How Activation Lock behaves on the iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 family (A14) shipped on iOS 14 and receives updates through iOS 18. Activation Lock is bound to the Apple ID on Apple's servers and re-verified at every activation, so the version of iOS on the device changes nothing about the lock.
This is why guides that tell you to update, downgrade or restore firmware in order to 'remove' Activation Lock are describing steps that cannot affect the outcome. The firmware is not where the lock lives.
The two routes that actually work
There are exactly two legitimate ways an iPhone 12 Activation Lock is cleared: the account owner signs in (or removes the device from Find My), or Apple clears the lock after verifying proof of purchase.
Everything else offered online — paid 'iCloud unlock services', remote unlocking software, or a shop promising to wipe the lock — either asks for your device and returns nothing, or takes payment for a step you could do yourself for free.
Step-by-step: recover the Apple ID
If the Activation Lock screen names an Apple ID you have some claim to, account recovery is the fastest legitimate route. Apple's recovery flow is deliberately slow, because it is designed to defeat exactly the kind of account takeover that would make Activation Lock worthless.
- 1Confirm the device is locked by an Activation Lock screen naming an Apple ID.
- 2Try to recover that Apple ID at iforgot.apple.com — Activation Lock clears the moment the owner signs in.
- 3If the Apple ID is unreachable, gather the original proof of purchase.
- 4Submit an Activation Lock removal request at apple.com/support (or at any Apple Store / Authorised Service Provider).
- 5Apple verifies the purchase, then clears the lock server-side — usually within a few days.
- 6Activate the iPhone again and complete setup with your own Apple ID.
Submitting a proof-of-purchase removal request
When the Apple ID is genuinely unreachable, submit an Activation Lock removal request through Apple Support. You will need the IMEI or serial number and documentation that ties the device to you: an original invoice, a carrier contract, or an insurance document showing the identifier.
Screenshots of a marketplace listing are not proof of purchase. If that is all you have, contact the seller first — a cooperative seller can remove the device from their iCloud account in under a minute, which resolves the lock instantly.
Warnings for used-device buyers
A locked iPhone 12 has parts value, not resale value. Any listing that shows an Activation Lock screen and describes the device as 'easily unlocked' is misleading — and one that says 'no iCloud' while showing a Hello screen should be verified before payment.
Ask for a short video of the erase completing to the Hello screen with no lock. That is the only reliable pre-purchase check, and a legitimate seller will have no objection to providing it.
FRPB and iOS — setting the record straight
FRPB does not unlock iPhones. It is a Windows toolkit for Android Factory Reset Protection and flash resets, working through MediaTek BROM, Qualcomm EDL, Fastboot and Samsung Download mode.
If you arrived here looking for an Android FRP solution, our Android guides cover the exact per-model procedures. If you have a locked iPhone 12 you own, Apple Support is the route that works.
Safety, legality and when to stop
FRPB is intended strictly for authorised device owners and licensed repair professionals. You must own the device or hold explicit written permission from its owner. Using an FRP bypass tool on hardware you do not own may defeat an anti-theft control and can be illegal in your jurisdiction.
Stop and reassess if the device reports a bootloader state you did not expect, if the model or chipset FRPB detects does not match the handset in front of you, or if the operation halts mid-way. A mismatched firmware package is the single most common cause of a hard brick — abandoning an operation is always cheaper than recovering from one.