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Is it legal to bypass the iCloud Activation Lock?
If you are the rightful owner or have the original owner's permission, unlocking is legal. Unlocking a device without permission could break the law and cause serious issues.
How does the Activation Lock work?
The iCloud activation lock stops unauthorized access, use, or reformatting of your Apple device. It was created to prevents thieves from stealing and reselling devices.
The iCloud lock works in conjunction with another Apple tool called “Find My”, which allows you to locate your missing device. It shows your device's location on a map making it easy to track down.
Both of these features come enabled by default on all iPhones, iPads, and some Apple Watch models and I recommend it is not disabled so your device and its contents are secured.
Our guide explains what to do if you find yourself with an iCloud locked device.
Is it safe to buy an iCloud locked iOS device?
You may find that an Activation Locked phone is far cheaper to buy than an unlocked one. This is for a good reason. It is really hard, time-consuming, and awkward to get around the lock.
Indeed, in some circumstances, it may not be possible to eradicate the Apple ID from the iPhone without the original purchaser's help at all leaving you with a device that can't be used properly. This means that it is risky buying iCloud locked devices as you can't be sure that you can use them.
The risk can be managed to a certain extent, but there is still a possibility that you end up with a device you are unhappy with. If you are unwilling to take the risk then it would be better to buy a device that is not iCloud locked.
Found a quick fix thanks for all your help! I’m going to switch his SIM card into an old phone so we can atleast get a text code from Apple to start his acct recovery process.
Hi all, Wondering if you can help. My brother in law got into a bad car accident recently and unfortunately he tried to get into his phone when he wasn’t able to see and it locked him out. On the Home Screen it says “iPhone unavailable” and only Emergency and Erase Phone buttons show.
This is the hard part. He doesn’t remember his email password so we can send a code there and he doesn’t remember his AppleID password.
Is there anything else we can do to get into his phone and get it working again?
I’ve tried everything. I’m assuming this won’t be possible but wanted to ask.