iPad Mini--Can't reset password or create new?

[markg2]

My wife attempted to login on a seldom used iPad. The email address that the device knows is no longer in use (not valid) and she forgot the password. Since we couldn't use the email option to reset the password we used the security question which was her date of birth. Apple responded that her DOB was incorrect which is nonsense--the DOB was correct.

So absent that path we tried 'create a new account'. After entering all the new account information including her current email address that she uses for her iPhone, Apple rejected the attempt saying the email is used by another device. Well of course it's used by another account--her iPhone!

So I'll bite, what do we do to get the thing open?

Mark

 

[twerppoet]

Hold in mind the the security questions are just text. They don't understand things like actual dates. So if you typed it in the wrong format or with the wrong capitalization it won't work.

There should be several security questions. You can try again, and see if you get one that you remember better.

If the seldom used iPad is on iOS 6 or later it will have activation lock. This means you'll need to figure out the old iCloud password to turn off Find My iPhone before you can restore it as new and use the new Apple ID.

All of these are semi-guesses. I'm not entirely sure what you were trying to do with the older iPad.


For the future, it is generally a good idea to record your security questions in a safe place, just like you do your passwords. If you use a password app, they almost always have a notes field that you can use for this purpose.