iPad code unknown

[amaara8...@gmail.com]

Hi guys,

I have broken up with a boyfriend 9 months ago and I got our iPad in the "divorce." I am now only just in a good place to go through my and our things. He won't give me the password which he had changed before we split, all was set up on his laptop. I've tried all the passwords I could think of, bdays, anniversarys, etc etc with no luck. Without wiping the iPad and plugging into my iTunes is there any other way into the machine? It has sentimental things on it, photos, messages etc ( nothing incriminating but just memories), so if poss I would like to gain access. Let me know any ideas plse. Many thanks

[Jack Chidley]

No but I will confirm.

[Yvan Janssens]

Hi,

First of all, there is no way to get in without the pass code. So consider all that data lost.

Now, there's more bad news - that device is worthless. Even if you erase it via the connect to iTunes process, as an anti-theft measure, all iOS devices now need the password and iCloud account from the original owner after a restore unless it's disabled before erase (and you'll need both the passcode, iCloud password and a second factor for that if that's enabled). The device is useless without his cooperation - it is even useless to be used for spare parts, because the touch ID sensor is molded into the display, and the touch ID sensor is paired to the chipset. The only thing you can reuse of that iPad is the battery, and a used battery is worth nothing (if any, it'll cost money to dispose of it safely).

First caveat - I am not a lawyer, so seek legal advice about this. The device given to you is worthless - it would actually even cost money to dispose of, so it has a negative value. If it's given to you as part of a divorce settlement, contact your solicitor and contest that you have received the value that you have been allocated.

I know that this is not the news you would want to hear, especially because you've not only lost the data, but also a device worth several hundreds of pounds. If no solicitor was involved, you most likely want to contact the citizens' advice bureau at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk - they should be able to help you more than the Hackspace mailing list.

Yvan

On Sun, Apr 8, 2018 at 12:56 PM <amaara8...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi guys,

I have broken up with a boyfriend 9 months ago and I got our iPad in the "divorce." I am now only just in a good place to go through my and our things. He won't give me the password which he had changed before we split, all was set up on his laptop. I've tried all the passwords I could think of, bdays, anniversarys, etc etc with no luck. Without wiping the iPad and plugging into my iTunes is there any other way into the machine? It has sentimental things on it, photos, messages etc ( nothing incriminating but just memories), so if poss I would like to gain access. Let me know any ideas plse. Many thanks

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[Jack Chidley]

Sill no.  https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT204306 the process does imply that you might be able to restore it and then use it but Yvan seems to know more.  If you're boyfriend has disabled the device, then he hasn't actually given you anything.  If you are on speaking terms, perhaps you might talk to him and negotiate something.

Given Apple's stance with the US Government on security, the chances of any kind of hack to get back into the device are basically nil.  This would be a security hole that Apple will definitely plug.

Jack

[Yvan Janssens]

As Jack suspected, I indeed deal with information security for a living.

Furthermore I’d like to recommend to not muck with the device - at this point you’ve reached a point where legal advice is necessary I think.

As Jack said, if you’re on speaking terms, that’s the best solution. However, since you posted this question on the mailing list, I presume you’ve exhausted the on speaking terms options, so that’s why I made that stance.

Avoid mucking with the device and avoid attempting to restore. Also, avoid potentially dodgy things trying to sell you unlock methods. No publicly accessible unlock methods exist - some older devices are possible, but they require tens of thousands of pounds worth of lab equipment as weeks worth of effort and highly specialised skills - the cost of which is simply impossible to pay for as an individual. And even if you could, the few places which do won’t provide services for civilians and are catered primarily to the intelligence sector.

So yes - my initial advice still stands, which is to seek legal advice. The Citizens Advice Bureau is the best place to start I think. Legal support is available for free in a lot of cases, unless you are on a high income. The threshold for it to not be free is sufficiently high for most people to qualify for it IIRC.

Sorry for you having to go through this - I understand that it’s been stressful already up to this point, but there is little we can do here to help you I’m afraid.

/y

[Jack Chidley]

To add to what Yvan said, don't mess with the device in any way, including trying too many passwords - anything that you do may lose your data permanently.  Don't believe anyone who tells you that you can get back into via some 'hack'.  If the governments can't get past Apple's security, no one else can.

At the moment, the data is still on the device but inaccessible but with the right password you'll be able to get it back, someday.  People change and can become less angry, so it's possible.

[Amaara Almasi-Almari]

Really appreciate your reply. So frustrating! No chance of him giving me passcode- ended on awful terms. I'm most sad about the photos tbh. Any many thanks to you 

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[Jack Chidley]

It’s crappy to lose photos and crappy to part on bad terms. A while ago I permanently lost 500ish pictures owing to a mistake I made and some backup problems. Just recently I lost all of my passwords due to a corrupted password safe - once again I had failed to back things up correctly. These things happen. I am an IT professional :-(

[David Brownlee]

If you still have a common friend, then one final option, though not entirely without risk, might be to give it to them on the understanding they can have it if they can get it unlocked and copy off the photos for you.