What you need to know
- Apple's website now has a self-service Turn off Activation Lock portal.
Apple has added a self-service Turn Off Activation Lock portal to its website.
As reported by MacRumors:
Apple today added a new "Turn off Activation Lock" page to its website that explains steps users can take to turn off the security feature on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.As noted on Reddit, the page includes a link to start an Activation Lock support request in the United States, meaning that customers no longer have to contact an Apple support representative by phone, email, or online chat to initiate this process. To submit a request for Activation Lock support, you must be the owner of the device, and the device must not be in Lost Mode or managed by a business or educational institution.
Before submitting a request, Apple states you must be the owner of the device you're trying to unlock, with proof of ownership including a serial number, IMEI, or MEID.
If Apple agrees to the request, turning off Activation Lock will erase all of the files and data stored on your device permanently. (Restoring from a backup locally will re-enable the feature.)
Your device must also not be in Lost Mode.
From our explainer:
As mentioned above, Activation Lock is a part of Apple's Find My service. It locks the device in question to your Apple ID; if someone tries to restore that device without first disconnecting it from your Apple ID, they'll be unable to do anything with it — it becomes a dead brick, essentially.
The new portal is only available to customers in the US.
