When upgrading your Apple iPhone or iPad to the new iOS 7 operating system, you will notice a new Find My iPhone/iPad feature called Activation Lock. This beneficial new technology makes it more difficult for anyone to access or sell your iPhone or iPad in the event it is lost or stolen.
Activation Lock starts working the moment you turn on the Find My iPhone application in iOS 7. While Apple’s new security feature is a helpful data-security measure, it also prevents mobile buyback companies from accessing the device to ensure your private data has been completely sanitized.
To avoid lengthy delays in processing and possible forfeiture of payment, the Activation Lock must be deactivated on your iPhones and iPads prior to selling them.
Please follow the simple steps below to deactivate the Find My iPhone/iPad feature:
1. Go to the Settings app on your device
2. Select “Privacy”
3. Select “Location Services”
4. Select “Find My iPhone/iPad”
5. Toggle Find My iPhone/iPad to the “Off” position
6. Enter your Apple ID password and turn off Find My iPhone
After completing these steps, the Find My iPhone functionality will be disabled and your device will be ready to sell. It’s important to never remotely wipe, lock, or mark your device as lost or stolen using iTunes or iCloud when selling it because it will reactivate the lock.
If you have already sent your iOS devices to a mobile buyback company, you can disable the Find My iPhone lock through iCloud by following these steps:
1. Sign in to your Apple iCloud account at icloud.com/#find
2. Click the “All Devices” link at the top of the page
3. Click on the device you would like to deactivate
4. Click the device name link at the top of the page
5. Click the black “X ” next to your device
6. Click “Remove” when prompted
If you’re not sure if you’ve installed iOS 7, go to Settings> General> About>