What Can I do with this (Activation) locked IPad Air 2 (A1566)?

FrankFalcon

Hi all

Before I begin I am not asking for any hacks/cheats or any illegal advice etc to get circumvent Apple Security.  The device I am asking about is now mine and was given to me by my relative.  This item is not stolen, lost or hookey in any way.  If the advice I receive is positive I have no problem contacting Apple and allowing them to verify the device is not stolen and subsequently locked/blocked or even adding the item to my own Apple ID.

So, last year, my relatives' family bought out a small engineering company lock stock and barrel.  With that purchase came lots of stuff ranging from the old Boss's Microwave to the Toilet Brushes.  The deal was done amicably and the business transferred.  Shortly after, my relative asked me did I want any of the technology from the offices before they disposed of it.  I took some useful items such as decent monitors, a projector etc.  In that list of items was a few PC's.  Some salvageable and some junk and an iPad Air 2.  Whilst rummaging and clearing out another mixed box of IT stuff yesterday I came across this iPad Air 2 again.  So, I thought I'd give it a go at trying to get it working again.  So, I plugged it into my PC and here's my experience. 

After turning the iPad on I am greeted with the 'Hello' screen in various languages.
Then...Select Language (English)
Then Select Country...(United Kingdom)
Then at Quick Start I choose to set up manually
Then, at this point, there is a screen that says Activation Lock and the following text:

This iPad is linked to an Apple ID.  Enter the Apple ID and password that were used to set up this iPad. c******@t****.com
(obviously I've not wrote the exact characters)

Apple ID:
Password

Activation Lock Help

So, I asked my relative if there was any chance he could get the details but he told me it was unlikely due to the previous owner being ill.  

So, as you can see, I have a perfectly good iPad Air 2 that is unusable.  If there's any way I can unlock it that would be cool, but if there's not then it would be a crying shame to throw away such an item.  

What are my options here?

inspectorperez

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211078

Does this help?

FrankFalcon

Thank you for your rapid response... It would appear that it IS possible to restore this device...

FrankFalcon

Aggghh, just when I thought I'd cracked it...
The download finished..
The device reset
But...back to the Activation Lock Screen

TadleyBaggie

Unless the Apple ID details are known, only Apple can circumvent the lock. 

FrankFalcon

There was a message about the device being in DFU mode, which I didn't understand before it went off the screen.  I then tried to restore again and it looks like something may be happening because there's now no serial number shown and the screen now says 'Restoring Ipad Software' in itunes. 
After restoring it then verifies iPad software (in itunes),
then verifying iPad restore (still in itunes)...
Then Restoring iPad firmware (Still in itunes) 'itunes is restoring the software on this iPad'
I then got a message in itunes that the iPad had been restored to factory settings and the iPad restarted.  I thought all was well until...
Activation Lock message now comes on itunes (PC screen) as opposed to the device itself

MikeJXE

If what you are saying is true and I have no reason to believe it's not there is a fix

Contact Apple Support and tell them your story.

I had a couple of iPhones and a MacBook locked when my brother in law died, none of his family could get into them so I contacted Apple Support

If you know the number of the credit card linked to the Apple ID it's easier but if not 

You have to answer a few questions from Apple Support and if they believe you the will put the ID into recovery 

Make sure you have all the answers ready. Like name of original owner, email would help, where it was bought, any information that could prove it's not lost or stolen. 

You have to wait 30 days for them to release the Apple ID information and you can track the progress but Apple does say do not try to use the devices while this is in progress

Hope that helps 

inspectorperez

https://al-support.apple.com/#/kbase/en_GB

Sorry my first suggestion didn't work.

I think this link will help you start a support request.

FrankFalcon

Thanks all.  I do have quite a lot of information about the original owner etc so I will see if Apple can help.  

DullGreyGuy

You have their email address... have you tried emailing them?

Presumably the domain in the email address is not the domain of the business your relative bought?

macman

MikeJXE said:

If what you are saying is true and I have no reason to believe it's not there is a fix

Contact Apple Support and tell them your story.

I had a couple of iPhones and a MacBook locked when my brother in law died, none of his family could get into them so I contacted Apple Support

If you know the number of the credit card linked to the Apple ID it's easier but if not 

You have to answer a few questions from Apple Support and if they believe you the will put the ID into recovery 

Make sure you have all the answers ready. Like name of original owner, email would help, where it was bought, any information that could prove it's not lost or stolen. 

You have to wait 30 days for them to release the Apple ID information and you can track the progress but Apple does say do not try to use the devices while this is in progress

Hope that helps 

Your scenario has a subtle difference, in that the owner of the Apple ID was deceased, so Apple were not going to get sued for releasing his private data to a third party. In this instance, the owner is still alive, albeit unwell and not contactable. 
How Apple can verify their actual status based on a phone call from a third party is of course a complete mystery.