iPhone 7 / 7 Plus iCloud Activation Lock bypass guide

This in-depth guide shows all the ways you can bypass the Activation Lock (also known as the iCloud Lock) on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were released in 2016 by Apple, and both models included the iCloud Activation Lock feature.

Activation Lock was designed by Apple as part of the phone’s security system. The lock was originally managed using the Find My iPhone app, but this was replaced by Find My in 2019.

Specifically, this article explains how to bypass iCloud as follows:

• On your own phone.
• On a used iPhone 7 you bought or were given.
• Free unlocking methods.
• Paid methods to unlock iCloud.
• Unlocking with tools.
• Online unlocking techniques.

The above methods will work even if the iPhone you are trying to bypass belongs to someone else, without the previous owners’ help, or without knowing the Apple ID password for the device.

To find out how to bypass the iCloud lock on iPhone 7 phones, read on…

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iPhone 7 iCloud bypass methods

Activation Lock bypassing can be used to remove an iPhone 7 from the Apple account that it is tethered to.

Although very similar to the iPhone 6 range they replaced, there are some key differences that make the iPhone 7 unique including the change from a physical home button to a capacitive mechanism, a new Apple A10 chipset, and IP67 water resistance.

 This is why we produced this dedicated guide for iCloud unlocking this range of phones.

The iCloud bypass methods in this guide work on the following smartphones:

• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus

There are many ways to bypass iCloud lock on an iPhone 7, which are quite straightforward.

The iPhone 7 was a decent but unspectacular device, but could still frustrate owners’ by locking them out via the Find My tool.

If you have forgotten your Apple ID or password or are unable to remember the answer to your security question, then you will need to bypass the Activation Lock screen.

There are a few ways that you can bypass the Activation Lock on an iPhone 7, such as:

• The recommended way is by using a reputable unlocking service where the unlock is done for you.
• Another option is by using a computer and a third-party unlocking tool.

These options allow you to bypass the iCloud Lock screen, wipe the device, reset the password, and set it up again on a second-hand device.

On a used device

If you bought or were given a pre-owned iPhone 7, then you should talk to the previous owner and ask them to remove the iCloud Activation Lock.

This can be done in person, or remotely with their Apple account details.

If this slipped their mind before they sold their device to you, this request shouldn’t cause a problem. However, if they got their hands on the device using illegal means, they probably don’t know the Apple ID or password. This means they won’t be able to turn off Find My and bypass the iCloud lock.

Assuming your iPhone 7 isn’t stolen goods, the previous owner can unlock it for you by removing the Apple ID remotely as follows: 

1. Go to this website: appleid.apple.com.
2. Sign in with the Apple ID and password.
   
3. On the menu, click Devices.
   
4. Over on the right, click the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.
5. Then, click Remove from account.
   

On your own device

If the iCloud Activation Lock prevents you from setting up or using your own iPhone 7, the official fix is to unlock it using your Apple ID password. Or you can go to Settings > [your name] > Find My > Find My iPhone and toggle Find My iPhone off.

If you can’t recall your Apple ID or password, you can go to iForgot to recover your account. Simply click the preceding link and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password and access your account.

Once you’ve gained access to your Apple account you can turn off Find My and the iCloud lock. 

If you can’t remember your Apple ID, you can find it by doing the following:

• On another Apple product you own, go to iCloud or Media and purchases.
• If you own an Apple Mac, look at System preferences > Apple ID.
• On Apple TV, you will find your Apple ID under the Settings.
• On the iForgot website, click the link that says If you have forgotten your Apple ID, you can look it up. Enter your name and email address when prompted to see your Apple ID.

To find out more about account recovery, see how to reset your Apple ID or password.

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Bypassing the lock yourself

If you can’t get in touch with the previous owner, or they are unable to unlock your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus you can bypass the Activation Lock yourself using an activation lock bypass tool or service.

However, you need to use a reputable company and avoid scammers.

There are many companies online that claim to be able to help you bypass Activation Lock. Yet, my testing has shown the iCloud unlocking advice they provide is incorrect.

Types of scams to watch out for

• Software downloads and hacks that damage your iPhone or computer.
• Online tools that claim to ‘interface‘ with Apple servers but just ask you to fill in quizzes or click ads.
• Paid PDF downloads with instructions that don’t work.

