iPhone Buyer Claims to Need My iCloud Password

October 25, 2019 1:54 PM

Sold an iPhone 7 (with iOs 12) via eBay. Buyer said she needed password. I was 99% sure I'd reset the phone to "welcome screen", but sent her device password. Now she's asking for icloud password "to be able to disconnect from your account." I absolutely signed out of iCloud, Find My Phone, and iTunes (triple checked). What's my next move?
posted by Quisp Lover to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

I think there might be some way to go into your Apple/iCloud account and see all devices where you are logged in or authorized, and possibly disconnect them. I would look at that and see if it's true that your old phone remains logged in or authorized to your iCloud account.
posted by Pfardentrott at 1:56 PM on October 25, 2019

Response by poster: Damn. Just went to "find my iphone" in web browser and I see the phone, in Brazil. So while I definitely signed out, it's on my account. I want to fix this authoritatively and not just poke around at it....
posted by Quisp Lover at 1:58 PM on October 25, 2019

Absolutely don't give her your icloud password!!

You need to log into icloud.com yourself, click on Account Settings, then click on that phone in the section labeled "My Devices." You'll get a popup window which will let you click a blue X to remove the device from your account.

Then she should be able to move forward with setting it up for her own account. There's a link on the bottom of that popup window to a help doc.
posted by assenav at 2:04 PM on October 25, 2019 [9 favorites]

Just make sure they're following the steps that Apple publishes, and you should be fine.

Specifically:

If the previous owner isn't present, contact them and ask them to follow these steps:

1. Sign in to iCloud.com with their Apple ID.
2. Go to Find My iPhone.
3. Click All Devices at the top of the screen.
4. Select the device that you want to remove from iCloud.
5. Click Erase [device]. Select Next until the device is erased.
6. Click Remove from Account.
posted by Wild_Eep at 2:04 PM on October 25, 2019 [5 favorites]

Refer to the section "Remove an iOS device, Apple Watch, or Mac you no longer have" in the Find My iPhone: Remove your device support article. If you follow those steps, the buyer should then be able to activate the phone.
posted by zsazsa at 2:05 PM on October 25, 2019

Response by poster: Crap crap crap!

It does NOT appear in iCloud account settings (I remember seeing a strange device there a few days ago and deleting it). It DOES appear on Find My Phone page.

I won't give her my password, though it appears she's 100% legit.
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:06 PM on October 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Follow the instructions in the Apple support document What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch under the "If you no longer have your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch" section.

In particular, you need to sign in to iCloud.com/find or the Find My app on another device, select the device, and click Erase. After the device has been erased, click Remove from Account.
posted by RichardP at 2:08 PM on October 25, 2019 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Yep, just did exactly that. Hope it worked. Customer didn't need this hassle!
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:11 PM on October 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: It worked. Phew. Thanks, all.
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:34 PM on October 25, 2019 [9 favorites]