What to do if your icloud account is blocked. Your Apple ID is blocked for security reasons: reasons for blocking and how to unblock

Most owners of any Apple technology actively use Apple ID. This is an account required for authorization in all Apple services. Using it, you can make purchases in the App Store and iTunes Store, synchronize all your devices, use cloud storage, contact the company’s support service, block a lost device, and much more.

The main disadvantage of Apple ID is that if you somehow lose access to your account, you will not be able to fully use the devices on which the lost account was used. And if the ID gets into the hands of attackers, they will have access to all your personal information and will be able to turn your iPhone or iPad into a “brick” by simply blocking your account. Until recently, Apple's personal data protection system was considered one of the most advanced, but now users are increasingly faced with hacking or blocking of their Apple ID. You've probably heard the scandalous story of May 2014, when the personal data of hundreds of users was leaked online.

Why can't you log in with your account?

There are several reasons why an Apple ID may be blocked. The company takes responsibility for the safety of its customers and prefers to block access at the slightest suspicion. So not only scammers, but also ordinary conscientious users can suffer. What could cause the owner to lose his account?

  • The most common and common reason is repeatedly entering the wrong password. The system will consider the user an intruder and block it for security reasons. You can restore access without any problems by email specified in your account or by using the Apple ID password recovery option. There is even a special iForgot service, especially for those owners of iPhone, Mac or iPad who have forgotten their login information.
  • Suspicious activity. Quite a vague formulation, isn't it? It usually hides a banal violation of the rules of use, for example, a multi-account, when several people use one account. This is often used by buyers of stolen or repaired devices. At the same time, it will no longer be possible to recover the password after buying an iPhone in person, because only the “businessman” himself has access to the mail for which the ID is registered. Too frequent refunds of money spent on games, music and any other content from the Apple store can also lead to blocking. This also includes the constant change of the user’s payment information and the use of different bank cards. Abuse of this is considered cheating and may result in a ban.
  • The most unpleasant reason for a blocked ID is account hacking. Apple is famous for its responsible attitude towards the data of its customers, and their protection methods are considered the most effective in comparison with other companies of this level, but any protection can be circumvented. If scammers have found a way to hack your Apple ID, then most likely all your devices will be blocked, and you will be extorted a good amount of money for opening access. In addition, the attackers will receive information about bank cards linked to the account. Owners of Apple equipment from anywhere in the world can suffer; a similar scheme is used in the USA, Russia, Canada and in any country where you can buy Apple products. Be careful not to share your account information with anyone, and if you have any doubts, immediately change your password and contact Apple Support.

Many users of Apple devices are often faced with the impossibility of turning on iCloud due to its blocking. How to unlock iCloud easily and quickly?

Let's talk about all the true methods of restoring access.

Activation Lock. How does this work?

Activation Lock is a unique system that was created by Apple developers and first introduced in iOS 7.

The main goal of the new function is to increase the level of user security.

The new service was supposed to become a pointless exercise.

As you know, all user data is constantly synchronized with iCloud cloud storage servers. This reduces the chance of losing user information.

At any time, you can roll back the installed firmware and upload files to the cloud.

Even if the user loses the device, phone data can be recovered using any PC or other iPhone.

You just need to log in to your iCloud website account.

Rice. 1 – iPhone activation

Activation Lock is just one of the features in iCloud. Its task is to check the activation status.

If a user loses his phone, he goes to the FindMyPhone service and with just one click of the mouse he locks his phone completely.

By the way, in our material you can read how to work with iCloud not only on portable devices:

Anyone who finds the device will not be able to simply pick it up and unlock it.

This can only be done by the owner of the phone or by special expensive and difficult to use services.

So, if you have lost your iPhone, Activation Lock will help you find and recover your data.

The appearance of the Activation Lock service window service is shown in the figure below. To check whether the locking function is enabled, you must enter the IMEI code of your device.

It is indicated on the box, in the instructions or under the cover of the phone itself.

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Rice. 2 – window for checking the lock activation status

IMEI is a unique device identifier that allows you to determine whether the device you are using is genuine.

Using a set of numbers, you can find out about the phone’s country of origin, official supplier, model and other parameters.

If you don't find the IMEI, try entering your phone's serial number. It can be easily found on the first pages of the guide on obtaining a guarantee.

Then type the captcha in the second text field and click Continue.

If you enter all the data correctly, a window will appear with brief information about the iPhone and the status of the activation function.

If it is turned off, it means that if you lose it, you will not be able to remotely lock your phone.

You can enable the function in the “Security” section of the main phone settings. After this, the corresponding lock key will appear on the FindMyPhone service page.

Rice. 3 – checking the status of the function

If the device is blocked, only the owner of the device can restore it. To do this, you must enter your Apple ID and password. Moreover, you can’t just take and enter any Apple ID.

