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I've bought a iPhone 4 of an auction site. When this iPhone got delivered and I turned it on, it asked me for the PIN code of the previous owner and noticed that the iPhone 's language was completly in French.

When trying the most common PIN codes (0000, 1234, 4321, etc...), and all attempts failed (from all the tries, I had to wait an hour to try again....), I decided restoring it in iTunes.

After restoring it in iTunes to the latest supported IOS; 7.1.2, and putting an SIM card into the phone, I had to configure the language and such. After that screen, it asked me to login on the previous owner's iCloud account.

The problem is, I dont know the previous owner of the iPhone.

Can I remove the previous owner's iCloud settings from the phone?

Bas
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1 Answers1

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No.

You need to contact the person who sold you the phone and get them to either give you the iCloud details, or give you your money back.

The phone can not be activated by Apple until it has been unlocked using the iCloud details (login and password) that it was locked with. This is a security measure to stop stolen phones from being useful to people.

If the seller does not have the iCloud details, then it was probably not their phone to sell, and they should return your money.

Sorry.

Scott Earle
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  • Alright, thank you. Aren't there some bypass tricks? I've seen a few on YouTube and tried them out, but that gives me only limited access to the phone, such as not being able to access the settings. – Bas May 08 '15 at 08:24
  • That's about your limit, I am afraid. It's designed as a security measure, to reduce the value of stolen phones, and make them less appealing to thieves. – Scott Earle May 08 '15 at 08:46
  • I'm afraid it is indeed, but there must be some way right, without contacting the previous owner? Saves me alot of time... – Bas May 08 '15 at 08:48
  • If there were a way around it, then it would not be much of a security feature ... and since it requires activation at Apple, it's pretty secure. Sorry again. – Scott Earle May 08 '15 at 08:56
  • I get it though, i guess it's possible to have contact with the owner but it's just a long way around. I also tried jailbreaking the phone, then I was able to enter the phone. I turned the Find my iPhone off and restored the iphone again, but it was the same problem. – Bas May 08 '15 at 09:00
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    @bas in fact my bet is that if the seller shipped the phone to you without clearing anything, including the PIN then you likely bought a stolen phone. – Tyson May 08 '15 at 15:43