My Friend recently gave me her old iPhone 6 and she said that it was currently iCloud locked to AT&T. I have no clue what an iCloud locked AT&T iPhone means. Can I still use the iCloud Locked AT&T iPhone 6 as an iPod to store some music on?
IPhone – iCloud Locked AT&T iPhone 6
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Related Solutions
This is most likely the carrier intentionally deactivating the old SIM.
When iPhones first came out, your current phone would normally get deactivated at the moment you purchased a new phone and told the carriers to move the service to the new phone. Now, they wait until the new phone checks in to perform the swap to account for delivery delays, backups, etc...
Your first step should be to contact the carrier and explain that you want service on both phones and arrange for which number rings to which device. They might be able to accommodate this over the phone, but if the old SIM has been deactivated in the networks, most carriers are very unwilling (or unable) to re-activate the old SIM and instead ask you to get a new SIM from them at a convenient local retail spot or by them shipping you new SIM card(s).
Apple's restore process and activation of the device doesn't affect network activation and for locked phones, you just need a SIM for the correct carrier to activate the device. iOS does not check or care that the contract is expired, not established or live for iOS activation - just that the SIM is manufactured for the correct carrier.
Is the phone locked to iCloud? If it is then I refer you to this answer.
Assuming no, then you will just need to wipe the phone. Assuming that you have backed up your data (music, photos etc) then open the Settings app.
Go to General -> Reset (scroll to the bottom) -> Erase All Content and Settings -> Erase iPhone
Wait a while (it can take some time) and then the phone will be as new. It will welcome you with a "Welcome" message.
That's it!
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Best Answer
iCloud lock is properly called Activation Lock and doesn’t have anything to do with any carrier:
The owner of that iCloud can release the device from any web browser they log in to their account.
If the phone is carrier locked - you’ll need to work with your new carrier or the old carrier to resolve that if you want to have cellular data on it.
With that out of the way - you can always use a carrier locked iPhone as an iPod Touch and no data connection. That lock only prevents cellular data and service. You can’t use an Activaytion Locked device since iTunes won’t restore it and Apple won’t sign an download to run the OS on a locked / presumably stolen device.