How to unlock iCloud Locked iPhone for free (using my verified methods)

As an Apple Certified Independent Technician I have developed, verified, and tested solutions you can use to remove the iCloud Activation Lock for free on your device.

My techniques don’t just work on iPhone, they work on all Apple products – including iPhone, iPad, or Mac – so regardless of what device you own you should find a fix using this guide.

My guide should only take you 10 minutes to read and will explain:

• 3 zero-cost Activation Lock removal methods.
• How to get a free trial of a top-rated removal tool.
• How to avoid being scammed.
• What to do if these solutions don’t work.

By following my instructions you will be able to skip past the Activation Lock without paying a dime.

Ask the seller to disable the Activation Lock

Contact the previous owner and ask them to switch of Find My which will unlock the iCloud Activation Lock on your locked device.

If they have simply forgotten to do this, then it should be easy for them to remove the previous owner’s iCloud account.

You don’t need to worry about returning the locked device for them to unlock it. They can remove the iCloud account remotely without physically having the phone in their possession.

So if you bought a device from a seller located on the other side of the country it isn’t a problem.

To make life easier I have created an email template you can use to send to the seller. It explains the problem and tells them what they need to do to fix it.

When the seller unlocks the iCloud account you will be able to setup your device as your own. It won’t ask for the previous owners’ Apple ID password again.

Bypass the lock via DNS server

You might not know this but you can go around the iCloud lock screen instead of unlocking it. It doesn’t completely unlock iCloud locked devices but it does allow you to use it for some things:

• Watch video
• Use social media
• Send SMS

This is a temporary ‘workaround’ so you need to set it up again after each time you reboot your phone.

If you are desperate after trying all the previous steps then it may be the best option for you.

Use a removal tool

You can use an iCloud bypasser tool to hack your iPhone and remove the iCloud lock screen. These tools jailbreak your device and allow you to get past the activation lock message without entering the Apple ID and password.

After a detailed review of iCloud bypass tools, I found iBypasser the best choice to remove the iCloud lock screen on iOS-based devices because it is reliable, regularly updated, and has great customer reviews.

I also liked that iBypasser allows you to make as many unlocking attempts as you wish. Most services charge for each iCloud unlock attempt which can become expensive if you have to repeat the process.

You can download and install a free trial version of iBypasser for either Windows or Mac computers.

Although the trial won’t allow you to finalize the unlock without buying a license it will allow you to test it out to see if it might work for your iPhone model, iPad, or Apple Watch. So although it’s not a completely free iCloud unlocker, you can find out if the tool will work before committing to buy it.

If you do go ahead and buy a license, your purchase is backed up with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So you can get your money back if it doesn’t work.

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Downloading the complimentary iBypasser trial

1. Go to the iBypasser website (using the button above), then click the Free Download button to get a complimentary trial.

2. Once the software has been installed run it and select Unlock Apple ID to begin the unlocking process.

The screenshots below are from a Mac computer – if you have a Windows computer they may look slightly different. Don’t panic, the software will work on your PC.

3. Attach your iOS device to the computer via a USB cable.

4. If your device is compatible the Apple ID and password will be removed (but only on the paid version). If it appears to work buy a license and activate it so you can fully unlock your iPhone.

Not technically minded?

If you aren’t technically minded, don’t have a computer, or want the unlock done quickly without your involvement then you would be better off using a paid service.

Free iCloud unlocking service

There are many well know services that claim to remove the Activation Lock for free such as Unlock Maker, iCloud Bypass Online, and The Wire Feed. In my experience none of these online services work, instead they gather personal information about you and then ask you to download a file that they claims contains a ‘dummy Apple ID’.

There is no such thing as a dummy Apple ID that can unlock any device. It is a flat-out lie.

So what does the file really contain?

Well, I highly recommend you don’t download and open it to find out. If you do you’ll find that instead of a free iCloud unlock fix, they contain a variety of hidden dangers for you to deal with.

