Hi Picozip,
I desperately wanted an iPhone but decided to go the second-hand route as the brand-new ones are so expensive. I tried to unlock the device but soon realized that the previous owner had forgotten to remove their iCloud account and so my phone was locked with the iCloud Activation Lock.
I had to find a way to remove it, and after a bit of searching I discovered iCloudin. But almost right away I realized that it’s super difficult to download the iCloudin tool! Is there any way that you can help with this?
- Charlie
I wrote this article for the readers that are interested in downloading the iCloudin 2019 or iCloudin 2020 tool to use on their iCloud-locked iOS devices.
iCloudin is fairly well-known as a popular unlock tool for iCloud-locked devices, but it’s incredibly difficult to find the right download site. It took our team an immensely long time of internet-scouring but we finally found a legit download and started testing it.
Reviewing iCloudin 2019/2020: Is it Legit?
In order to provide the best and most complete review of the iCloudin tool, I noted down everything I deemed relevant while we were testing it out, from the features it boasted to how it actually works.
About iCloudin
iCloudin is actually a fairly simple programme. The only really complicated part about it is that the official download site is difficult to find, but if you look past that, it’s not that complex and it serves the purpose of removing the iCloud Activation Lock for free.
By downloading iCloudin, iPhone users have the opportunity of removing old iCloud accounts that they can no longer access from their devices.
However, as is the case with Charlie, oftentimes second-hand iPhone owners find themselves in a situation where they need to remove a previous owner’s iCloud account from the device that they are now intending to use as their own.
And that’s where iCloudin comes in, as it does both.
iCloudin 2019/2020 Top Features
While testing out the iCloudin tool on our own iPhones, we made a list of the best features it offers:
- Ability to remove the iCloud Activation Lock on any iPhone
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
- Program is free to use
Although this might not seem like an extensive list, we already mentioned that it’s a pretty basic program built to do the job of removing iCloud locks. But what should excite you about this relatively concise list is that it’s completely free to use – and there isn’t even a Premium option available!
iCloudin 2019/2020 Cons
- Only works with models that run up to iOS 9
- You need iTunes for it to work
- Requires several third-party software installations in order to work
- Super difficult to find an official version of the iCloudin to download
- Numerous scams and hackers distributing viruses through unofficial downloads due to difficulty of locating official version
- iCloudin wasn’t successful in removing the iCloud Activation Locks on the devices we tested it on
iCloudin (V1.5.1 and V2.0): Does it Work?
Due to the fact that iCloudin is a term most iPhone users are familiar with, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it works. However, unfortunately we found that it didn’t work.
In order to properly test out the iCloudin tool, we tried it on an iPhone 8, iPhone X and iPhone 7 Plus. This was done so that we could see a couple variations of results. The phones we tested it on were all running the most recent iOS version they could, and were in tip-top shape. None of the devices had suffered any damage that might have hindered the success of the iCloudin tool.
Unfortunately, all of our tests were unsuccessful. We ran the iCloudin 2019 (V1.5.1) as well as the iCloudin 2020 (V2.0) several times on each device. We even attempted a different approach to the process on each phone after it failed the first time. However, the tool failed to successfully remove any of the iCloud Activation Locks on the devices.
This was just our experience. We quite understand if you’d still like to test out the iCloudin tool for yourself to see if it might work for you. But if you’d rather not suffer through an unsuccessful process – we highly recommend looking at some alternatives.
iCloudin 2020: Download and Operating Instructions
As mentioned previously, we understand completely if you’d like to test out this tool for yourself. Therefore, please leave us a comment if you’d like us to send you the official iCloudin 2019 and iCloudin 2020 free downloads. Please note that iCloudin is currently only compatible with Windows. There is no Mac version available.
For now, we won’t try and tell you to disregard the iCloudin tool completely, so if you’re wanting to test it out for yourself, here’s how:
- Using the iCloudin download link, complete the download onto a computer.
- Click on the ZIP folder and extract all the program files.
- Update your iTunes to the most recent version. If you haven’t got iTunes, you should install it before continuing.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer with a lightning cable.
- Launch iCloudin.
- As soon as the iCloudin program opens, click on “Host’s file IMEI”
- Locate the iCloudin folder in the new window that will open.
- Click on the “Hosts_Activation_IMEI.java” file
- Once you’ve selected this file, the removal process will start.
- Track your unlock status via the progress bar that will appear.
As soon as the progress bar is full, the iCloudin tool will have finished with the removal process. You should now check to see whether or not the tool was successful in removing the Activation Lock from your iPhone.
Useful Alternative Solutions to iCloudin
Our iCloud Lock Removal Experience
Once we determined that the iCloudin tool did not successfully remove our Activation Locks, the next step was to find a removal tool that would work if we tested it out. We did first contemplate the DNS bypass method, but soon discovered its limitations. Yes, it’s also free to use and we will upvote it for that, but it’s not sustainable long-term.
We continued scouring the net for similar alternatives to iCloudin. Because iCloudin was so well-known, I believed that there would be other solutions available that might be successful. However, after an embarrassingly long search, we had to throw in the towel.
The only things we found were iCloud lock removal tools that were either scams, riddled with malware and viruses, required lengthy surveys which upon completion still didn’t yield a successful download, or that just simply didn’t work.
Luckily, after our monumental discovery of a bunch of useless tools, we happened upon a couple online services that turned out to be super helpful.
Useful Alternatives that will Remove an iCloud Lock
AppleiPhoneUnlock
First up was AppleiPhoneUnlock. The reason why we thought this site was so intriguing is because it offered two separate unlocking services – one for the iCloud and one for iPhones.
We were on the hunt for an iCloud lock remover, so that’s the one I tested. The AppleiPhoneUnlock service can unlock an iCloud Activation Lock on any iPhone or iOS device including iPads, iPods and Apple Watches.
It is not a free service, but the fee is very reasonable and it will lift any iCloud lock in the short span of 2 days.
In order to test the success rate of AppleiPhoneUnlock, we tried it on two different iPhones (an iPhone 7 Plus and an iPhone 8). Both devices were successfully unlocked.
IMEIUnlockSIM
The second alternative solution we tested was IMEIUnlockSIM. The site is designed along the same lines as AppleiPhoneUnlock and also has several services on offer, including an iCloud lock remover tool.
When tested, I needed to submit my iPhone’s IMEI number and pay a small service fee. IMEIUnlockSIM managed to remove the iCloud lock within a timeframe of 5 days.
Although the IMEIUnlockSIM took much longer to process the unlock than the AppleiPhoneUnlock service, it came in at a lot cheaper.
One of the best things about going the route of an online service like IMEIUnlockSIM or AppleiPhoneUnlock instead of iCloudin, is that it’s remote. You don’t have to go into a physical store or hand your phone to a technician in order to have the lock removed.
The only thing you need to do is to enter a couple details regarding your device and voila! The job is done remotely and you have a device restored to full functionality.
The Verdict
We completely understand the frustration that goes along with being stuck staring at the iCloud Activation Lock screen. In the simplest of terms, it totally limits device access.
Although some people might opt for what is termed a DNS bypass solution, it’s not the best choice. The reason for this is because even though it does provide partial results, it also limits functionality of an iPhone to quite a large extent.
That’s why we highly recommend using an alternative solution that actually works like IMEIUnlockSIM or AppleiPhoneUnlock.
