What is Activation Lock?

Activation lock prevents any unauthorized entry into an Apple device by preventing individuals from reactivating your device without your permission. Activation lock is linked to the ‘Find My’ app feature and communicates with Apple’s iCloud and Apple ID. Enabling this feature will lock down the Apple device until the user’s Apple ID and password are entered.

When you switch on the ‘Find My’ app on your device, the activation lock is turned on automatically. Even if you wipe the device remotely, the lock remains active making it difficult for the intruder to use the device properly. For this, you should keep your Apple ID and password secure.

What to do if you lose your device?

If you ever misplace your device —whether it’s lost or you suspect it’s been stolen— mark it as lost in the ‘Find My’ app right away. ‘Mark As Lost’ uses a passcode to lock your screen and displays a personalized message with your phone number to help you find it. If necessary, you can remotely wipe your device. Even after the device is erased, your personalized message will still be visible to anybody who finds your device. You can provide contact details or your nearest police station so that they can hand over the device safely.

But on the contrary, having an activation lock can be sometimes troublesome. Consider a case where you want to reset a corporate-owned device, one which is locked with an employee’s Apple ID. In such cases, you’ll have to bypass the activation lock.

With Hexnode UEM, you can bypass the activation lock in two ways. You can either chose to clear the activation lock from the MDM console or you can bypass it with a bypass code. Even after bypassing the activation lock, you can re-activate the lock if needed.