For example, they often contain Viruses, or Trojan horses designed to infect your computer and steal your personal information. Alternatively, the websites themselves may force you to click pop-ups or complete quizzes that are completely unrelated to the Activation Lock. Another popular trick is to force you to click thousands of ads that make the website owner money, but don’t get your device unlocked.

These are just some of the hellish things you can expect from a removal service that costs nothing.

Ask Apple Support for help

If you have a local Apple Store then you can visit them and request they unlock iCloud.

They will remove iCloud Activation Lock under some circumstances.

You will need proof of ownership such as the original receipt.

You will also need to prove that ownership has transferred from the previous owner to you. For example, show a print out of the eBay transaction and the payment confirmations.

Apple may also help if the owner has passed away and you want to gain access to an iCloud locked iPhone.

They will check if it is a stolen iPhone first. If they see that it has been stolen they will not help you.

They will also refuse to help you if you can’t prove beyond any doubt that it’s your iPhone. Apple needs to be 100% sure you are the rightful owner and if they have the slightest security concerns they are not allowed to help.

Check if your device is stolen goods

I am only aware of the following reasons why you may end up with an iCloud Activation Locked device:

• The previous owner has set up and enabled Find My on your iOS device and forgot to disable it.
• You have forgotten your iCloud password and are unable to reset it.
• You have inadvertently bought a stolen iOS device.

If you bought a used iPhone, iPad or Mac that requests the previous owners iCloud password you need to know if it is stolen goods so you know what to do next.

If you are in the USA you can use the Stolen Phone Checker website.

This is a website that lets U.S. consumers check the status of any iPhone model by typing in its MEID/ESN/IMEI number (this is your device’s serial number). You can have up to 5 checks per day.

If you are elsewhere in the world you should use IMEI.info instead – although you can only check using the IMEI-based serial number on this website.

IMEI.info works for English speaking countries – such as the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand – and claims to work for 880 mobile networks from over 230 other countries too.

What to do if these free methods fail

If you have worked your way through this guide trying all the techniques provided to unlock iCloud on your device for free yet it is still locked, what now?

The temptation may be to try one of the many free Activation Lock tools, services, or websites that advertise themselves online.

However, most of these free methods have hidden dangers that can infect your computer and destroy your device.

Read on to discover the things you should avoid doing and find out what you should do instead.

To find out more about bypassing the iCloud Lock, see 12 tools that disable iCloud for free.

Try using a paid service

If you want your device working as quickly as possible I suggest you use an iCloud unlock service that can remove the activation lock. It may cost money but at least you know it will get done within a few days rather than chasing the seller, Apple, or messing around with software yourself.

So if you would like an iCloud unlock done fast I suggest you read about paid services that disable the iCloud lock to find out what to do, and which trustworthy service to use.

Try to claim a refund from the seller

Getting hold of the seller may be hard, but if you paid using PayPal or a credit card you should be able to make a claim against them and get your money back. Or if you feel particularly aggrieved you might consider legal action against them to try and recover the money.

Regardless of the option you pick I wish you good luck and have my fingers crossed you are successful.

FAQ’s

Wrap up

So it is possible to take an iCloud activation locked device and remove the lock. This allows you to take an iCloud locked Apple product and set it up to use with your own Apple ID.

You may need some help from Apple or the original owner but you can perform the activation unlock for free. Failing that you can pay to use one of the reliable services.

It can be confusing when researching free unlock solutions because there are several types of unlocking. Carrier unlocking is, for example, when you decide you want to use any SIM card, from any carrier in your iPhone 11. Passcode unlocking is when you want to get into an iPhone after you locked yourself out with too many incorrect passcode attempts.

Knowing more about iCloud, the activation lock, and what is possible is vital in your efforts so it is a good idea to find out more:

• Get details on what iCloud is and what it does.
• Knowing the steps to setup and configure iCloud on your device.