Manually clearing the activation lock on supervised iOS devices

The activation lock setting is a iOS security feature that prevents device users from resetting or activating a device without knowing the iCloud account information. On supervised iOS devices, IBM® MaaS360® administrators can disable this feature to reactivate bound devices.

Determining whether an activation lock is enabled on a supervised device

The activation lock setting is part of the Find My iPad or Find My iPhone feature on a device. If the setting is enabled on the device, the activation lock setting is also automatically enabled on the device.

To view this setting in the IBM MaaS360 Portal, follow the steps.
  1. Go to the Device view for the device (Devices > View), and select Location Information (this information is displayed even if privacy policies prevent this information from displaying in the portal).
  2. Go to the Find My Device field. One of the following settings is displayed.
    • Enabled
      The activation lock is also enabled on the device.
    • Disabled
      The device does not prompt for an Apple ID when the device is reset.

Clearing the activation lock setting on supervised iOS devices

Use any of the following methods to clear the activation lock setting.
  • The administrator can use the Clear Activation Lock option in the IBM MaaS360 Portal to generate a code while the device is being enrolled. The Clear Activation Lock option also appears in the old device record after the device is removed.
  • The administrator can use the Clear Activation Lock option from the Wipe device action menu in the IBM MaaS360 Portal.
    • The Clear Activation Lock option is available only for supervised iOS devices.
    • Prior to the device wipe, IBM MaaS360 tries to clear the lock automatically. If the lock fails to clear automatically, or if the device is already erased, the admin can request an activation lock code from the IBM MaaS360 Portal. Enter the code manually into the Password field but leave the Apple ID blank.
      Note: You must use the IBM MaaS360 Portal to request the activation lock code.
  • The administrator can clear the activation lock directly from the device.
    1. From the Activation Lock screen, leave the Apple ID field blank, and enter the generated code in the Password field (including the dashes).
    2. Tap Next. The device starts the activation unlock process.
      Note: Each device uses a code that is generated during device enrollment and is unique to that device. You cannot use an unlock code for one device on multiple devices.