iOS
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"Can you unlock this device for me?"
A quick search on eBay turns up hundreds of devices that are marked as "iCloud locked" or "Activation locked" devices. These devices are (almost always) lost or stolen devices and they will never again be usable as designed.
In the old days, pre iOS 7, stolen devices could readily be cleared of their data with a fresh install of the operating system and were ready to go. Even if they were 'passcode locked' --didn't matter, just write over everything and go.
Not anymore. Apple created the "activation lock" or "iCloud lock" which requires that any device that has once been activated under someone's iCloud account (aka--someone clicked through the normal set up wizard and typed in their Apple ID) has to have that password entered in order to be transferred to a new owner.
This means that:
1.) If you sell a device--you need to clear the iCloud lock. You can either Erase all Contents and Settings or Remove iCloud account----both of which will require your Apple ID password. Once done, the phone can be sold and the new owner will not encounter the 'activation lock'
2.) If step one is not done, (even if the phone is completely restored with a new operating system from recovery mode) then the new setup wizard will STILL REQUIRE the password of the original owner in order to be activated and usable.
Since we hear about things like iPhone jailbreaking all the time, it would be normal to assume that there must be some sort of hack or workaround---but there is not.
To be clear
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY TO REMOVE THE ICLOUD LOCK WITHOUT THE ORIGINAL OWNERS PASSWORD.