Hey everyone, I was just browsing Instagram on my personal iPhone 12 when suddenly the screen went to a loading circle. Now, it says "iPhone locked to owner." I'm really concerned because I have sensitive data, including crypto keys in my gallery that aren't backed up on any cloud. Is there a way for me to recover my data? I've tried all the usual passwords and resets, but I'm worried about losing information worth millions. Thanks for any help!
3 Answers
You mentioned you were able to enter your passcode, which is a good sign! After that, it prompts you to select a language and country, right? If you’re able to get that far, start by reviewing your settings and see if there’s an option to reset or remove the lock. And definitely check the Apple support page for more guidance on this, just in case your account was compromised.
Are you sure it’s not one of those scareware messages? Some can be pretty convincing. Usually, the ‘locked to owner’ message is linked to someone else’s Apple ID. You’ll want to dig into your account settings to see if there’s anything suspicious going on and whether you can remove locks from there.
This seems pretty real to me! The message is persistent and includes my email. What should I do next?
It sounds like someone may have access to your Apple ID or you might have enabled some sort of lock by accident. Make sure you're not sharing your Apple ID with anyone. If you think you've lost control of your account, check out these tips to regain access. It's worth starting with the basics to see if you can get your account back.
I’m not sharing my Apple ID with anyone, I promise. Just me here!
Yeah, I can enter the passcode and choose options. But it’s weird that I see all this about my personal Gmail and location! What's going on?