Activation Lock

iOS 10.1.1 bug allows researchers to bypass Activation Lock protection on iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 2, 2016

Back in November, India-based security researcher Hemanth Joseph discovered a bug in iOS 10.1 which permitted him to bypass Apple's anti-theft Activation Lock feature by entering an excessively long string of characters in the Wi-Fi setup text fields.

Apple has patched the flaw in iOS 10.1.1 but now, as noted by SecurityWeek, researchers at Vulnerability Lab have managed to find another method of bypassing Activation Lock protection on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 10.1.1 and they posted video evidence to prove it.

Apple reposts iOS 9.3 for older devices bricked by Activation Lock

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 20, 2023

Shortly after releasing the new iOS 9.3 firmware, Apple was forced to stop signing the update following numerous complaints from owners of older iPhones and iPads, such as the original iPad Air and the iPhone 5s and older, that it was bricking their devices.

Monday, Apple re-released iOS 9.3 to fix an issue that prevented users from activating their device via Activation Lock if they couldn't recall their Apple ID password used to originally set up their device with.

The re-released versions of iOS 9.2 carries a build number of 13E237 and is now available as an over-the-air download although those with a bricked device might want to apply the update through iTunes in DFU mode.

Apple releases a new iOS 9.3 build for older devices affected by the bricking issue

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 25, 2016

As we reported, numerous users took to Apple's support forums to complain that some owners of older iPhone and iPad devices saw their hardware bricked after updating to the recently released iOS 9.3 firmware. Apple has since detailed the problem in a support document on its website and pulled the software update for select devices.

Today, the company has re-released iOS 9.3 for those devices. The new build of iOS 9.3 for the iPad 2 has version number “13E236” versus the now defunct iOS 9.3 build “13E234” for the iPhone and “13E233” for the iPad, as per 9to5Mac's Chance Miller.

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

Sébastien Page ∙ March 24, 2016

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.

Activation Lock coming to Apple Watch this fall with watchOS 2 software update

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 8, 2015

Activation Lock, Apple's theft-deterrent feature available on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 7 or later, will be available on the Apple Watch this fall, courtesy of the free watchOS 2 software update announced earlier this morning during the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote talk.

It was previously discovered that the Apple Watch lacks this necessary security feature to dissuade thieves due to the limitations in its software and its dependency on iPhone for network connectivity.

Watch OS 1.0 lacks the necessary security features to dissuade thieves

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 30, 2023

The Apple Watch contains security measures to prevent thieves from accessing your data, but it doesn't include the necessary features to dissuade thieves from trying to steal your device to begin with.

The problem stems from the lack of an Activation Lock-like feature on Watch OS 1.0.

Unlike the iPhone, if someone steals your Apple Watch, they can easily reset the device (bypass the passcode), and pair it with a new iPhone logged in to a different iCloud account. In other words, it's totally feasible to steal an Apple Watch and set it up on a different device as if you just purchased it from an Apple Store.

iPhone theft drops 50% in London, 40% in SF and 25% in NY due to Activation Lock

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2015

In the twelve months after Apple added an Activation Lock feature to its devices, iPhone theft has dropped 40 percent in San Francisco and 25 percent in New York, Reuters reported Wednesday. In London, smartphone theft dropped by half following the Activation Lock introduction, which debuted alongside iOS 7 in September 2013.

Apple releases tool to check the Activation Lock status of iOS devices

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 26, 2023

Apple recently released a tool that lets anyone check the Activation Lock status of iOS devices. Introduced along iOS 7, Activation Lock is a security feature that prevents anyone from erasing or activating your iOS device without entering your Apple ID and password first. The feature must be disabled before a device is passed or sold to another person. Failure to do so renders the device unusable for the new owner.

With the release of this new tool, Apple wants to make the process of checking for Activation Lock easier, and prevent people from buying a device that might have been locked because it was lost, stolen, or simply because the previous owner forgot remove the device from his account.

California governor signs smartphone kill switch bill into law

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

A bill that requires all smartphones manufactured after July 1st of next year, and sold in California, to include a remote kill switch was signed into law this afternoon. Introduced in February of this year, the bill hopes to make mobile devices less attractive to criminals, as smartphone thefts have grown exponentially in recent years, in several major US cities.

Specifically, the new law requires that each handset prompt an authorized user during initial setup to enable a "technological solution" that, once initiated, can render the essential features of the device inoperable to an unauthorized user. The solution must be reversible, must be able to withstand a hard reset, and may consist of software, hardware, or both.

New service offers permanent Activation Lock bypass

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 26, 2023

Chronic Unlocks has recently started offering a new service which claims to bypass Activation Lock on iOS devices that have been locked. Although the method used to get around the security measure has yet to be detailed, the service can be helpful for people who bought an iOS device that is still tied to its previous owner's Apple ID. But don't expect the company to help you bypass Activation Lock on a stolen device!

How to remotely erase an iPhone or iPad that was lost or stolen

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 26, 2023

In this tutorial, we will show you how to remotely erase an iPhone or iPad that was lost or stolen to safeguard your personal data and privacy.

Activation Lock helps curb iPhone theft in New York, London and San Francisco

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 19, 2014

You may remember stories from a few years ago that described how iPhone theft was becoming a serious problem. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg even claimed that iPhone thefts had contributed to an overall rise in crime in New York City in 2012. The problem prompted Apple to team up with Google, HTC and others to help put anti-theft measures in place on smartphones.

Apple's own anti-theft measures appear to be working, as The New York Times reports that police in New York, San Francisco and London are finally seeing a decline in theft of the iPhone. The introduction of Activation Lock on iOS 7 has seen iPhone robberies drop 38 percent in San Francisco, 24 percent in London and 19 percent in New York, based on the six months before and after Apple released the feature…