Restart, recovery, backup, and transfer
Activation Lock
Most people call this the account lock that makes a stolen iPhone useless.
Activation Lock ties an iPhone to your Apple Account so it cannot be set up again by anyone else, and it turns on automatically with Find My.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
Where to find it - iOS 8
- Settings
- iCloud
- Find My iPhone
Activation Lock is turned on whenever Find My iPhone is on.
What it does
Even after a full erase, the phone asks for the original Apple Account credentials before it can be used. Removing it requires signing out properly, or removing the device from your account list.
What changes
When it is on
The phone cannot be set up by anyone without your account credentials.
When it is off
Anyone who erases the phone can use it.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- A stolen phone is worth very little.
- It comes free with Find My.
Good reasons to turn it off
- You must remove it before selling or giving the phone away.
- A buyer cannot use a phone that is still locked to you.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: On whenever Find My iPhone is on.
Can cause real problems
Where this setting used to live
Apple moves settings between releases. This is every location we have on file.
-
iOS 16 and later
Settings > Apple Account > Find My > Find My iPhone
Activation Lock follows Find My. It is removed by signing out, not by a separate switch.
-
iOS 7 to iOS 8
Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone
Activation Lock is turned on whenever Find My iPhone is on.
Questions people actually ask
- I bought a used iPhone and it asks for someone else's account.
- That is Activation Lock. Only the previous owner can remove it, by removing the device from their Apple Account.
If it is not working
- Before selling, sign out of your Apple Account, or use Erase All Content and Settings which handles it for you.
- If you already sold it, remove the device from your account on the web.
- Never buy a used iPhone that still shows an activation lock screen.