Only the identifier to which the device is linked will work. If you suddenly forgot your Apple ID password, then...

Concepts of iCloud and Apple ID

The Apple ID code is a unique user account number that is tied to the owner’s phone.

One ID can be used on several Apple gadgets at once.

Apple ID owners get access to all related services and features from the developer. For example, iCloud cloud storage.

Login to this service is also carried out using a unique identifier.

Rice. 4 – iCloud login page

Common user problems

Trying to save money, users often purchase used devices.

Remember that any falsification of documents or boxes may be grounds for prosecution, so use this method only at your own peril and risk.

If you actually purchased an iPhone, Apple support will always help you restore the functionality of the phone.

To ensure that support immediately understands the nature of the problem, indicate the problem number as “Case 22153744” - write these words as the subject of the message.

The option of contacting the support can take a long time (sometimes up to one month). However, as a result you will receive a completely legal solution to the problem.

All functions of the phone will be restored, and you will be able to fully use the gadget.

As soon as support disables the lock for the phone, this information will be displayed on the Activation Lock service.

After exchanging data with the server, your phone will be unlocked automatically.

To get started, you will need to reboot the device and begin its basic setup, as when you first purchased it.

Paid services. How do they work and is it worth using them?

There are a lot of online services on the Internet that promise to unlock your iPhone.

90% of such sites are paid and require a lot of money to restore the functionality of the device.

You should not transfer your money to the first resource you come across that deals with unlocking. There are a lot of scammers in this area.

Before using any site, read reviews about it on Google or on thematic forums.

It’s also worth noting that if the service actually works, its functions will still be limited:

  • No third-party site, except the official Apple server, can recover the password to the Apple ID of the previous owner;
  • Only some offline phone functions can be unlocked (listening to music, playing videos, viewing images)
  • It is impossible to access the use of a cellular network or the Internet using such services.

Activation Lock is a feature built into the iPhone (iOs 7 and up) that protects personal data from unauthorized access and prevents the device from being resold. Turns on if you enter the account password incorrectly. Next, we will tell you how to remove iPhone activation lock if you have forgotten your Apple ID.

Apple ID recovery

Activation Lock is enabled if the iPhone is linked to an Apple ID and the user has entered the account information incorrectly. If you have forgotten your account login or password, try to recover it. To do this, follow these steps:

  • If you don't remember the ID, you can view it through the iCloud, iTunes Store or App Store settings. But only if you are successfully logged in on another device.
  • You can also view the ID using materials previously purchased from iTunes. To do this, select the file through the media library and go to the “Edit” - “Information” menu. Here go to the file tab and find the line “Buyer”.
  • Recover your Apple ID using the official website. To do this, you will need to indicate your full name and expected email address.
  • If you have forgotten your password, reset it. The procedure differs depending on the selected authentication method. The recovered password will be sent to the email address specified during registration.

Once you recover your Apple ID account information, try bypassing iPhone Activation Lock. To do this, specify a new ID and password. After this you will have access to the device.

Unblocking via iTunes

If you previously used iTunes to synchronize data and the required Apple ID remains in the program, then you can remove the block using the following steps:

  1. Connect your smartphone to your computer using a USB cable (use only original cables).
  2. Turn on iTunes and wait until the device appears in the active list. There is no need to lock the screen.
  3. A system notification will appear on the smartphone screen saying that the iPhone is in recovery mode.
  4. Confirm the action and agree to full restoration.

After this, the user data will be automatically destroyed and the latest version of iOS will be downloaded to the phone. If you previously used the backup function, the information can be transferred back.

iPhone unlocking is available only to the owner. If Activation Lock was enabled through Lost Mode (using the Find iPhone service), it will not be possible to restore it.

Checking Activation Lock Status

The status of an iPhone or any other iOS device can be found using the official Apple website. If you want to check your iPhone by IMEI for activation lock, then follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to iCloud and go to the Activation Lock page.
  2. Enter the serial number or IMEI of the device you want to check.
  3. Additionally, enter the code from the picture to confirm the action.

After this, the tab will automatically update, and the activation lock status (enabled, disabled) will appear on the page. It is recommended to use the service before purchasing an iPhone from your own hands.

Contacting support

If you cannot remove Activation Lock and restore your Apple ID, you can remove it by contacting official Apple support.

Contact a company specialist through the form on the website (but best by phone) and prove the fact that you are trying to restore a device that belongs to you.

To do this, provide all the necessary documents, including a photo of the box with the serial number, iPhone data and other information (don't forget the purchase receipt). If everything is in order and the smartphone is really yours, then the staff will remove iCloud Lock or help you regain access to your Apple ID.

