Hi there! I recently dug up an old iPad that I think is from around 2012, possibly a mini. I want to use it as a simple clock at my son's desk, but I'm running into a big problem. Whenever I try to connect it to Wi-Fi, I get an error saying, "your iPad could not be activated because the activation server is unreachable." This is really frustrating because I don't need any Apple services or accounts—just a way to set it up so it displays the date and time when you press the button. Is there any way to bypass this activation screen and access settings to do that? I'd really appreciate any help!
1 Answer
You might want to try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network if possible. Sometimes, older devices can be picky about the connection. If that doesn’t work, unfortunately, without activation, you’re limited in what you can access on the iPad. It's tough, but you could also consider borrowing a newer device just to set it up and then use it off of Wi-Fi.
Yeah, switching networks could be a good shot! If the iPad is really stuck, you might also need to look into getting it activated through iTunes on a computer, but I know that’s not ideal.