For more information, see the iCloud Activation Lock unlocking guide for iPhone.

Price to unlock iCloud on iPhone 7

When you look into iPhone 7 and 7 Plus iCloud unlock prices you will notice they go from $10 USD to $50 USD. However, you need to be careful as most suppliers break their fees down into 2 parts:

• A deposit
• A final fee

The headline fee advertised on most websites is just for the deposit. Be prepared to pay a second fee to finalize the unlock process. 

Suppliers keep the deposit price low to give the impression that they are cheap. Instead, they are hiding the true cost to persuade you to use them.

When we reviewed iCloud bypass suppliers, we took this odd payment structure into account to make it easier to compare services. We also noticed that prices fluctuate by as much as $10 USD.

Pros and cons of paying to unlock an iPhone 7:

Free iCloud unlock

Bypassing the Activation Lock on an iPhone 7 for free can be achieved by entering the Apple ID and password on the device when prompted.

If you don’t know the Apple account credentials of the previous owner, then an alternative free option is to use a DNS bypass. To do a DNS bypass you do the following:

1. On your iPhone 7, go through the setup process until you see Choose WiFi Network.
2. Click the i beside your WiFi network.
3. Tap Configure DNS > Manual > Add Server and type in the IP address that is nearest to you from this list:
   • USA: 104.154.51.7
   • South America: 35.199.88.219
   • Europe: 104.155.28.90
   • Asia: 104.155.220.58
   • Australia and Oceania: 35.189.47.23
   • other continents: 78.100.17.60
4. Next, tap Back.
5. Then, select your Wi-Fi network.
6. Provide your Wi-Fi password, then click Join.
7. Your iPhone will try to activate on a new screen. Don’t let it, hit the Back button to go back tothe WiFi page and you will be signed in to the DNS server.
8. Once logged in you will see the iCloud bypass screen that says at the top iCloudDNSBypass.net.

For more information, see the free iPhone iCloud lock guide.

Remove online

In a recent review, I tested a range of tools to find the best online iCloud bypass service that can remove the Activation Lock. I concluded the best service was provided by DirectUnlocks.

To find out more, see the DirectUnlock review.

At the time of writing, the unlock fee was £29.00 GBP, which is around $35 USD.

For more in depth step-by-step instructions on ordering the unlock service correctly, see our full usage guide. Alternatively, here is a brief guide:

1. On the DirectUnlocks website you can enter the IMEI.
2. Select your iPhone model from the drop-down list.
   
3. Then, click Unlock iCloud!
4. Agree to the terms and conditions.
   
5. Then, pick your payment method and pay for the iCloud account to be removed.
6. A confirmation email will be sent to you. When unlocked, you will be emailed.

Hacking using a tool

There are many software tools that can be used to hack the Activation Lock. They vary in quality from good to poor. If you install the wrong tool you can permanently damage your iPhone 7 or infect your computer with a virus. 

However, there are some tools available that work well, with our tests showing iBypasser as one of the best options.

In our tests, some of the things that made iBypasser the best included:

• Free trial.
• 30-day money-back guarantee.
• Easy to install
• Excellent user interface.
• Brilliant support.
• Regular updates to the tool.
• Positive client feedback.

To find out more, see Lock removal hacking tool.

What is iCloud Activation Lock?

Activation Lock is a security feature used in many Apple products, including the iPhone 7. When you activate your iPhone it is added to your Apple account preventing another Apple ID from activating the same device.

This means your iPhone cannot be wiped, reset, and reactivated without permission from your Apple ID.

Activation Lock is part of Find My, the security app for all Apple devices.

Find My iPhone is a free service that helps you locate your lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. It uses GPS and Wi-Fi to show the location of your device on a map.

You can also remotely lock your device so someone can’t use it, play a sound, show an alert on the screen, and erase all the data on it.

Wrap up

Even though it is an aging design, there is still demand to bypass iCloud Activation Lock on iPhone 7 phones. This demand has resulted in a whole host of scammers appearing. They are happy to take your money without even attempting to bypass the iCloud lock, so be careful.

It’s best to use Apple’s official method to get rid of the iCloud Activation Lock on your phone.

If the official method doesn’t work, try one of the suggested techniques in this guide. Otherwise, you may get ripped off.