Prepare your devices for return

If your devices are approved for personal use by employees, they must log out of iCloud using their Apple ID on the device before returning the device. This will remove the activation lock created via the Find My iPhone (or Find My iPad) feature (see this link for more information Link):

To do this, employees follow the steps described at this link and select Sign Out in the Apple ID section of Settings:

The device must then be reset to factory settings in the settings using “General” > “Reset” > “Erase all content & settings” and is then ready for return.
If it is not possible for the employee to remove the activation lock and reset it to factory settings directly via the device, but the device is still in the device management of your MDM, you may also be able to do so as part of a remote wipe Remove activation lock – this only applies to supervised devices (for more information on support, please follow this link):

In this case, please consult the documentation for your MDM solution for the specific steps. Please note that devices with activation lock switched on cannot be used after return and may be subject to a damage fee.

If a firmware password has been assigned on a device intended for return, this must be removed before the device is returned. To do this, please follow the instructions at this link.

If the device is in device management and the firmware password was set through your MDM, you will also need to remove it via the MDM. To do this, the current firmware password must be known. Example image:

Please refer to the information provided by your MDM provider for the exact procedure. Devices with an activated firmware password cannot be used after they are returned and can be subject to a reduction in value.

Before returning a device, you must log out of iCloud if a personal Apple ID was used. This ensures that any existing activation lock (on Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip) is removed. Please proceed as described under this link.

An existing activation lock may also need to be deactivated by the MDM if you are unable to do so. Please refer to this link and the MDM documentation. Please note that devices with activation lock switched on cannot be used after return and may be subject to a damage fee. We also ask you to carry out any further steps that may be necessary. Instructions for this can be found at this link. In the last step, the device is reset to the factory settings. Please proceed as described under this link and delete the device’s storage medium. To do this, use Disk Utility as part of macOS recovery at this link.