your current Apple ID (which is locked) and you won’t be able to do that. On the other hand, Activation Lock renders the entire device unusable till the lock is cleared.

In short, Apple ID Lock is about a user’s account with Apple, akin to how Google Account works on Android devices. Apple ID Lock locks a user’s account with Apple while retaining complete usage of the device whereas Activation Lock locks the device and prevents anyone from using it until the correct credentials are entered. This is about verifying the ownership of the device and works to deter theft of Apple devices.

Unlock Disabled iPhone 13 Using iCloud Website

unlock your disabled iPhone 13 is using the iCloud website to gain access back. This is a fairly easy way and doesn’t require going through complex hoops.

Find My is available both online via the iCloud website and on iOS devices and on Macs. In case the only Apple product you own is the currently disabled iPhone 13, you can use Find My on the iCloud website from any other computer you may have to unlock your disabled iPhone 13.

• Step 1: Visit https://icloud.com and log in into the same iCloud account/ Apple ID as the disabled iPhone 13.

• Step 2: Go to Find My, select your iPhone 13.

• Step 3: Click Erase iPhone and confirm.

This will start the wipe process on your iPhone remotely and your iPhone will be reset to factory settings. You can now proceed to setup your iPhone once again.

Unlock Disabled iPhone 13 Using iTunes or macOS Finder

Of course, there is an official way that Apple provides for users to restore device firmware using iTunes or macOS Finder. For this, iPhone 13 is put under Recovery Mode manually and Finder or iTunes is used to reinstall software on it directly from Apple. This process is fine for people who are conversant in tech, since this process can throw up a lot of errors that are just numbers, and people can get confused as to what they mean, resulting in frustration.

• Step 1: Connect your iPhone 13 to a Windows/ macOS device and launch iTunes. If you are on a Mac that runs macOS Catalina or higher, open Finder since you would not have access to iTunes anymore.

• Step 2: Pick your iPhone 13 and do the following:

  • (2.1) Press the volume up button and let it go.
  • (2.2) Press the volume down button and let it go.
  • (2.3) Press the Side Button (power button, on the right side of your iPhone 13) and keep it pressed till Finder or iTunes detects the phone in Recovery Mode.

• Step 3: Choose Restore to download and reinstall the latest iOS on your iPhone 13 and unlock your iPhone 13.

When the iPhone 13 reboots, it will be reset to factory settings, and you can set it up again as you did when brand new.