Is It Possible to Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone?

I purchased a phone and my last iPhone was an iPhone 4S I dont know about activation lock. What can I do?

— From Apple Community

Have you purchased a second-hand iPhone and when you set it up, it ended up being iCloud locked? Did you erase your old iPhone but forgot your Apple ID credentials linked to the locked device? In this article, we will explain what iCloud locked iPhone is and whether it is possible to unlock an iCloud locked iPhone. Keep reading to get your answer.

What Is iCloud Locked iPhone?

iCloud Lock (also known as Activation Lock) is a feature that is specially designed to prevent other unauthorized users from using your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, even if your device is lost or stolen. iCloud Lock will be enabled automatically when you sign into your Apple ID and turn on Find My feature. Once Find My is turned on, Apple will store your Apple ID on its activation server and link it to your device. Thus, every time your iPhone is erased or restored, you need to enter the correct Apple ID credentials to activate it.

How to Check If iPhone Is iCloud Locked?

If you’re purchasing a used iPhone from online stores like eBay, please remember to read the product description before placing the order. Some sellers will describe clearly that the iPhone is iCloud locked or IC locked. If you can’t find any information like this, contact the seller to confirm the thing.

If you’re purchasing a used iPhone in person or from the offline store, you can check the iCloud lock status through several ways.

1. One way is to power on the second-hand iPhone and set it up. If the “Activation Lock” screen or “iPhone Locked to Owner” screen appears, it means the iPhone is iCloud locked.
2. There is another situation where you can access the home screen of the second-hand iPhone. In this situation, go to Settings > tap on the user’s name > tap on Find My. If Find My iPhone is turned on, it means that the previous owner didn’t erase the iPhone and it’s iCloud locked now.

Is It Possible to Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone?

Now that you know what iCloud locked iPhone is and how to check whether iPhone is iCloud locked or not, you may wonder if it is possible to unlock an iCloud locked iphone. The answer is definitely yes. There are several legitimate methods to unlock an iCloud locked iPhone.

Let’s get started.

• Way 1. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone with Previous Owner
• Way 2. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone Remotely Free
• Way 3. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone without Password or Previous Owner
• Way 4. Contact Apple for Tech Support

Way 1. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone with Previous Owner

Usually, unlocking an iCloud locked iPhone is very easy. Once you get to the Activation Lock screen, all you have to do is enter the Apple ID username and password and the device will be opened. It gets complicated when you purchased a second-hand device and you don’t have the username and password.

If the previous owner of the device is physically near you, you can ask them to enter the Apple ID username and password on the activation screen to unlock the device. Once the device is unlocked, ask them to sign out of iCloud using these steps:

Step 1: On iOS 10.2 and earlier, go to Settings > iCloud > Sign Out. On iOS 10.3 or later, go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out.

Step 2: Ask them to enter the Apple ID username and password to confirm.

Step 3: They should then remove the Apple ID from the iPhone. For iOS 10.2 and earlier, tap “Sign Out” and then “Delete from my iPhone”. For iOS 10.3, tap “Turn Off.”

Step 4: Then go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings and when the device restarts, you will not see the Activation Lock Screen.

Way 2. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone Remotely Free

If the previous owner of the device is not physically near you, you can ask them to remove the Activation Lock using iCloud remotely. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Ask the previous owner to go to https://icloud.com/ and sign in with their Apple ID.

Step 2: Select “Find iPhone” and then select the iPhone under “All Devices”.

Step 3: Click “Erase iPhone” and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

When they let you know that they have removed the iPhone from their account restart the iPhone and you shouldn’t see the Activation Lock screen.

Way 3. Unlock an iCloud Locked iPhone without Password or Previous Owner

If the previous owner is not near you and you are not able to contact them, unlock an iCloud locked iPhone with a third-party program will be your best choice.

iToolab UnlockGo is a powerful and popular iPhone unlocker that will allow you to remove iCloud Activation Lock from iPhone, iPad, iPod touch without password or previous owner.

Here’s how to use UnlockGo to unlock the iCloud locked iPhone:

Step 1 Free download and install UnlockGo on to your computer. Open the program after successful installation and then select “Unlock iCloud Activation Lock” in the main window.

Step 2 Connect your locked iPhone to the computer with a USB cable. The follow the on-screen instructions to put your device into DFU mode. Once your device has entered DFU mode successfully, UnlockGo will begin to jailbreak your iCloud locked iPhone.

Step 3 Once done, your locked iPhone will reboot. You need to put it into DFU mode again. After your device has entered DFU mode, the removal process starts automatically. The whole process will only take 1-2 minutes.

Way 4. Contact Apple for Tech Support

If you have proof of purchase for the device, you can contact Apple support to get them to unlock the device for you. You can bring the device to the local Apple Store along with the proof of purchase or you can call or email tech support and have them unlock the device for you remotely.

Remember to Check iCloud Activation Lock Status Before Buying

Now the question “is it possible to unlock an icloud locked iphone” has been answered, there are many ways you can try. However, iToolab UnlockGo is the best and easiest way for you. By using this tool, you don’t need to contact the previous owner. As we know, when you get an iCloud locked iPhone you can’t make a phone call or send messages, etc. So, make sure to check the iCloud Activation Lock status when you bought a second-hand iPhone.