How to remove someone's Icloud/Apple ID from Iphone

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › How to remove someone's Icloud/Apple ID from Iphone

sarahk8944

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#144056 6-May-2014 10:11

Hi, hoping someone can help with my issue. We have a range of business iphones we give to the staff that are returned when the leave (not always leaving on the best terms). One iphone was given back to us with the pin number on it. We couldn't get hold of the guy who gave it back (probably for the best not a good guy) so we forced a factory reset on the phone. This was fine to start with, started setting it up as a new phone. Got to about step 3 where you can put in an apple id and we find it has the ex employee's icloud details wanting us to log in. There is no option to sign it out and log in with a new one. All other forums I have read is that we would need the ex employee to remotely remove this device from his icloud and then we should be able to continue setting up the phone as a new phone. Problem is this guy does not want to be contacted, so I am very confident we will get no assistance from him.

Can anyone shed some light on any other work arounds? This is so frustrating since we own the phone, have the receipts of it etc. but its locked to an ex employee..

Thanks in advance.

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#1037545 6-May-2014 10:15

Does the account use a work email address that you can get access to? Then use https://iforgot.apple.com/password/verify/appleid to reset the password.

If not, you might need to contact apple to try and get the Apple ID changed for the account http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/

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gehenna

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#1037547 6-May-2014 10:15

Do a DFU restore and set it up as a new device, that should wipe it cleanly?

trig42

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#1037548 6-May-2014 10:16

Yep, it is a security feature, locked into Find My iPhone (actually, I'm surprised it let you reset it, it should not reset until the AppleID is entered).

Might be a service trip to Apple?

sarahk8944

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1037549 6-May-2014 10:17

I've tried the factory reset a couple of times an no luck. Looks like it has been wiped but start the setup process and still find his icloud details sitting in there. Doesn't seem to wipe them.

andrewNZ

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#1037559 6-May-2014 10:29

I'd try the DFU reset as mentioned above.

I'd also suggest it's time to alter contracts to say, phones will be returned in a fully unlocked state and/or factory reset

gehenna

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#1037590 6-May-2014 10:46

Factory reset isn't DFU restore....

sarahk8944

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1037591 6-May-2014 10:46

Yip agree with putting something in their contracts. One issue is this guy left on bad terms, he was a thief etc. I don't think he would have been very helpful in the matter regardless what was in a contract with him. The DFU reset doesn't resolve the issue unfortunately. We have left a message with Apple, one of their technician's will try and help apparently if we can get his apple id.

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sarahk8944

7 posts

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#1037592 6-May-2014 10:47

SO just to clarify I have tried the DFU reset, its the only option I had since I couldn't get into any parts of the phone.

gehenna

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#1037594 6-May-2014 10:49

Gotcha. How many iDevices do you have in the business? Might be time for a MDM solution of some sort?

sarahk8944

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#1037595 6-May-2014 10:50

We have around 7 iphones at the moment.

xpd

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#1037603 6-May-2014 10:56

Meraki offer a free MDM solution, works well and has some good features. Works on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows devices.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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sarahk8944

7 posts

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#1037605 6-May-2014 10:57

Thank you, I'll look into that. We definitely need a better way of managing these phones.

tripp

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#1038335 7-May-2014 13:26

sarahk8944: Thank you, I'll look into that. We definitely need a better way of managing these phones.

We have the same problem with a number of our devices and with iOS7 (linking of the device ID to an icloud account started at iOS7.0)
What happens now is if the phone/ipad is signed into icloud and find my iphone/ipad is turned on in the settings the device ID is linked to the icloud ID on apples servers.
There is no way to activated the device again without the icloud ID (even if you have a MDM solution installed, we currently use airwatch).
DFU mode will not do it either as soon as the device goes to activate (which all ios7 devices need too) it will display the message and want the account info again.

What I have had to do is setup the devices with an company icloud account and turn off all options apart from find my iphone, the end user can still use the app store with their Apple ID but will not be able to remove the icloud account or turn off find my iphone, they will also not be able to save password or credit card details.

Now our devices are used for work (they are ipads) and if i have someone complains to me about it then I tell them to buy their own ipad and it's a business device used for business reasons.

For you however it might pay to write into your HR phone policy that the phones must be returned unlinked from any apple ID and reset or you will deduct the amount of a replacement from the final pay, get them to sign it when you give out the device.

sarahk8944

7 posts

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#1038350 7-May-2014 13:48

Thank you very much, we will definitely look into setting up a company icloud. The time being spent on this phone is crazy. We have had a long chat with Apple, they are somehow going to remove the device from that icloud. Don't know how, don't want to know just want it done. Thanks everyone for the advice. Valuable lessons learnt here.

tripp

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#1038359 7-May-2014 14:05

sarahk8944: Thank you very much, we will definitely look into setting up a company icloud. The time being spent on this phone is crazy. We have had a long chat with Apple, they are somehow going to remove the device from that icloud. Don't know how, don't want to know just want it done. Thanks everyone for the advice. Valuable lessons learnt here.

That is the other way to do it (get apple to remove the device ID from the icloud account) but this can take so long to do and you have to prove the device is the companies etc.
It is a good idea what apple has done as if the device is stolen the people can't use it even after reloading the OS via DFU mode.
Just a bit of a pain if you have a number of devices to look after

Once you have setup the company ID for icloud make sure you turn off everything (keychain, backups etc) under icloud setting except find my iphone.
Also go into the General settings under about and change the device name to something like the users name, this way you can then log in to icloud with the company ID and use that to find phones, delete or lock them.

Like i said before they can still use their their apple ID for the app store and itunes etc.

If they really want to use icloud get them to sign something :)

Oh on another note we get our staff to sign something saying that they can use the devices for games etc however we are not held responsible for any lost personal data from a remote delete (had 1 guy go nuts because his device was wiped along with pictures of his grand kids first xmas pictures) and the devices "may" be tracked if needed.

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