iPhone SE (ist gen) "iPhone Locked to Owner"

[shakushinnen]

Hi all,
I bought this at a used items store. I thought that restoring to the factory settings would allow me to use it, but apparently not;
it appears that it's locked to the owner via the iCloud. I' Also, we have a couple of iPads here, and I'm wondering if we could somehow use these accounts to get the thing working?
Any help is appreciated.
.... john

 

[kate]

That is an anti-theft feature, the previous owner needs to remove their info.

Activation Lock for iPhone and iPad

Find My includes Activation Lock — a feature that's designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone or iPad if it's ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock turns on automatically when you turn on Find My on your device.

support.apple.com

Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else​

Before you buy an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from someone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller, make sure that the device is erased and no longer linked to the previous owner’s account.
On a device with iOS or iPadOS 15 or later that is protected by Activation Lock, you see an "iPhone Locked to Owner" screen when you turn on or wake the device. Don't take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch if it's protected by Activation Lock.

If you don't see that screen, follow these steps to check if the device is ready to use:

1. Turn on and unlock the device.
2. If the passcode Lock Screen or the Home Screen appears, the device hasn't been erased. Ask the seller to follow the steps below to completely erase the device. Don't take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it's been erased.
3. Begin the device setup process.
4. If you're asked for the previous owner’s Apple ID and password, the device is still linked to their account. Hand the device back to the seller and ask them to enter their password. If the previous owner isn't present, contact them as soon as possible and ask them to use a browser to remove the device from their account. Don't take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been removed from the previous owner’s account.

A device is ready for you to use when you see the Hello screen.

​

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone or iPad

Use these steps to transfer information to your new device and, if applicable, remove your personal information from your old device.

support.apple.com

Before you sell/buy an iPhone​

1. If you paired an Apple Watch with your iPhone, unpair your Apple Watch.
2. Back up your device.
3. If you purchased an AppleCare plan for your device, cancel your AppleCare plan.
4. Sign out of iCloud and the iTunes & App Store.
   • If you're using iOS 10.3 or later, tap Settings > [your name]. Scroll down and tap Sign Out. Enter your Apple ID password and tap Turn Off.
   • If you're using iOS 10.2 or earlier, tap Settings > iCloud > Sign Out. Tap Sign Out again, then tap Delete from My [device] and enter your Apple ID password. Then go to Settings > iTunes & App Store > Apple ID > Sign Out.
5. If you're switching to a non-Apple phone, deregister iMessage.
6. If in-store trade-in is available in your country or region and you're trading in at an Apple Store, stop here, do not erase your device, and visit your nearest Apple Store to pick up your new device. After a Specialist completes your trade-in, they'll work through the remaining steps with you in-store. If you're completing your trade-in online, continue to step 7.
7. Go back to Settings and tap General > Transfer or Reset [device] > Erase All Content and Settings. If you turned on Find My [device], you might need to enter your Apple ID and password. If your device uses eSIM, choose the option to erase your device and the eSIM profile when asked.
8. If asked for your device passcode or Restrictions passcode, enter it. Then tap Erase [device].
9. Contact your carrier for help transferring service to a new owner. If you aren't using a SIM card with your device, you can contact them to get help transferring service to the new owner.
10. Remove your old device from your list of trusted devices.

 

[shakushinnen]

Hi Kate,
Thanks,
... john

 

[Hadron]

It's the same idea as android's Factory Reset Protection, though actually Apple had this first.

 

[shakushinnen]

Hi Hadron,
I did restore it, but apparently its connected to Apple icloud, and I have to have account there, for this particular device, in order to fully restore it's functionality. It's an extra layer of security.
....... john

 

[Hadron]

Yes, that's the point. Just like android's factory reset protection requires you to know the owner's Google account and password after a reset, you similarly need the owner's login details for an iDevice. To avoid this the owner should have turned off "find my iPhone" before resetting and selling it.

(These days resetting an android from the system settings, which you have to unlock the phone to access, should avoid FRP, but on older versions you had to separately remove the account before resetting to avoid the exact same problem. And if you reset from recovery this is what happens with an Android too).

The problem is that many people don't know these things, so they just reset and assume it's fine. Unfortunately that is exactly what they are designed to stop: a thief just resetting the device and using or selling it. And it seems the store owner didn't know to check either.

 

[shakushinnen]

Yes, that's the point. Just like android's factory reset protection requires you to know the owner's Google account and password after a reset, you similarly need the owner's login details for an iDevice. To avoid this the owner should have turned off "find my iPhone" before resetting and selling it.

(These days resetting an android from the system settings, which you have to unlock the phone to access, should avoid FRP, but on older versions you had to separately remove the account before resetting to avoid the exact same problem. And if you reset from recovery this is what happens with an Android too).

The problem is that many people don't know these things, so they just reset and assume it's fine. Unfortunately that is exactly what they are designed to stop: a thief just resetting the device and using or selling it. And it seems the store owner didn't know to check either.

