Why Is My Sold iPhone Still Showing Activation Lock?

September 17, 2026 1 answer
Asked by MellowPine47
I sold an iPhone 11 Pro Max that would not turn on at the time, so I could not fully reset it. It was asking to be connected to a computer. I removed the phone from my Apple Account, but the buyer says it now powers on and displays "iPhone Locked to Owner," asking for an activation code. The device no longer appears in my iCloud device list. Why is Activation Lock still showing, and what should I do?

Answers

CedarFox82
First confirm the exact wording on the screen. If it says โ€œiPhone Locked to Ownerโ€ and identifies you, the phone still has Activation Lock information stored on it. Since it was offline when you removed it from your account, it may not have received that change yet. Have the buyer connect it to Wiโ€‘Fi and restart the setup process. Once it contacts Appleโ€™s activation servers, the removal may be recognized.

MellowPine47: The buyer confirmed that it says โ€œLocked to Ownerโ€ and that it identifies me. Iโ€™ll have them connect it to Wiโ€‘Fi and try the setup again.

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