No longer have the email address for this iPad
Want to set up a older iPad for use, no longer have the email address associated with this iPad. How can I set it up and use it ? Please
iPad, iOS 10
Question marked as
Evidently your iPad is Activation Locked to an AppleID account - for which you don’t have access to the associated email address.
Few of us will have the luxury of forever keeping the same email addresses or telephone numbers - sometimes these needing to be changed for a variety of reasons. Updating our AppleID account, maintaining access to our data and purchases, is easy and relatively straightforward - accommodating life’s many changes as they occur. Using a completely different AppleID account can introduce many complications and issues, not limited to losing access to paid Apps, subscriptions and services - and the ability to satisfy Activation Locks when, inevitably, they are encountered.
An AppleID account is intended to be used for life. If you need to change the primary email address that identifies your account, or your secondary (recovery) email addresses or trusted telephone numbers, you simply need to update your AppleID account as necessary.
Change your Apple ID - Apple Support
Change your Apple ID password - Apple Support
What to do after you change your Apple ID or password - Apple Support
Change, add, or remove Apple ID payment methods - Apple Support
If you have chosen to set-up and use an entirely different AppleID with newer devices - and haven’t maintained/updated your original AppleID account, you may now have permanently lost access to your locked device.
Here are the Apple support pages that outline the Activation Lock - and the available mechanisms by which it can be satisfied:
Activation Lock for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support
Turn off Activation Lock – Apple Support
As you will discover, unless you are the owner of the AppleID that was last used to activate the device, you’ll not be able to defeat or bypass the Activation Lock. With documentary evidence that you are the original owner (such as sales receipt showing the serial number), Apple may be prepared to assist - otherwise they and nobody here will be able to help you.
If you have the necessary documentation, Apple have introduced a portal though which you may be able to request release of an Activation Lock:
How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support & start an Activation Lock support request.
However, for a properly maintained AppleID account, recovery of the associated credentials should be possible…:
To recover your credentials, you’ll need access to any one of the following:
- Your primary email address mailbox that corresponds with your AppleID
- Any of the secondary/recovery email addresses that should be configured for your AppleID account
- Any of the trusted telephone numbers (fixed line or Cellular/Mobile) that are associated with your AppleID
Unless you AppleID account has not been fully/correctly configured, or has been seriously neglected, recovery of the AppleID and password should not be difficult.
More information about recovery of your AppleID:
If you forgot your Apple ID - Apple Support
More information about recovery of your AppleID password:
If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support
When you recover access to your credentials, you would be well advised to log-in to your AppleID account from a web browser - and verify/update any email addresses and trusted telephone numbers: