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Many iPhone users have been complaining lately that activation errors often happen when setting up a new iPhone. To get back to the point, you should pay close attention if the message Fix iPhone Activation Error– An update is required to activate your iPhone” appears. Since the Apple server might be down for maintenance, the first thing you need to do when this happens is to be patient and wait for it to get updated.
If you can’t get your new or recently erased iPhone to work, the following troubleshooting tips should help. After that, you won’t have any problems with activation, and you’ll be able to set up the device. Before you can use a new or used iPhone, you have to go through the “Hello” screen, which asks you for information about yourself. Activating the device is one of the steps you have to take, and sometimes this doesn’t go as smoothly as you’d like.
How to Fix iPhone Activation Error
Try activating your iPhone via iTunes
- Make sure iTunes is up to date.
- Turn off your iPhone and plug it into your computer via the USB cable.
- Turn the iPhone on and it should trigger iTunes to open (or open iTunes if it doesn’t).
- Once iTunes detects your iPhone, it should ask you to go through a few steps to activate your iPhone.
- If that doesn’t happen automatically, select your device from the left hand pane and you should see the option to Activate your iPhone.
- Log into your Apple ID and click Continue.
Reset your iPhone
The way you reboot or reset your iPhone depends on the model you have. With older iPhone models you could hold down the Home and the Sleep/Wake buttons together for about 10 seconds. With iPhone 7 and 8 the process is different because the Home button is software. And with the iPhone X the process is different because there is no Home button. Find out how to reboot or reset your iPhone here.
Unlock Activation Lock
Fix iPhone Activation Error: Activation Lock is there to protect your iPhone and the information on it if it gets stolen. If the phone you are trying to turn on has a “Activation Lock,” it may still be locked to the person who had it before you. This could be because it is a used phone. To turn off Activation Lock, you’ll need to enter the previous user’s Apple ID and password, or ask them to log into Find my iPhone and remove that iPhone from their iCloud account. You could also try calling AppleCare or going to an Apple Store. If you can show proof that the iPhone is yours and Apple can verify it, they may be able to remove the Activation Lock for you.
Contact Apple support
Lastly, if nothing else works, get in touch with Apple support. Also, you can go to an Apple Store. Make sure to bring the bill for your iPhone with you. In the article “How to Bypass Activation Lock,” which is linked in the first paragraph, we talk more about this. Here’s how to fix an activation error that happens when you try to set up your iPhone after a restore.
Check Internet Connection
Check to see if you can get online. It is best to use Wi-Fi to set up your iPhone. So, make sure your device can connect to the internet and that Apple’s servers are not blocked. You can also try activating your iPhone on a different Wi-Fi network to see if that works.
But if you were using Wi-Fi before and it didn’t work, even when you switched to a different network, try using cellular data this time. Don’t forget that the problem with the internet connection can affect both Wi-Fi and cellular data.
Restore the iPhone using DFU Mode
- Launch iTunes or Finder if you are using macOS Catalina and above. Connect your iPhone to the computer.
- Follow the instructions to put your iPhone into DFU mode.
- As your iPhone enters the DFU mode, your iPhone will stay on a black screen.
- Your iPhone will be detected automatically and you will see a pop-up window. Select “Restore” on it.
- Confirm again to proceed the restore.
Visit their official website for more information.
Why You Can’t Activate Your iPhone?
Why does it say I can’t turn on my iPhone? What are the most common things that lead to activation errors on an iPhone? iPhone activation error doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it seems so frustrating. This usually happens when you just set up the iPhone again after restoring from a backup with iTunes. Or it can happen to a brand-new iPhone that won’t turn on.
- SIM card not supported. You will see errors such as “No SIM” or “Invalid SIM” or could be a malfunctioning SIM card. You will also see this activation error on iPhone when you are trying to use a different SIM card on your locked iPhone device, and must need to unlock the phone before you can use the said SIM card. For that, you need to get assistance from your carrier.
- Your iPhone is not recognized. The Apple servers might be temporarily down or unavailable at the time of activation.
- Activation incomplete. This Apple activation error can be caused by a weak or interrupted network connection.
- iTunes didn’t verify the iPhone. This error can be caused by a bad USB connection.