Apple support document addresses activation issues some users may encounter after updating to iOS 9.3

activate iPhone

Apple has released a support document Wednesday night to address an issue where some iOS users are unable to activate their devices after updating to iOS 9.3, a software version released earlier this week.

Most reports of the issue seem to come from iPad 2 owners, although a quick search online shows that some iPhone users were also affected. In this support document, Apple offers a few options to try and remedy the problem.

The symptoms

After updating to iOS 9.3 on iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, a small subset of users might be stuck on the Activation Lock screen. Typically, entering your Apple ID and password should get you passed the activation screen, but in some cases, users may be unable to move forward.

Possible workarounds

A source inside Apple sent us a link to this yet-to-be-made public support document addressing the issue with possible solutions.

First option addresses a specific issue where the hint showed on the “Activate iPhone” screen may not match the user’s Apple ID. In this case, Apple suggests to:

  • Sign into iCloud.com from a computer
  • Open the Settings app and make sure your device is listed under the the My Devices section. If it’s not, and if you have multiple iCloud accounts, Apple suggests to check all these accounts.

If that still doesn’t do it, then the next level of troubleshooting this activation issue will involve iTunes:

  • Connect your iOS device to your computer
  • Launch iTunes and make sure it is updated to the latest version
  • In the top navigation bar in iTunes, select your device
  • At this point, you should see the Activate screen on iTunes
  • Enter your Apple ID and password, then click Continue to proceed with the activation

An alternative to all this involves deactivating Activation Lock on the device:

All Devices Find My iPhone

  • Turn off your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
  • Sign into iCloud.com with your Apple ID and password
  • Open the Find My iPhone app in your browser
  • Click on the All Devices tab, and select the device you cannot activate
  • Click on the Remove from Account option, then confirm
  • Turn the device back on and complete the activation process
  • Make sure to sign into iCloud again on the device after successfully activating it

Hopefully these steps will help you get your iOS device back and running. If this is still not working for you, you may want to consider contacting Apple or an authorized repair center.