I have a 10th-generation iPad that is still enrolled in a school's mobile device management system. The organization that operated the school has gone bankrupt, its owners were arrested, and the IT department is no longer available. The iPad enters Remote Management during setup, and even erasing it causes the management enrollment to return. Since there is no administrator available to remove the device from Apple School Manager, is there any legitimate technical or administrative process to make the iPad usable? Would Apple consider removing the enrollment if I provide documentation proving the organization has closed or become insolvent?
2 Answers
Apple Support generally cannot override an organization’s MDM or School Manager assignment just because someone has possession of the iPad. Contact the seller first and request a refund, or obtain documentation showing that the device was legally transferred to you. If the organization’s assets are being handled through bankruptcy proceedings, the trustee may be the appropriate person to contact. Without an authorized release, the practical options are returning it, selling it for parts, or keeping it as a locked device.
If the iPad is still assigned to the organization in Apple School Manager, a factory reset will not remove the enrollment. Only the organization’s administrator, or whoever legally takes control of its assets, can normally unassign the serial number from the management system. There is no consumer-side bypass for this enrollment.
A closure by itself usually does not release the device. You would need to identify the bankruptcy trustee, liquidator, or other authorized successor and ask them to have the device removed from the organization’s account.