What does "Apple ID locked" mean?

It means one of two things. Either your own Apple ID account has been locked or disabled for security reasons (too many wrong password attempts, or Apple flagged unusual activity), or a device you have is tied to someone else's Apple ID through Activation Lock. The fix is different for each.

Can I unlock an iPhone linked to a previous owner's Apple ID?

Yes. That is iCloud Activation Lock, and it's a different problem from a locked account. If you own a device stuck on a previous owner's Apple ID, an IMEI-based service like PhoneDecoded can request removal of the Activation Lock at Apple's server level. Enter your IMEI to check eligibility and price.

Apple ID · Locked or Disabled

Apple ID Locked?

Q: How do I get back into my own account?

If it's your own account, use Apple's official account recovery at iforgot.apple.com to reset your password and regain access. It's free. No third party can or should unlock your own Apple ID for you — anyone claiming to is best avoided.

Q: My Apple ID says disabled — now what?

A disabled Apple ID is usually reset through iforgot.apple.com or by contacting Apple Support. If the account was disabled for security, resetting the password normally restores access. This is an account issue, not a device unlock.

Q: Does any of this cost money?

Recovering access to your own Apple ID at iforgot.apple.com is free. Removing iCloud Activation Lock from a device tied to a previous owner is a paid service, because it requires a server-level removal request.

The phrase covers two problems that have almost nothing in common: an account of yours that Apple has shut, and a handset still signed in to somebody else's Apple ID. Sort out which one you are looking at and the fix follows.

PhoneDecoded works for the device owner. We hold no commercial relationship with Apple Inc., act on nobody’s behalf but yours, and claim no endorsement from anyone. Apple, iPhone, iPad, iCloud and Apple ID are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Start here

Two problems, one name

They read the same on screen and are resolved in entirely different ways. Settle which one you have before you spend anything.

1. Apple has shut your own account

Signing in with your own email address gets you a notice about the account being locked for security reasons, or disabled. Too many wrong passwords is the usual cause; occasionally it is a security flag.

This one costs nothing to fix — see below.

2. The handset belongs to somebody else's Apple ID

The phone is asking for an Apple ID that was never yours, which is what usually happens after a second-hand purchase. That is iCloud Activation Lock and it has nothing to do with your account.

This one is cleared from the IMEI — see below.

When the account is yours

Getting your own Apple ID back, free

Nobody should be charging you for this. Apple's own recovery process resets the password and lets you back in:

Go to iforgot.apple.com

Open Apple's recovery page and give it the locked Apple ID email address.

Verify it's you

Prove it is you, using a trusted device, your recovery key, or whichever verification Apple puts in front of you.

Reset your password

Choose a new password. The account opens again and iCloud, the App Store and everything else attached come back with it.

One warning

There is no outside company that can reopen your Apple ID account. Apple alone can, through recovery. Anybody charging a fee to unlock an Apple ID is running a scam or fishing for your credentials. What we sell is Activation Lock removal on a handset you own, and never account recovery.

When the phone belongs to someone else's account

Clearing Activation Lock from the IMEI

An iPhone or iPad you bought second-hand or inherited, asking for an Apple ID that was never yours, is showing iCloud Activation Lock rather than an account problem. Where the device is genuinely yours, we can ask for it to be lifted at Apple's server level.

Ask the previous owner (best)

Still in touch? Have them take the device off their account at icloud.com/find. It works immediately and costs nothing.

Check your IMEI

No way of contacting them? Dial *#06#, or look under Settings → General → About, then put the IMEI into our iCloud unlock page for an eligibility answer and a price.

Server-side removal

Where the handset qualifies, the lock comes off at Apple's server level. It stays off, nothing is jailbroken, and the money-back guarantee applies.

More detail: read our guide to an iPhone locked to owner.

FAQ

Apple ID Locked — FAQ

What is it actually telling me?

One of two things. Either Apple has locked or disabled your own account for security reasons, or a handset in your possession is still bound to another person's Apple ID by Activation Lock. A shut account is reopened through Apple. A bound handset needs the Activation Lock taken off.

How do I get back into my own account?

Go through Apple's own recovery at iforgot.apple.com, reset the password and you are back in. It costs nothing, and nobody outside Apple can do it for you or should offer to.

My Apple ID says disabled — now what?

Same route: iforgot.apple.com, or a call to Apple Support. A password reset almost always puts it right. This is an account matter and has nothing to do with unlocking a device.

Can an iPhone tied to its old owner be freed?

Yes, and what you are describing is iCloud Activation Lock. On a handset that is rightfully yours, a service working from the IMEI can request removal at Apple's server level. Send us the IMEI and we will tell you whether it qualifies and what it costs.

Does any of this cost money?

Recovering your own account through iforgot.apple.com is free. Taking iCloud Activation Lock off a device that belongs to somebody else's Apple ID is the part we charge for.

Phone stuck on somebody else's Apple ID?

Send us the IMEI and we will check it and price it straight away. If it is your own account that is shut, go to iforgot.apple.com instead and pay nothing.

Check My IMEI & Price →