I work at a hotel where guests frequently leave behind phones, tablets, earbuds, and other electronics. Our lost-property procedure is to contact the guest, leave a voicemail, and send an email if we cannot reach them. After nine months, unclaimed items may be taken or disposed of according to hotel policy. While sorting through older items, we found an iPad from last year. I reset it successfully, but it is still protected by Activation Lock. Would Apple consider removing the lock if I provided the hotel's lost-property records and disposal policy? I cannot reach the original owner and do not have the original receipt or proof of purchase. If there is no legitimate way to unlock it, I would rather know before spending time on it—I just hate the idea of a usable device becoming electronic waste.
2 Answers
Apple generally will not remove Activation Lock without the original owner’s Apple Account credentials or acceptable proof of purchase. A factory reset does not remove the lock; it is specifically designed to stop someone who finds or acquires a lost device from using it. The hotel’s records may show how it came into your possession, but they probably will not count as Apple’s required proof of purchase, so it is effectively a paperweight unless the original owner can be reached.
You could still contact Apple through its official Activation Lock support process and explain the situation. Have the iPad’s serial number, the lost-property record, and documentation of the hotel’s retention and disposal policy ready, but keep expectations low. Apple may consider an ownership request only if its requirements are met. If the iPad belonged to a business or school, that organisation might have a management system capable of removing the lock; that would not apply to a normal personal device. Avoid websites or tools claiming to bypass Activation Lock, since they are unreliable and may create privacy or security problems.
That is what I suspected. I understand why the security feature exists, but it still feels wasteful when the hotel has followed its lost-property process and the owner has not responded.