Bypass Activation Lock on iPhone 13

Part I: Activation Lock Primer

Apple products are costly, and they are prized. When a 5-year-old Android device might be left alone without anyone stealing it, you cannot risk that with an iPhone 6S, even today. Apple has built an Activation Lock in its devices to deter theft and so far, as we know, it has largely succeeded. If your iPhone 13 gets stolen, no one else can use it with their Apple ID unless they key in the credentials it was using previously (your credentials) and, even then, Apple has bolstered iCloud Find My Activation Lock to be more restrictive. You may have to key in a lot of information ranging from your device password (if you are also using the same Apple ID on a Mac) to your iOS device passcode to, obviously, your Apple ID password. It is a system that works in favor of Apple users.

Yet, in some cases, users want to get around the Activation Lock for genuine reasons, say, when you buy a used Apple device from someone. They may have forgotten to remove that device from their Apple account and Activation Lock would not let you use it. Or, you are an IT administrator and you manage devices given out to employees. Some employees did not remove their accounts from their devices and now those iPhones are riddled with Activation Lock. You can remove it using this step-by-step guide.

Part II: Step-by-Step Guide to Bypass Activation Lock on iPhone 13

An Activation Lock is not the end of the world, as Apple might have you believe. Nothing in the world is perfect, except for the world itself. As such, there are ways to bypass Activation Lock on an Apple device that you bought used, and the previous owner forgot to unlock or did so intentionally and is now trying to fleece you for more money to unlock it. Or an employee who just left the job surrendered their iPhone but forgot to erase the device before submitting and consequently, the device is still associated with their Apple ID, and you need to bypass Activation Lock for that iPhone to make it useable again. There are a few ways you can go about it.

II.I: Bypassing Activation Lock Using Apple ID

Disabling Activation Lock on iPhone 13 is easy if you have the Apple ID credentials that are associated with the iPhone.

Step 1: Enter device Recovery Mode and Restore the device to factory settings.

Step 2: When you set up the device again, you will be required to sign in to the Apple ID associated with the device. Do that and you are golden!

II.II Bypassing Activation Lock from iCloud Website

You may also do away with Activation Lock using the Find My iPhone app in iCloud remotely by erasing the device and removing the device from the associated iCloud account.

Step 1: Visit the iCloud website on a computer at https://icloud.com.

Step 2: Sign In and go to Find iPhone.

Step 3: Click All Devices and select the device that was sold to the user.

Step 4: Click Erase iPhone and if the device is still there after the erase is complete, click Remove From Account.

This process requires that data service be functional on the iPhone in question, otherwise, this will not work. When the process is done, restart the iPhone and set it up with your Apple ID to remove the lock.

II.III Bypassing Activation Lock Using Microsoft Intune

If you are an IT administrator and are using Microsoft services, you may have given employees iPhones. When employees leave or are made to leave, it is possible that the devices they leave behind are still signed in with a password only they know. There is a way Apple provides for Microsoft Intune to disable Activation Lock for corporate devices.

Step 1: Sign in to the admin center on Microsoft Endpoint Manager.

Step 2: Select Devices under Intune.

Step 3: Select All Devices.

Step 4: Locate the device you want to disable the lock for, and under the Hardware section, copy the Activation Lock Bypass Code given under Conditional Access.

Step 5: Under the Overview pane of the device, select Wipe.

Step 6: When the device resets, it prompts for the Apple ID and password. Leave the ID blank and enter the bypass code as a password.

The device will be reset, and employees can set up again with a new Apple ID.

II.IV: Bypassing Activation Lock Using Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS)

If you're not an IT administrator or you'd rather not go through all the hoopla above and just want to get rid of Activation Lock easily and quickly, Wondershare Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) is what you need.

Dr.Fone is a set of modules that cater to a myriad of requirements that phone users can have from time to time, and one of them is the need to be able to disable the Activation Lock for Apple devices when the need arises. A need never arises in our wildest dreams, until it does, at the most inopportune time. It has, hasn't it?

Here is how to use Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) to quickly circumvent Activation Lock and get on with setting up your iPhone 13. Who needs to wait to talk with the previous owner or go through all other time-consuming methods when you have Dr.Fone?

Step 1: Get Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS).

Step 2: From the list of modules on display, select Screen Unlock.

Step 3: Select Unlock Apple ID.

Step 4: From the two options presented, select Remove Active Lock.

Step 5: Follow the instructions to continue to jailbreak the iPhone.

Step 6: After the jailbreak, continue to agree to the terms of use and note the device details displayed are correct.

Step 7: As the final step, click Start Unlock.

After a while, Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) will notify you of successful bypass. You can now restart the device and use it. This option is restrictive in nature as you will be unable to use the iPhone to make calls or access cellular services including iCloud. This option is best for when you want to see/ recover some data from the device that you would otherwise lose.

Part III: Conclusion

Removing Activation Lock is supposed to be as difficult as possible for the wrong people and as easy as possible for the right ones. This means that if you have the Apple ID credentials that were used to enable Activation Lock, you can simply use them to remove Activation Lock and unlock the iPhone 13 just as easily. However, things get increasingly difficult from that point on if you do not have Apple ID credentials. You can use iCloud to erase the device and remove the device from the Apple ID account it is connected to, remotely. If you are an IT administrator deploying Microsoft services, you can use Microsoft Intune to get around the Activation Lock easily. If all else fails, you can use Dr.Fone - Screen Unlock (iOS) to bypass Activation Lock on the iPhone, but do note that this option will jailbreak the device and you will not be able to use data services and iCloud on the phone or make phone calls from the iPhone.