Oh ..... I didn't know that. I've factory reset a couple of androids (i.e. my current Rebel 4 tracfone) and they worked perfectly well afterwards, without knowing the owner's name and passcode. What am I missing?
.......john

 

[Dannydet]

That's because the ones you have factory reset did not have the previous owner's credentials still tied to the device.
Here : Android phones = are tied to a Google account with a email and password.
Apple phone (IPhone) = are tied to a Apple account with a email and password.
So the only person who can unlock your new iPhone is the previous owner and no one else.
I hope this helps you

 

[Hadron]

Or maybe you reset from the menus rather than from recovery, which I think avoids triggering FRP these days (but would have triggered it a few years ago).

The point is that FRP is an anti-theft feature, so the assumption is that a thief has got hold of your phone but the screen is locked. That doesn't stop them resetting the phone by booting into recovery mode, and this is what used to happen: the thief would boot into recovery, reset the phone, then use it or sell it. FRP is intended to stop that happening by making the phone useless to anyone but the owner if they do this. Originally it made no difference how you reset the phone, from the system Settings or from Recovery were the same, and to avoid FRP you had to remove your account first. But if you can reset from Settings that means the phone is already unlocked, so if you are a thief you have full access to the user's data and could remove the account if you wanted, so triggering FRP if you reset from Settings is more likely to inconvenience a legitimate user who doesn't know how it works than it is to deter a thief (and yes, we would get people here at least claiming to have locked themselves out by resetting without knowing their own password). Hence it makes sense for resetting from Settings to work differently, and I believe that these days that is the case, but it will depend on the Android version.

 

[shakushinnen]

That's because the ones you have factory reset did not have the previous owner's credentials still tied to the device.
Here : Android phones = are tied to a Google account with a email and password.
Apple phone (IPhone) = are tied to a Apple account with a email and password.
So the only person who can unlock your new iPhone is the previous owner and no one else.
I hope this helps you

Ah, I didn't know that Android phones could be tied to an account, like the Apple ones. Live and learn.
Yes, that helps.
Thanks,
.... john

 

[shakushinnen]

Or maybe you reset from the menus rather than from recovery, which I think avoids triggering FRP these days (but would have triggered it a few years ago).

The point is that FRP is an anti-theft feature, so the assumption is that a thief has got hold of your phone but the screen is locked. That doesn't stop them resetting the phone by booting into recovery mode, and this is what used to happen: the thief would boot into recovery, reset the phone, then use it or sell it. FRP is intended to stop that happening by making the phone useless to anyone but the owner if they do this. Originally it made no difference how you reset the phone, from the system Settings or from Recovery were the same, and to avoid FRP you had to remove your account first. But if you can reset from Settings that means the phone is already unlocked, so if you are a thief you have full access to the user's data and could remove the account if you wanted, so triggering FRP if you reset from Settings is more likely to inconvenience a legitimate user who doesn't know how it works than it is to deter a thief (and yes, we would get people here at least claiming to have locked themselves out by resetting without knowing their own password). Hence it makes sense for resetting from Settings to work differently, and I believe that these days that is the case, but it will depend on the Android version.

OK ..... thanks for the explanation.
...... john

 

[Windroid]

Seeing as your new iPhone is unusable, I'd say return it to the store.

 

[shakushinnen]

Hi Windroid,
I meant to mention that I bought it at a used items store. I doubt they will take it back.
.... john

 

[Hadron]

I'd give it a try anyway.

At the least I'd inform them that they need to check for this before buying goods, because there are two types of trouble it could save them:

(1) some customers who pay money for a phone that can't be used might be a lot more forceful than me in demanding a refund,

and

(2) if the phone is locked to someone's account how do they know that they haven't been handling stolen goods?

If they are a legitimate business they would not want to deal with either of those scenarios.

 

[Windroid]

I meant to mention that I bought it at a used items store. I doubt they will take it back.

Did they sell it as is, with the buyer having fair warning that the product may not work? If it was a "buyer beware" situation, and you were given fair warning that you might end up with a lemon: It might be fair for them to not take it back.

Otherwise: They sold you a broken phone! They shouldn't have done that, but since they made a mistake and did, they have a moral obagation to correct that mistake and give you your money back.

 

[shakushinnen]

Did they sell it as is, with the buyer having fair warning that the product may not work? If it was a "buyer beware" situation, and you were given fair warning that you might end up with a lemon: It might be fair for them to not take it back.

Otherwise: They sold you a broken phone! They shouldn't have done that, but since they made a mistake and did, they have a moral obagation to correct that mistake and give you your money back.

Yes, I think it's understood that 'what you see is what you get'; besides there's a no return policy on electronics.
But it's not a big deal, I only pain $10 for it, so, you win some and lose some. I've been trying to jailbreak it with Palera1n and Checka1n, but so far have not succeeded.
...... john

 

[driodUser]

Yes, I think it's understood that 'what you see is what you get'; besides there's a no return policy on electronics.
But it's not a big deal, I only pain $10 for it, so, you win some and lose some. I've been trying to jailbreak it with Palera1n and Checka1n, but so far have not succeeded.
...... john

Next time be more careful when making the purchase. 10 dollars is a steal probably cause it was already in such a bad condition.