I bought an iphone 5s which was new in the box and from all signs has never been used or activated. But it had been turned on and was already on the home page showing the icons. Everything works fine. No icloud lock or find my phone is turned on as far as I can tell. The phone has a Sprint SIM in it and is not activated. I want to simply play with this phone a bit, install a couple apps and then Reset it to sell it. My question is after a reset can a person get back to the screen where I bought the phone - the home screen with icons and able to use apps without creating an account and activating it through apple? My intent is to make it clear to any potential buyer that the phone is clean, not locked to icloud or find my phone and everything works on it like GPS, Wifi etc.
Basic newbie question on resetting iphone - what will happen
- Thread starter ipa-trix
- Start date
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- iphone reset
Basic newbie question on resetting iphone - what will happen
- Thread starter ipa-trix
- Start date
-
- Tags
- iphone reset
Welcome to iPhone Forums!
When you turn on a new iPhone, the first screen you'll see is not the homescreen. What you have to do first, is to activate it - choose your language and country, and connect it to Wi-Fi, your cellular network, ... So it seems the iPhone you've got has already been used and set up. Make sure there's no iCloud account set up, go to Settings - iCloud. If you find an email address there, the iPhone is connected to someone's iCloud ID. This will cause problems when you try erasing it.
Here's what you have to do before selling it:
What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
When you perform this properly, the iPhone will start with the "Hello" screen, as it's supposed to do, not the homescreen.
In order to get some apps, you'll need to create an Apple ID. This can be an email address you're already using. When you erase the iPhone(see link above), the Apple ID will be removed automatically.
Use this site to create an Apple ID:
https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=create
When you turn on a new iPhone, the first screen you'll see is not the homescreen. What you have to do first, is to activate it - choose your language and country, and connect it to Wi-Fi, your cellular network, ... So it seems the iPhone you've got has already been used and set up. Make sure there's no iCloud account set up, go to Settings - iCloud. If you find an email address there, the iPhone is connected to someone's iCloud ID. This will cause problems when you try erasing it.
Here's what you have to do before selling it:
What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
When you perform this properly, the iPhone will start with the "Hello" screen, as it's supposed to do, not the homescreen.
In order to get some apps, you'll need to create an Apple ID. This can be an email address you're already using. When you erase the iPhone(see link above), the Apple ID will be removed automatically.
Use this site to create an Apple ID:
https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=create
Thanks for the quick reply. I do know how the iphone looks when it is first turned on (I made the mistake of buying an iCloud locked iphone 5 one time - not blacklisted or stolen but apparently the seller didn't turn off find my phone and I could never find a way to contact him again). But this current iphone 5s does not seem to have any account set up on it nor any other sign it has been used. I guess I am trying to figure out how the person I got it from got to the home screen and if I can do the same without setting up an account after doing a reset if that makes sense. I know the panic of buying an iphone that is at the "Hello" screen now and was glad this iphone 5S was already on the home screen. Knowing that I'd like to be able to show a home screen to the next buyer if needed and what may be the easiest way to do so.
If you wish to show the homescreen to the next buyer, it has to be set up by you, which means you'll have to erase it when you sell it. The Hello screen shows that the iPhone is not activated. An iPhone still connected to someone else, will either request a passcode when turned on, or ask for the password of the iCloud ID, or show the homescreen.
Find My iPhone Activation Lock - Apple Support
Find My iPhone Activation Lock - Apple Support
Thanks again. I guess it is just confusing how the phone was on the home screen when I got it without any sign of any account on it, no phone number and apparently never activated on cell service. It does not have any account info associated with it. If you go to settings > icloud it just shows a blank image with [email protected] and shows 'Create a new Apple ID'. I finally decided to put a couple apps on it from the Apple app store and signed in with an old Apple account I had so I was able to install apps. So it seems it was not tied to any other Apple accounts and the person I bought it from was able to get into the home screen without an account (?).
I suppose the person you bought it from set it up with his ID and removed the ID from the iPhone afterwards.
If it was set up as new, without a backup, only the built in apps should have been installed when you looked at it for the first time.
If it was set up as new, without a backup, only the built in apps should have been installed when you looked at it for the first time.
That sounds about right. Thanks again for all the help. I'm a guru on Androids but still a total newbie on IOS. I just noticed your location is Austria. Were you from an English speaking country originally? You have excellent English skills. I believe Austria uses primarily a form of German or German-Bavarian doesn't it?
One other tidbit I like to share occasionally with Apple people: When I was living in California and was heavily into Hang Gliding I met Steve Jobs of Apple at Elk Mountain by Clear Lake, California when I noticed his Hang Glider which had the Apple Logo on it. This was around 1981 and I had no idea who he was then except I didn't care for him stealing the Beatles Apple record logo for his glider and company - LOL (someone there told me he was starting a computer company).
One other tidbit I like to share occasionally with Apple people: When I was living in California and was heavily into Hang Gliding I met Steve Jobs of Apple at Elk Mountain by Clear Lake, California when I noticed his Hang Glider which had the Apple Logo on it. This was around 1981 and I had no idea who he was then except I didn't care for him stealing the Beatles Apple record logo for his glider and company - LOL (someone there told me he was starting a computer company).
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Glad to help.
Austria uses a form of German similar to German-Bavarian, but it's not exactly the same. German is my native language. I was born in Austria, in the village where I'm still living and working. When I came into touch with English for the first time, I was 10.
Thank you for sharing your story about meeting Steve Jobs!
Austria uses a form of German similar to German-Bavarian, but it's not exactly the same. German is my native language. I was born in Austria, in the village where I'm still living and working. When I came into touch with English for the first time, I was 10.
Thank you for sharing your story about meeting Steve Jobs!
