How do I unlock a locked iPhone when I've forgotten my Apple ID?

If you see a "Locked To Owner" message, one referring to iCloud locked, or activation locked:

Read this article about removing Activation Lock --> How to remove Activation Lock - Apple Support To remove the lock you will need either:

-The account information that set the lock (if the previous owner is deceased, read —> Request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account - Apple Support )

For help with a forgotten Apple ID (this is likely an active email address or one used in the past), click here --> If you forgot your Apple Account primary email address or phone number - Apple Support

OR

-The original sales receipt from Apple itself or an Apple approved vendor. Other ways you may think might be “proof” of ownership or purchase, such as having the box, or a receipt from a third party vendor such as Ebay, will likely not be acceptable by Apple. Apple may have no way of verifying the authenticity of other methods. If you have an acceptable receipt, ask Apple to unlock the device —> https://al-support.apple.com/#/additional-support

If anybody tells you that you have to be the “original” owner, they are incorrect. As long as you have the original Apple receipt (which may well not have any personally identifying information on it) you are okay.

Check your web browser autofill entries, the Keychain or Passwords application, and other records, or use Apple's iForgot service, or contact their Account Security team, or if you're the unit's original owner and the previous methods didn't work, click here and submit an unlock request.

Requesting an unlock won't grant access to anything else associated with that Apple Account, and if done while in account recovery, may cause it to take much longer.

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Welcome and thank you for reaching out. 🤗

According to Apple:

Check if you’re signed in on your device. Or check if you’re signed in to Apple apps or services

On your iPhone or iPad:

1. Go to Settings, tap your name, then select Sign-In & Security.
2. Find the email addresses and phone numbers that you can use to sign in.

Other ways to find your Apple Account:

• Check if you’re signed in to the App Store, FaceTime* or Messages on your Apple device. 
• Go to account.apple.com and see if the website remembers your Apple Account email address or phone number on the sign-in screen. 
• If you’re part of a Family Sharing group, you can ask a family member to check their Family Sharing settings for your Apple Account information. 

*FaceTime isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Check your inbox for emails from Apple:

Your Apple Account primary email address might be included in the body of some emails from Apple. Search your inbox for receipts as well as repair, support or billing emails from Apple.

If your primary email address is masked (j*****@icloud.com), the number of asterisks might not match the number of characters in your email address.

If you need more help, contact Apple Support directly.

Good Luck! 👋🏼😉

Smiliñ 😎 Brian | Community Volunteer