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 14 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 14)

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 14 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 14 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 14 is easy if you have the Apple ID credentials that are associated with the iPhone 14.

• 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.

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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 14 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 14. 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.

Unlock Disabled iPhone 14 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 14. 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 14 from the devices from the left pane, click/ tap your disabled iPhone 14 and click/ tap Erase This Device

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

Unlock Locked iPhone 14 by Restoring it to Default Settings – iTunes

iPhone users make sure that they connect and sync their devices with iTunes because their data is safe. iPhone users live without the fear of losing their data because it is backed up. Taking more advantage of this, iPhone users can restore their phone to default settings and can even unlock their iPhone without using a passcode.

Let us show you how to unlock iPhone 14 without using a passcode;

1. Start the process by turning off your iPhone 14.

2. After that, plug in your phone to the computer and open iTunes.

3. Once the phone is connected with iTunes, click on ‘Summary’ that will appear on the screen’s left side.

   

   

4. After the summary screen is opened, you will see the option of ‘Restore iPhone’; click on that option.
   

5. This option will bring you to a new window that will be asking for your confirmation on the decision to restore your device.

6. As soon as that is done and iTunes has finished the process, your iPhone 14 will be restored to default settings.

Unlock Disabled iPhone 14 Without iTunes/ iCloud

We know and understand that the word troubleshooting can remind you of long telephone calls with support or making appointments and driving down to specialists and spending obscene amounts of money to get solutions. You do not want that. How about a way you could unlock your iPhone 14 in a simple, 1-click way instead?

Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) is a tool that can help you unlock your iPhone 14 without iTunes or iCloud. It is a simple and easy-to-use tool that can help you unlock your iPhone 14 in a few minutes. It is a safe and reliable tool that can help you unlock your iPhone 14 without any data loss. It is compatible with all iOS devices and all versions of iOS. It is a simple and easy-to-use tool that can help you unlock your iPhone 14 in a few minutes. It is a safe and reliable tool that can help you unlock your iPhone 14 without any data loss. It is compatible with all iOS devices and all versions of iOS.

• Step 1: Launch Dr.Fone and click the module titled "Screen Unlock"

• Step 2: Choose the "iOS" option, then select "Unlock iOS Screen" on the subsequent screen to continue unlocking your iPhone 14.

• Step 3: Follow the provided instructions to start the disabled iPhone 14 in Recovery Mode to unlock it. If for any reason the phone does not boot in Recovery Mode, there are instructions provided at the bottom to enter what is called DFU mode.

• Step 4: Dr.Fone will read and display your phone model and the software installed on it. If the model displayed is incorrect, use the dropdown to pick the correct detail. Click "Start" to download the specific firmware file for your particular iPhone 14 model.

• Step 5: After the download completes, please click Unlock Now to start unlocking the disabled iPhone 14.

Your iPhone 14 will be unlocked in a short span of time. Please note that all data would have been wiped out from the device. When you set the device up again, if you set it to use iCloud, data such as Contacts, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive data, etc. will be downloaded onto your device again. The apps you had on your iPhone 14 prior to it getting disabled can be downloaded again from the App Store. If you did not use iCloud but backed up the data manually, you will have to manually restore that data onto the device again.

Checking If Your Apple ID Is Locked

A locked Apple ID is rather unmistakable. Your iPhone 14 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 Disabled iPhone 14 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 14 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 14 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 14 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 14) 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 14 and unlock your iPhone 14.

When the iPhone 14 reboots, it will be reset to factory settings, and you can set it up again as you did when brand new.

Reasons for Locked Apple ID

There can be a few reasons why your Apple ID is locked. You forgot the password and now it is locked since you entered the wrong password too many times. A scarier prospect, albeit a real one, is that some malicious actor attempted to login into your Apple ID account but failed. Had they succeeded, you would have gotten a message that ‘your Apple ID is being used on another device’ now.

Apple does a lot to ensure that your Apple ID remains safe. You trust Apple with a lot of your data, including financial data by way of your credit cards associated with Apple ID to make purchases on the App Store and iTunes Store. Therefore, some of the time, Apple preempts issues by proactively locking up your Apple ID or even disabling it. It goes without saying that sometimes it is something so simple as a software error that is believed to have locked up Apple IDs for many users around the world a while ago. It is also entirely possible that it was some malicious actor probing the servers for accounts.

All of these will result in a locked Apple ID that users will have to reset their password to in order to gain access back.