How Do I Get Rid of Someone Else’s Apple ID on my iPhone/iPad?

Hi Eric,

I just got a used iPhone 11 from someone. When I tried to download apps, it requires the Apple ID and password. So how do I get rid of someone else’s Apple ID so that I can use it without any troubles?

Thanks in advance for your help!

This can be a frustrating situation when someone else’s Apple ID is linked to your iPhone. This can prevent you from using this iPhone normally.

For example, when you download or update apps, it will require the password of the previous owner’s Apple ID to proceed.

Worse than that, if the “iCloud Photos” is enabled, the photos you take will be backed up to the previous owner’s iCloud, this means they can access all your photos on your iPhone!

You may want to know if a factory reset will resolve this issue. Sadly, it won’t. After resetting, your iPhone will be locked to Activation Lock, this is the worst situation since it’s not easy for most people to bypass the Activation Lock on themselves.

Anyway, you can get rid of the previous owner’s Apple ID from your iPhone/iPad with or without password by following the solutions mentioned here.

Let’s get started.

Get Rid of Someone Else’s Apple ID on iPhone with Password

Apparently, the optimal way to get rid of someone else’s Apple ID is to reach out to the previous owner and ask them to offer the password or remove this iPhone from their iCloud account.

If the previous owner is glad to offer the Apple ID password, follow these steps after getting the password:

Step 1. Open Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Tap [Your Name] > scroll down to find and tap Sign Out.

Step 3. Enter the Apple ID password you received from the previous owner and tap Turn Off on the top-right corner.

That’s it. After doing this, your data won’t be uploaded to the previous owner’s iCloud account anymore! And you can now sign in with your own Apple ID.

You can still ask the previous owner to remove your iPhone from their iCloud account remotely if they are not willing to offer the password. Here is what they should do:

Step 1. Sign in to iCloud.com

Step 2. Click Find iPhone.

Step 3. Click on All Devices and select the iPhone to be removed from the list of Apple devices linked to their account.

Step 4. Click Remove from Account and enter the Apple ID password to proceed.

You need to make sure your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network or cellular data is enabled during the above process.

After getting rid of the Apple ID from your iPhone, sign in with your own and enable Find My to prevent someone else from using your iPhone when it’s lost or stolen.

Get Rid of Someone Else’s Apple ID on iPhone without Password

Having trouble contacting the original owner? Don’t worry, you can still sign out of iCloud without password from your iPhone.

The fastest & easiest way is to use a third-party Apple ID removal software such as Tenorshare 4uKey. This kind of software enables you to enjoy all features of your iPhone after Apple ID removal.

However, there are some drawbacks you should know:

Although it’s not a perfect solution, it has gained a lot of positive reviews from its users.

Free Download

Tenorshare 4uKey can only work on an activated device (you can open your iPhone/iPad and use it), it can’t unlock Activation Lock.

What to do if your iDevice is locked to Activation Lock?

The simplest way is to ask the previous owner to remove your iDevice from their iCloud account as discussed above.

If you want to fully remove Activation Lock without previous owner, a TRUSTED iCloud unlock service will help you. It’s very difficult for you to find an iCloud unlock service that can really work since there are so many scammers over the Internet.

The one we used a lot for iPhone Activation Lock removal is AppleiPhoneUnlock. This service supports all versions of iOS and can permanently remove Activation Lock, which means even after a factory reset, your iPhone won’t be locked again.

However, this kind of service will take up to 5 days to unlock. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s a good solution for you.

Bonus: Get Rid of Someone Else’s Apple ID from App Store

If you just want to get rid of someone else’s Apple ID from App Store, then follow these steps on iOS 14 or above:

Step 1. Open App Store. And tap your name on the top-right corner.

Step 2. Scroll down to find and tap Sign Out. This process won’t require password.

If your iPhone is running on iOS 13 or below, here is how to log out:

Step 1. Open Settings app.

Step 2. Tap iTunes & App Store > Sign Out.

After removing the Apple ID from App Store, you won’t be asked for Apple ID password anymore when downloading apps.

The Bottom Line

This is all about how to get rid of someone else’s Apple ID from an iPhone. We’d highly recommend you try a trusted iCloud unlock service if the previous owner can’t offer help.

Please note that the methods mentioned above can also work for an iPad, or an iPod Touch. If you have any questions, just leave a comment below.