Unlocking a Second-Hand iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide

Buying a second-hand phone or inheriting one is not an unusual thing to do for most people. Aside from being cheaper and saving resources, throwing the phones away will be a waste. It is still functional, so why not sell it or buy it? Or pass it on to someone in the family or friends who might need it? Especially with iPhones and other iDevices, it is not an unknown fact that iPhones are more expensive than other smartphones. This is because, aside from the goodwill of their brand, their iPhones are known to be durable. This is why buying a second-hand iPhone or using an inherited one is not bad. Most times, the iPhone is still in good condition, and there are a lot of service centers that can help resolve minor problems with the iPhone. However, it is rare for smartphone users not to put passwords on their devices. Sometimes, the original owners of these second-hand iPhones forget to remove their passwords. It is easy to ask the original owner to remove the password themselves, but sometimes they are from somewhere far away. In this case, asking them to remove the passcode will be a hassle. So how will you be able to unlock second hand iPhone? Read the post now and discover five solutions to the problem.

Unlock the Second Hand iPhone Directly from Settings

Unlocking the second-hand iPhone and removing the passcode will be easy if the original owner is nearby. You can easily ask them to open the phone for you and use the iPhone settings to turn off the passcode. Changing the password is also possible once the original owner unlocks a used iPhone. Here are the steps to turn off the password after the first owner unlocks the iPhone.

User-guide:

• Have the original owner enter the password of the device and unlock it. Next, open the Settings. Depending on what your iOS version shows, click Touch ID & Passcode, Face ID & Passcode, or Passcodes.
• To access the settings, ask the original owner again to enter the password. Scroll down to Turn Passcode Off and tap it.
• Hit Turn Off to remove the passcode. The iPhone will again ask for the original password as a confirmation and ask the owner to re-enter their password. After that, all passwords will be disabled, and you can now enter your own.

Ask the Original Owner to Unlock iPhone Remotely via Find My

If you bought a second hand iPhone locked and the seller is from somewhere far, the first solution is a hassle to do. Luckily, you can use the Find My method to unlock the iPhone and reset the password. If the Apple ID logged in on your bought iPhone is still the original owner’s, you can ask them to do this method. This is also better for them since all their data will be deleted from the iPhone.

User-guide:

• At the seller’s other iDevices, ask them to look for the Find My on the Application Drawer. Let them open it to access the settings.
• Tell them to hit the Devices Tab to see all their iDevices and have them select the iPhone that you bought from them.
• Ask the seller to click the Erase This Device button on their screen, and it will automatically reset the iPhone you bought. You can then put up a new password for your iPhone after the reset.

Have Original Owner Unlock iPhone with iCloud

Unlock second hand iPhone methods above rely on the owner being near or having other iDevices. But if both are not satisfied, they can’t unlock the iPhone directly from settings or via Find My. However, you can ask them to unlock the iPhone using the iCloud website. They can access the website on any device with a browser, even if Apple doesn’t make it. Below are the steps to reset the data and unlock the iPhone.

User-guide:

• Instruct them to open their browser and open the iCloud website. Let them enter their Apple ID login credentials to manage the iPhone remotely.
• Ask the original owner of the iDevice to click the All Devices drop-down menu at the top of the screen. Then, tell them to click the iPhone they sold or gave to you.
• Direct them to tap the Erase iPhone button, the third one below, to unlock the iPhone. It will also delete all the user content from the iPhone and allow you to set everything up after the reboot.

Reset via iTunes to Unlock iPhone

If you can no longer contact the original owner who sold the iPhone to you, or the person who gave it to you is busy, you can do this method. You only need a computer, a USB cord, and an updated iTunes installed on the computer to perform this solution. Furthermore, unlock a used iPhone with iTunes will not only remove the passcode but also erase all the iPhone data.

User-guide:

• Launch your iTunes software on the computer and connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB connector.
• Wait for iTunes to scan the iPhone and show the settings to manage the iPhone via the tool’s interface.
• Hit Restore iPhone to unlock the passcode of the second-hand iPhone and reset all of its content.

Use the Best Tool to Unlock the Second Hand iPhone

Salient Features: This can unlock any passcode from iPhones and also bypass Screen Time and Apple ID.
Leverage from Other Methods: Doesn’t need a password, contact with the original owner, or another iDevice.

Using an unlocking tool to unlock the second-hand iPhone you bought or inherited is one of the solutions. With AceThinker iPhone Unlocker, you can use this as a secret passcode to unlock any iPhone because all types of passcode such as 4-digit or 6-digit, alphanumeric, and Face or Touch ID can easily be wiped. Furthermore, if the iPhone also has Apple ID logged in and Screen Time passwords, the tool can help you circumvent those too. Using the tool doesn’t require computer expertise since all you have to do is click buttons and it will perform the task for you. It is optimized to run on a minimum system of 200 MB of free hard disk space, 1GHz Intel/AMD CPU, and 1024 RAM. It works for both Windows and Mac so almost all computers can be used to run this tool on your unlocking problems.

Step 1 Open the Wipe Passcode Mode

Start by downloading and installing the AceThinker iPhone Unlocker to your computer. Afterward launch the unlocking software, then tap the first button from the top. It is the Wipe Passcode Mode that will help you remove the iPhone password. The program will describe the characteristics and functions of the mode in the next window, and you can click Start after reading. Lastly, use a USB cord to link the computer and the iPhone.

Step 2 Verifying the Specifications of Second Hand iPhone

The next step will be the tool scanning your second iPhone. After that, it will display the information or specifications of the device. Before clicking the Start button, double-check that the specs of the iPhone and the ones displayed on the screen match. If not, use the drop-down settings to choose the right device specifications.

Step 3 Firmware Download for Second Hand iPhone

A firmware specific to your iPhone model will begin downloading. It will be used to unlock the iPhone and reset and restore the device. You can see the progress of the firmware download at the bar below, along with the download size and download speed.

Step 4 Unlock the Second Hand iPhone with the Keycode

Before you can finally unlock your second-hand iPhone, you need to enter the keycode first to confirm the reset. Enter ‘0000’ at the empty text box then click Unlock button or click Enter on the keyboard. The data of the iPhone will be deleted along with the set passcode.

Conclusion

There are many methods to unlock a second-hand iPhone with free iPhone unlocker software. But if you want the most convenient one, as it doesn’t require a lot of things, you can choose to use AceThinker iPhone Unlocker. The steps are straightforward, and you can do it even without the cooperation of the original owner.

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