Hi Eric,
How do I reset my iPhone to factory settings without Apple ID password? It’s a second-hand iPhone and I don’t know the password.
Please help!
For some reason, you may want to factory reset your iPhone, like you plan to sell it, or you just want to reset it to speed it up and free up storage space.
But it will require the Apple ID password to reset your iPhone when Find My iPhone is on.
So what to do if you don’t know this?
In this guide, I will show you the detailed steps on how to reset iPhone without Apple ID password when Find My iPhone is on. Which also means you can factory reset your iPhone without passcode.
Let’s get it on.
Must-Read Before Resetting Your iPhone
According to Apple [1], when Find My iPhone is turned on, the Apple ID you set up on your device will be linked to your device and securely stored on Apple’s activation servers.
From that point on, your Apple ID password will be required when you trying to turn off Find My, reset or reactivate your device.
So, even if you succeed in finding some ways to reset your iPhone without the Apple ID password, you’ll still have to enter the password to reactivate it just as the below picture.
If you can’t offer, you will be locked out by Activation Lock and never be able to use your iPhone.
But don’t worry, you can still reset your iPhone and reactivate it without Apple ID password by using the following solutions.
How to Reset iPhone without Apple ID Password When Find My iPhone is On?
There are so many ways to factory reset iPhone without Apple ID password, but we only focus on the 5 most efficient ways.
1AppleiPhoneUnlock
AppleiPhoneUnlock is a service that enables you to reset your iPhone without Apple ID password when the Find My iPhone is turned on.
What’s better, after resetting with AppleiPhoneUnlock, you can set up your iPhone just as a new device (you will never be asked for the Apple ID or password during the setup process.) This means your iPhone won’t be locked by Activation Lock even if you don’t know the Apple ID or password.
This is why we put AppleiPhoneUnlock as the first solution for you.
We’ve used AppleiPhoneUnlock a lot and it still offers a 100% success rate till now. So, if you’re one of those who can’t offer the Apple ID password when resetting an iPhone, AppleiPhoneUnlock will be your best choice.
It’s extremely easy for everyone to use. What you need to do is to offer the IMEI or Serial number of your device, and then wait for the order delivery.
Here are the detailed steps:
Step 1. Find the IMEI/Serial number of your iPhone. If you don’t know how, just check out this guide.
Step 2. Visit the official website of AppleiPhoneUnlock.
Step 3. Enter the IMEI or Serial number, it will automatically detect the model of your device.
Step 4. Then click on Unlock iCloud to proceed.
Step 5. On the order page, agree to their terms of service. And pay with your credit or debit card.
The average delivery time should be 5 days. If you’re in a hurry, just select the FastTrack service. There is a premium removal service that will complete your order within 24 hours.
Then you need to do nothing, but just wait. Once completes, you’ll be informed. Then connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network, your iPhone will be reset automatically without the requirement of Apple ID or password. And you can use your iPhone directly without any limits after resetting.
This is the easiest way we found ever. And you’ll like it.
2Tenorshare 4MeKey
Another effective solution is Tenorshare 4MeKey. This software provides an extremely fast and hassle-free solution to reset your iPhone without Apple ID password when Find My iPhone is on .
Just as AppleiPhoneUnlock, 4MeKey would also enable you to reactivate and use your iPhone like brand new without any lock screen or Apple ID constraint after a factory reset.
What’s better than AppleiPhoneUnlock, 4Mekey is faster, it will reset your iPhone within 15 minutes! If you’re interested in it, here is how you can use 4MeKey to reset your iPhone without Apple ID password:
Step 1. Download, install, and open Tenorshare 4Mekey.
Step 2. From the home interface, click on Remove Activation Lock.
Step 3. Click on Start to proceed. There will be some risk notes (it will jailbreak your device), read them carefully before going to the next step.
Step 4. Connect your iPhone to computer, it will start to download the jailbreak tool.
Step 5. Then follow the instructions it shows to jailbreak your device.
Step 6. After the jailbreak completes, confirm your device info and click on Start.
Then your iPhone will be reset within minutes.
After resetting, just simply open your iPhone and use it without an Apple ID.
Differing from AppleiPhoneUnlock, Tenorshare 4MeKey will Jailbreak your device, and any SIM card won’t work on your device. If you’re open to this, 4MeKey is not a bad solution.
Read our Tenorshare 4MeKey Review if you want to learn more about it.
3Reset Your Apple ID Password
If you just simply don’t remember your Apple ID password, resetting it is an easy solution. This can be done in several different ways. I’m going to show you the most common one.
Step 1. Visit https://iforgot.apple.com/password/verify/appleid
Step 2. Offer your Apple ID and click on Continue. You can find your Apple ID by going to Settings > [Your Name].
Step 3. Enter your phone number and click on Continue. And answer some security questions if necessary.
Step 4. Then set your new password.
After resetting your Apple ID password, you’re now able to reset your iPhone:
Step 5. Open Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 6. Navigate to General > Reset > Erase all content and settings.
Step 7. Finally, enter your Apple ID password and confirm the reset. The whole process won’t take you long.
4Flash Firmware of Your Device
Flashing the firmware of your iPhone can also enable you to reset it without Apple ID password when Find My iPhone is ON. But it will require the Apple ID and password when you try to reactivate your iPhone after resetting.
That’s why we recommend AppleiPhoneUnlock and 4Mekey to do this since it allows you to regain access to your iPhone without Apple ID or password.
If you just want to reset your iPhone, then simply follow the steps below to flash the firmware of it.
Step 1. Open iTunes (or Finder if it’s a Mac) on your computer and connect your iPhone via a USB cable.
Step 2. Put your iPhone into recovery mode which can be done by following Apple’s instructions [2] depending on your iPhone’s model.
Step 3. When your iPhone is in recovery mode, there will be a pop-up window says “There is a problem with the iPhone…”
Step 4. Click on Restore. iTunes will download the firmware package. After the download completes, it will automatically flash the firmware of your iPhone.
After this, your iPhone will be reset without requiring the Apple ID password.
iTunes is not the only way to flash firmware, if it failed to do this, you can also try some third-party software such as 4uKey.
5Use iCloud Login Finder
When it’s a second-hand iPhone and you don’t have access to the previous owner, then it’s a good idea to use the iCloud Login Finder to find the contact info of the previous owner and ask him/her to remotely reset your iPhone via iCloud.
If you’re not familiar with iCloud Login Finder, just check out our review about it.
Once you successfully find the previous owner, ask him/her to follow these steps to reset your iPhone remotely:
Note: You need to make sure your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network first.
Step 1. Visit iCloud.com and log in with the Apple ID and password.
Step 2. On the next page, click Find iPhone.
Step 3. From the All Device list, select the iPhone you want to reset. And then click on Erase. Enter your Apple ID password to confirm.
Step 4. After erasing, click on Remove from Account.
Then your iPhone will be erased and removed remotely from the previous owner’s iCloud account. Once finished, you can set up your device with your own Apple ID.
The Bottom Line
That’s all for how to reset an iPhone without Apple ID password when Find My iPhone is ON. The good news is that the above methods can also work for iPad and iPod Touch.
AppleiPhoneUnlock is the best solution if you want to reset & reactivate your iPhone without password. If you simply want to reset it, then just flash the firmware of it since it’s a free solution.
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Also, if any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.
