Apple attempted to address this issue with the Find My iPhone service in 2010, but that could be defeated by turning the iPhone off or erasing the contents of the phone. Apple made things much harder on thieves when it introduced Activation Lock in iOS 7. This feature made it impossible to activate an iPhone using a new Apple ID without entering the Apple ID and password used to activate the phone originally. Since it’s unlikely that a thief would have access to a person’s Apple ID and password, this helped cut iPhone theft substantially.
But now Apple has created a tool to check a phone’s Activation Lock status to ensure that you’re not buying a stolen device and that the phone you’re getting can be activated.
Checking Activation Lock Status
In order to check a phone’s status, you’ll need to have its IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity; basically a unique identifier assigned to every phone) or Serial Number.
- Tap the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap About
- Scroll towards the bottom of the screen and you’ll find both numbers
Once you’ve got one or two of those numbers:
- Go to Apple’s Activation Lock Status website
- Type the IMEI or Serial Number into the box
- Enter the CAPTCHA code displayed
- Click Continue.
The next screen will show you whether the iPhone has its Activation Lock feature enabled.If Activation Lock is turned off, you’re in the clear. If Activation Lock is on, though, a couple of things may be going on:
The Phone Is Stolen—An iPhone being sold with Activation Lock still enabled could mean that the device is stolen since a thief probably won’t be able to disable Activation Lock. Ask the seller to disable the feature and check again. If they refuse or can’t do it, don’t buy that phone.
The Seller Forgot to Turn Off Activation Lock—It’s possible that an honest seller has forgotten to turn off Activation Lock. Ask them to disable the feature. If they do, you’re OK to buy.
Note : When buying a used iPhone, make sure to ask for the IMEI or Serial Number before you buy and use this tool to check the device’s status. It will save you money and frustration.
