Turning Off Find My and Signing Out of iCloud Before You Pass a Phone On

Why this is not optional

The activation lock is the best anti-theft protection Apple has ever made, and that is exactly why it is also the most common problem when a device is passed on. As long as your Apple Account is tied to the iPhone, the device asks for your username and password again after every erase. Whoever gets their hands on the device afterwards can do nothing with it. No factory reset, no reinstallation and no workshop will get it off.

Devices that still have an active iCloud account on them therefore cannot be bought for trade-in either. It is not a matter of mistrust; in that state the device cannot be used by anyone.

What the activation lock actually is

The lock is tied to the Find My feature. When you switch it on, Apple links the serial number of your device to your account on its servers. From that moment the device checks at every activation whether that link still exists. So the lock is not in the memory of the phone but on Apple's servers, and that is why erasing does not help.

There is one way to release it: the account it is tied to signs out. That can be done on the device itself or, if you no longer have the device, over the internet.

With the device in your hand

Make a backup first, because the next steps lead to an empty device. After that:

1. Go to Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Open Find My, then Find My iPhone, and switch the toggle off. You enter the password of your Apple Account, not your passcode.
3. Go back to the screen with your name, scroll all the way down and choose Sign Out. There too the device asks for your password.
4. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, and choose Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Wait until the device restarts and shows the welcome screen. Then do not carry on with the setup.

If you see the welcome screen with the language choice after erasing, the device is free. If instead it asks for a username and password, the sign-out has not worked and you have to go back to step two, with the right account.

In recent versions of iOS, step four sometimes asks whether you want to keep or remove your eSIM. If you are going to give the device away or sell it, choose remove, after you have activated your number on your new device.

If the device has already been erased or you no longer have it

Then you do it over the internet. Sign in to the iCloud website with the account the device is tied to, open Find My, select the device in the list and there first choose Erase iPhone. Once the erase is finished, or if the device was already empty, choose Remove from Account. The serial number is then unlinked.

If the device is offline, the command stays in the queue until it connects again. Removing it from the account can usually be done anyway, and then the lock is gone as soon as the device comes online. So make sure the device is on Wi-Fi at least once after you give the command.

If you no longer know the password

This is the awkward situation, and there is no shorter route than the right one. Use Apple's recovery procedure for your account. If you still know your username and have a trusted device or number, it usually works quickly. If you do not, your request ends up in account recovery, and that deliberately takes days. Apple builds in that waiting time to prevent someone else from doing this with your account.

In the meantime, keep your proof of purchase. With a device bought in your name, Apple can help in certain cases, but always on the basis of an original proof with the serial number on it.

If the device belonged to someone else

If you were given a device by a family member who has died, the ordinary recovery process does not work. Apple has two routes for that. If that person had set up a Legacy Contact, that contact can get into the account with an access key and a death certificate. If it was not set up, there is a request procedure for which you have to supply documents. That takes time, but it is the only way.

If you bought a device second-hand and it turns out to still be linked, go back to the seller. They can remove it from their account remotely in two minutes, even if the device is already with you. If they cannot or will not, then you have a device that does not work and that is a reason to ask for your money back.

Management profiles and supervision

A second lock that looks like it but is something else: remote management. Devices from a school or employer are often enrolled in a management system. You can see it under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, or from a message saying that the iPhone is supervised. A profile like that comes back even after a full erase, because, like the activation lock, it is tied to the serial number.

Only the organisation that enrolled the device can take it out. Ask them to release it before you sell the device or pass it on. Devices with a management lock are not bought for trade-in, for the same reason as with an active iCloud account.

What you should not do

A lot is promised online about getting around the activation lock. In practice that comes down to devices that half work, that get stuck again after every update, or to services that cost you money and deliver nothing. There is one legitimate route and that is the sign-out by the rightful owner.

If you are unsure whether a device really is free before you send it in, switch it on fully once after erasing and see whether you get the welcome screen. Further explanation of the checks at trade-in can be found under sell your device and in the frequently asked questions.