Bypass blocking

If you are using someone else’s device, “Activation Lock” may appear if the previous owner did not remove the iPhone from the list of linked ones. To reset the lock, ask him to do the following:

  1. Log in to the official iCloud website and enter your Apple ID details (identifier, password).
  2. Go to the “Find iPhone” tab and select “Show all linked devices” (at the top of the page).
  3. A list of available iPhones, iPads and other iOS devices (which are linked to your account) will open.
  4. Select the iPhone that you want to unlink from the iCloud service and click “Remove from account.”

When the previous owner completes the described steps, the smartphone must be turned off and turned on again. After that, activate it as new. To do this, create your own Apple ID or use an existing one.

Locking an ICloud account means that no matter how much you paid for a used phone, the previous owner can still block it from being used by others.

The only way to get around this is to unlock iCloud. This frees the iPhone from the previous owner's account and allows you to set up your profile and start making calls, sending messages, and using apps.

The fastest, cheapest and best supported way to solve this problem is to unlock ICloud by IMEI.

What's changed in iOS?

In early 2014, Apple added an addition to iOS7 that changed the way iPhone accounts were accessed. This service is still known today as iCloud. Changes made in iOS 7 (and carried over into iOS8 and iOS9) have resulted in your iPhone being linked to your personal ICloud account. This means that you must enter a username and password to access features, applications, and files.

What is ID and iCloud in Apple?

ICloud is an innovation from Apple, which is unique in that it provides users with access to stored audio files, photos, text documents and videos from any synchronized device. In addition, backup copies from an iPhone or iPad are located in this storage location. It is also worth noting that if a device is lost, this storage can help in finding it.

Once the process is complete, you can register a new device with a new Apple ID account.

Have a nice time! There is simply a huge number of questions received both by email and in comments to articles on the topic of a forgotten (lost, changed by someone, etc.) iCloud email account and password for it. To be more precise, we are talking about, but this does not change the essence of the matter. In order to somehow systematize all this information, it was decided to write this article. So, if you don’t remember (don’t know) the password or email to which your (or “someone else’s”) iPhone or iPad is registered, but you really want to activate it, then these instructions are for you!

A little history. With the release of the iOS 7 operating system, Apple introduced additional protection for all device owners against theft, loss, etc. Now no one will be able to access the phone, as well as the data that is on it, if he does not know the Apple ID and password for it.

Whatever action you take:

  • (full reset).
  • Firmware update (upgrade or downgrade).
  • Entering DFU mode and then trying to flash.
  • Disassembly into small parts and replacement of certain parts of the phone.

NOTHING will help! You shouldn’t trust people who promise to “hack” it for money (usually quite a lot!). Remember - it is impossible to delete an Apple ID without a password. An iPhone or iPad is strictly bound to registration data and can only be removed from this link by:

  • The direct owner of the device who owns this information.
  • Apple employee.

Speaking of bindings, there are two types:

So, we have the first scenario and there is no question of any kind of lost mode, but you simply forgot the password for iCloud (Apple ID) and the phone (tablet) was blocked after updating the firmware or resetting the settings to factory settings.

What to do? How to remove the activation message? There are two ways:

  1. We go to the recovery page and try to do something there: indicate the email to which the Apple ID is registered, enter an additional e-mail address, answer security questions. If you know at least something, then the chances of unlocking your iPhone increase!
  2. For those who don't remember anything at all. We write (or better yet, call) Apple support - here is a link to the contact page. We describe your situation as accurately and thoroughly as possible. Remember, there are people sitting there and most often they are not stupid! Most likely, after a short conversation, you will be asked to prove the fact that the device belongs and has always belonged to you. How? Provide a photo of the box (of course, not just the packaging, but the place where the serial number is indicated), the serial number of the gadget itself, plus a purchase document (receipts). If everything is in order and Apple employees trust you, the iCloud Lock will be removed.

However, it may also happen that this does not happen. Why? The fact is that simply a huge number of people began to falsify purchase documents and thus deceive the company. I don’t presume to judge whether this is good or bad, but the fact is clear - the number of devices unlocked using this method has decreased and each new application initially causes distrust.

This means that the following situation may happen - the iPhone or iPad really belongs to you, you provided all the documents, but Apple employees refuse to remove Activation Lock. What should I do? Write to English-language support (the last subheading will help you figure out how to do this) and tell them the whole story, about how you forgot your iCloud password and want to unlock it.

If they don’t help, then unfortunately there is nothing left to do but:

  • Return the device for spare parts.
  • Put it on the shelf until better times.

This is a slightly sad ending to the article, but I think that in your case everything will be “ok” and the block will be lifted.

P.S. By the way, they say that those who “like” this article have an increased chance of doing so! Worth a try!