If Activation Lock is present when we collect a device, we may charge $50 for reaching out to your organisation and unlocking it.
What is Activation Lock?
Activation lock is a feature intended to prevent your Apple device from being accessed, even in the event that it is lost or stolen. When Activation Lock is enabled, both your Apple ID and password are required in order to turn off the Find my Mac feature, erase your Mac, or reactivate and use your Mac. While this is a wonderful feature to keep your device secure, it can become problematic if the feature is not removed prior to the collection of your Hofy device. For that reason, the removal of the Activation Lock is a crucial step in our collection checklist.
[ACCORDION] How is Activation Lock removed?
Depending on if the device is still in your possession or if it has already been collected, you will follow one of the below instructions to disable Activation Lock.
Before a Collection:
To remove the Activation Lock on your device before collection, turn off Find My Mac
macOS Ventura or later
1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
2. Click your name (Apple ID) in the sidebar.
3. Click iCloud on the right.
4. Scroll down and turn off Find My Mac, then enter your Apple ID password when prompted.
5. Activation Lock is also disabled when you use the Erase All Content and Settings feature.
macOS Monterey or earlier
1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
2. Click Apple ID.
3. Click iCloud in the sidebar.
4. Deselect the Find My Mac checkbox on the right, then enter your Apple ID password when prompted.
5. Activation Lock is also disabled when you use the Erase All Content and Settings feature.
After Collection:
- If you no longer have access to your Mac, you’ll need to use a web browser on another device to remove Activation Lock on the web.
- If you have forgotten your Apple ID password and cannot access your Apple ID account, please follow the steps outlined in this Apple Support article.
- Please note that when signed into your iCloud, you will only see your current devices. Signing in via www.iCloud.com/find will show all historic devices.
If you receive a redistributed Mac that shows an Activation Lock window (see above image), asking for someone else's Apple ID, the previous owner will need to remove Activation Lock in order for the device to be usable/accessible. Please reach out to Hofy support immediately so that we can attempt to have this removed by the previous user.
[ACCORDION] How can we prevent devices becoming unusable due to Activation Locks?
Hofy's pre-configuration service: As part of this service, you can ensure that no Activation Lock is ever triggered (either by preventing signup to Find My MacBook, or preventing the linking of an Apple ID to the device).
Hofy's MDM service: Using Hofy's MDM service, you can bypass any Activation Locks on your devices, gaining access to a previously locked device.
If you are interested in either of these Hofy services, please reach out to your Account Owner.