My brother's iPhone was purchased new from an authorized retailer and worked normally for about a year. After updating an app, it suddenly displayed Activation Lock and showed a partially hidden iCloud address that doesn't match the Apple Account we recovered.
We can sign in to his Apple Account, and the iPhone appears under his devices with the correct IMEI. Apple emails also arrive at that account. However, during activation, the phone says: "This iPhone can't be unlocked with the Apple Account [account]."
The phone does not appear in Find My when we check that account, although it is listed among the account's devices. Could this be an Activation Lock or account-sync issue, and is there anything to try before contacting Apple Support?
1 Answer
Seeing the iPhone in the Apple Account’s device list does not necessarily mean that account owns the Activation Lock. Find My and Activation Lock are tied to the Apple Account that enabled Find My, so the hidden iCloud address is probably a different account or an old account that was previously associated with the phone. If the device does not appear in Find My under the recovered account, that account likely cannot remove the lock. Contact Apple Support with the original proof of purchase and the IMEI; they can determine whether the purchase documents qualify for an Activation Lock removal request.
We checked the account and the phone is listed under Devices, but it still does not show in Find My. That makes it seem like the device record and the Activation Lock account are not the same.