Check Before you buy - Apples iCloud tool now reveals if your - TopicsExpress

Check Before you buy - Apples iCloud tool now reveals if your cellphone was stolen The activation lock is three screens in - after Check Language, Country, and Wi-Fi. Dont get caught like I did. Beware and read this! Following the release of Apple’s latest handsets, a wave of people flocked to sell their old models in order to get their hands on the new ones. But buying second-hand devices in this way can be risky, especially if you’re unsure if the handset on offer has been stolen or not. Apple has released a tool (https://icloud/activationlock/) that now lets potential buyers check to see if the Activation Lock on the handset is switched on, and whether the device needs a password to use. If an Activation Lock is enabled, it suggests the owner of the phone has not removed the security steps needed to access the device. It would, therefore, be unusual for a person selling the handset to leave it locked and protected – meaning there is a chance it is stolen, or doesnt belong to the person selling it. If the Activation Lock is switched off, buyers can assume that the device is being sold legally. Or, at the very least, it has been wiped and the previous owners details removed. To check a phone’s status, buyers enter the IMEI or serial number of the handset into the online tool. These numbers are listed in the phone’s Settings menu, by clicking General and About. If the phone is being sold online, and the buyer can’t see it before purchasing it, they should ask the seller for the IMEI or serial number. Alternatively, the seller can perform the check and provide proof about the phone’s status, before agreeing a sale. WHAT IS ACTIVATION LOCK? Activation Lock was added to Apples Find My iPhone feature in iOS 7. It is designed to prevent anyone else, other than the owner, from using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch if it is lost or stolen. The feature is automatically enabled when Find My iPhone is switched on. It is also known as a “Kill Switch” and renders the device useless. To access a phone with Activation Lock enabled, users will need a password and the connected Apple ID. To enable Find My iPhone, go to Settings, iCloud, sign in with an Apple ID and select Turn on Find My iPhone. Read more: dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2777739/Own-second-hand-iPhone-Apple-s-iCloud-tool-reveals-mobile-stolen.html#ixzz3F101Y7yU