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Activation Lock

Plain-English definition, in the context of supervised iPhone protection.

By Yisrael Schneider, Manager ·

Apple's anti-theft feature that ties the iPhone to the original owner's Apple ID. Separate from MDM supervision but complementary: a lost Kosher iPhone is both Activation Locked (stranger can't use the device) AND MDM-enrolled (device re-supervises on factory reset). Together these make a lost device useless to thieves.

Related terms

This term is connected to the broader supervised iPhone ecosystem. See the [full glossary](/glossary/) or return to [how it works](/how-it-works) for context.

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