AppleInsider Staff
Adding to its collection of Web-based security tools, Apple on Wednesday published a webpage that allows users to check a device's Activation Lock status, ensuring safe and smooth transfer of ownership for used iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models.
The new iCloud tool, first spotted by iDownloadBlog, is part of Apple's Find My iPhone service and comes presented as a dedicated page on the company's iCloud.com website.
Users are asked to enter an iOS device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or serial number, which is then cross-checked against an internal database to ensure Activation Lock is not currently turned on for that unit. The process is useful for those purchasing secondhand iPhones, iPads or iPod touches, who need the security feature disabled to gain access to the device.
As a side note, Apple has opted to use a CAPTCHA phrase to protect the site from bots.
Introduced as part of iOS 7, Activation Lock prevents theft and protects lost iOS devices by locking out users who do not know the Apple ID and password registered to that specific device. When activated, the feature prevents nefarious users from disabling Find My iPhone, performing a data wipe or reactivating the device under a different name.
Metropolitan law enforcement agencies have lauded the security feature, saying its implementation contributed to a noticeable drop in iPhone thefts over the first five months of 2014.
As a precautionary measure, Activation Lock is turned on by default with Apple's latest iOS 8, as is a new feature called "Send Last Location," which pushes out an iPhone or iPad's last known coordinates before its battery dies.
Malcolm Owen
Wesley Hilliard
Marko Zivkovic
Christine McKee
25 Comments
Nice of them to add this, but these lookup pages are all over the web. I think most of the carriers have a lookup page as well.
True but most of them want $$ before they will tell you the status.
Now only if Apple could do the same for SIM-lock status checking.
Not sure who would use this. When you're checking out a used device all you have to do is see if Find My iPhone is turned off. If it's disabled you're good to go. If it's on then ask the seller to turn it off. If they can't, then run away.
Nice of them to add this, but these lookup pages are all over the web. I think most of the carriers have a lookup page as well.
No they are not.
This doesn’t check to see if the phone is blacklisted with the cell carriers.
It checks Apple’s database to see if the iPhone Activation lock/FindMyiPhone has been turned off.