Jailbreaking or using CFW can leave your device vulnerable to malware and may brick the phone if not done correctly. Official Solutions

(A6 chip) on iOS 10.2 involve using a or a modified IPSW (Custom Firmware) to delete the Setup.app file. This prevents the phone from ever reaching the "Activation Lock" screen during boot.

Here is the critical fact: Most "free" methods promise to disable the Activation Screen temporarily or redirect the check-in server.

Users considering this method in the present day should be aware of significant limitations: