Wiping old iPhone to give to grandson

I gave my old iPhone 6S to my granddaughter (age 12 now). Then a year later, she got my newer iPhone 11 when I got an iPhone 13 and the 6S was forgotten. Unfortunately she set up her own Apple ID for her new phone (the 11) and the 6S wasn't wiped. Now I want to give the 6S to my grandson (age 9) to take pictures at Disney World and to be able to text when wifi is available. How do I wipe the old phone so I can set it up for his use? Here are some salient points:

  1. We know the Apple ID email address used with the 6S but not the password for that email account or for that Apple ID. I do have her new Apple ID and password, but I don't think that is of any help.
  2. That 6S email is not available to her anymore (or she has forgotten it). It is a gmail address, so I will try to recover the password. Hopefully a recovery email was set up --maybe using her mom, dad or me. But I'm not hopeful.
  3. There is a sim card and I think they did something with the sim card to set up her new phone.
  4. I want to either set up a new Apple ID for my grandson or add this device back to my account.


Any suggestions? Would any more info be helpful? Can this be done?

Thanks for any help

Kaye

Earlier iPhone models

Posted on Jul 25, 2023 06:51 AM

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3 replies

Jul 25, 2023 06:59 AM in response to brakada

FYI, it’s not possible for a child under 13 to “truthfully” setup an AppleID.


It can only be created by the Family Organizer as described here:


Create an Apple ID for your child - Apple Support


Allowing a child to di it improperly bypasses many of the “child protective” measures engineered into Apple’s systems.


It also sets a not so good precedent.


Jul 25, 2023 08:22 AM in response to brakada

To get to the crux of your post which is apparently getting the 6s working again…


You options are to either get the account working again so you can reset the device yourself, or to ask Apple to reset the device but this won't get the account working as part of doing that.


1) This Apple article has instructions for what to do if you have forgotten your Apple account password —> If you forgot your Apple ID password - Apple Support


or go directly to this link —> http://iforgot.apple.com/


If you didn't receive your verification or reset email, read this Apple Support article: If you didn't receive your verification or reset email - Apple Support

"When you make certain updates to your Apple ID, we’ll send you an email to help you complete the update. For example, you might have reset your password, reset your security questions, or added a new email address to your account."


If you find you can’t sign in, reset your password, or receive verification codes, you can request account recovery (read this support article: How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple ID password - Apple Support ) to regain access to your account. Account recovery might take a few days or longer, depending on the specific account information you can provide to verify your identity.


If you still need help:

Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security "This article provides country-specific Apple Support contact information for customers seeking help with their Apple ID password or other security-related issues." —> Contact Apple for help with Apple ID account security - Apple Support


2) Apple can completely reset a device if a person can provide sufficient evidence of valid ownership. Do this online at: Activation Lock support request - https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support Apple says, "Proof of ownership documentation is required," but does not detail what currently constitutes proof. Prior to this new online service Apple typically required the original receipt issued by Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller and documented provenance (so typically it would be the original owner who does this, or a descendant with legal proof of ownership). This will give you access to the device but won't restore access to the account used to lock it. There is nothing that can be done to expedite an Activation Lock request.


Apple recommends you "Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device" --> Keep your receipt after you buy an Apple device - Apple Support




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Wiping old iPhone to give to grandson

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