iPhone activation lock: how to remove or bypass

Apple smartphones are considered a desirable target for scammers due to their high cost and increased demand. Even used devices are selling like hotcakes at a train station. Therefore, the developers had to think about creating protection for the device. This is how the “Find iPhone” security algorithm appeared, with built-in Activation Lock functionality that can turn a working phone into a piece of plastic. To avoid problems, it is important for users to know how to bypass activation lock on iPhone 5 and later models. Bypassing the blocking will be useful even to the legitimate owners of the devices - it is better to be “fully armed.”


It is also important to understand what iPhone Activation Lock is and why users need this feature. The problem is with scammers - manufacturers strive to protect the devices they produce and their owners. Expensive smartphones have a higher degree of protection; Apple belongs to this category. This is why Find My iPhone and Activation Lock were invented. The owner of the device knows that if it is stolen, he will quickly find the smartphone and return it. The idea is promising and has proven its worth more than once. But it has also failed the legitimate owners of mobile devices more than once. The function is activated automatically on devices with an operating platform no lower than iOS 7 installed.

Activation Lock is enabled automatically when you put your smartphone into the Find My iPhone configuration. And it works until the owner of the device turns off the function or removes the smartphone from the iCloud account. While the activation lock application is enabled, confirmation is required by entering passwords and name in a special window. This principle prohibits fraudsters from using the device; applications and functionality are blocked. And no amount of rebooting the phone will help; you will need to enter a password even with a hard reset and firmware update.


In a nutshell, activation lock can turn a smartphone into a useless piece of eraser, glass and metal, which is only suitable as a stand for a coffee cup. When the algorithm is activated, the device is completely blocked, and without entering the Apple ID, the smartphone turns into a “pumpkin”. Therefore, iPhone activation blocking, which we will discuss below on how to remove it, poses a danger both for criminals and even for the legitimate owners of the device. In this case, Apple's technical support service throws up its hands and will not be able to help - this has been verified by the owners of the devices. And you will have to say goodbye to the saved information; it cannot be restored.

It’s worse if the activation of the iPhone 5S is blocked - how to remove it if you forgot your Apple ID? There is still a chance of password recovery if the account is linked to a third-party email account. But this is not one hundred percent, so before activating the Find My iPhone function, write down your Apple ID account information and change the password if necessary. It is also recommended to back up information and files, if possible. However, the loss of saved files is not such a big price to pay for returning the iPhone to its owner.


There are not many options on how to bypass activation lock on iPhone 5 - most often, bugs in the operating platform are used to bypass activation lock. A mobile device security specialist bypassed the protection in less than five minutes by simply entering a large number of characters into the fields to fill out information about the wireless network. Another iOS 11 bug also causes the lock to be disabled. Update your device, and then during the regional and regional settings setup step, triple-click the Home button. After this, you need to swipe your finger up and down the screen many times, and the smartphone will function without activation lock.

Device users themselves and experts in the world of electronics argue that you should not rely too much on operating platform errors, since Apple is improving its products - today the bug is present, tomorrow it will not be. Therefore, “craftsmen” are looking for alternative methods of bypassing the blocking, so as not to turn the smartphone into a useless but expensive trinket. A “legal” way has been found to remove the lock using the “Find iPhone” function.

  1. Go to the official iCloud.com website and sign in using your Apple ID account.
  2. Open the “Find iPhone” tab, and at the top of the display click “All Devices”.
  3. Select the blocked iPhone from the list and click “Erase”.
  4. Click on the “Remove from account” item.
  5. Reboot your device.

Also, with two-factor identification, it is possible to unlock the smartphone by entering the installed key. But it happens that the described methods do not help - then use a complex but proven method.