Don't Buy That Used iPhone or iPad Without Checking This Site First

Purchasing a used device an be a tricky proposition these days. You never know if you can trust that the person selling the device didn't swipe it or that it hasn't been reported as stolen and therefore blocked from activation. Now we have a new resource that will help you verify that iPhone, iPad or iPod touch can actually be activated.

The service is available on the iCloud website and only takes a few steps to test to make sure the Activation Lock hasn't been triggered. Users simply need to input the IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) or serial number of any iOS device to quickly check its Activation Lock status.

For those not familiar with Apple's Activation Lock it is a feature that was first introduced in iOS 7 as part of the Find My iPhone service on iCloud. Once it is turned on, the device is locked down and the user needs to input the Apple ID and password associated with it in order to be able to use it again. Activation Lock was original optional in iOS 7, but Apple turned it on by default in iOS 8.

This new tool will instantly tell you whether the device you intend to buy can be used right away, or whether it’s protected by Activation Lock and therefore blocked from being activated by Apple and thus not worth buying!