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Curious: Ever take iphone/ ipad, or laptop into repair what do you do for privacy?

I'm getting an ipad battery repaired, and they claim that they must have the password or the the warranty is not valid as they cannot check properly. Of course they give insurances they wont snoop of course. Too busy, etc. They will do it without password.....

I actually don't have a lot to reveal, as ipad does not have anything in its internal drive, but there is web, bookmarks, and full icloud, who want to have repair guys with access to that?

Then thinking more... I guess the solution is to log out and log into a test user? Don't even think I set the ipad or my iphone up for that as rarely get repairs. I do have test users on imace mac mini but not the ios yet.. thanks.

Test user is probably the way to go, but for additional peace of mind, I'd log out of my Apple ID.

I'm not sure you can have a test account or multiple user situation on an iPad. According to this Apple article it is possible only with education or business iPad setups. But then the same article talks about a "Guest" sign in, but it is not clear if this requires an educational setup.

So at least follow the above recommendation and sign out of anything sensitive.

Ira thanks I'm not conversant at all with ios, can barely keep up with imac/ and the laptop.

I don't think signing out will help. The repair shop will want to sign in correct to see if things are working ok.... and that requires a password right? And then they see all my stuff?

Signing out of your Apple ID will prevent them from getting to iCloud.

And you can do this on ipad? And they can see screen etc.

I'm assuming that signing out of your Apple ID will sign you out of iCloud, but since I don't use iCloud, I'm not exactly sure what that means as far as you go.

Also, I found this...That appears to cover Apple tech access to your iPad while it's in the shop, but to be honest, I don't understand that last part 100%, so it may require further input from someone else.

ARt/ Ira, I see touch ID or press code, I don't see word guest anywhere.

For starters, what iOS version is your iPad?

16.7.3
ok signing out apple ID good idea, then file folder file and folders can't access?

But chrome bookmarks and mail, still snoopable.

guest user nice idea, but don't see it

TO BE DOUBLE SAFE...

1. on your iPad go to Settings > General > Transfer and Reset iPad and click erase all content and settings
2. touch Get Started and follow the on screen instructions. (Don't worry about iCloud capacity, Apple automatically allocates any additional storage necessary at no charge.)
3. after your iPad has been backed up and completely wiped of any trace of your ownership or data, take it to Apple for the battery replacement. They can create their own account, perform their test and then reset it and return it to you essentially as a new device.
4. When you power up the re-batteryed iPad for the first time you will be prompted to set it up, just as you would a new iPad, and during that process you will be offered the opportunity to reload your data, settings, and applications from an iCloud backup which will restore your data, settings, and applications from your iCloud account. (Just be sure you know your Apple ID and password.)

None of your information will be exposed and you will end up with the latest iPadOS version compatible with your iPad.

JOe, that sounds like a lot of work, to get a new battery, and really think odds of mischief are real low.. but you wonder, when read these news stories of so and so dropped out their laptop for repair and the store found this/ that. Why the heck is the store looking into peoples laptops?

I even asked coupld workers at this repair shop and they said no way they snoop or look, against the law or, can't remember what they said, to that effect.

Still think 1/1000 be issue..

If I do log out of apple ID can they go to File folder and see anything in those icloud folders?

If not then only thing remaining are bookmarks, which is not too bad, The bad thing then would be that your contacts and mail are still exposed right? Still 1/1000 anyone would touch that... but have think about this..

Pity, cannot do test user on IOS as can with laptop?

Yeah, no way, Im going to redo accounts for Mail on ipad to get battery, I'd take the chance... Thats hour of tedious work minimum... restore all apps, mail, etc.

Do you see "Skip To Try?" That may be it.

I have never worried about my data when Apple is working on a device. The techs and Apple have way too much to loose to risk that. However, from experience, the erase and reinstall process takes a grand total of half an hour and most of that is waiting on the data and settings upload to iCloud and then redownloaded along with your apps which are automatically restored from the app store. You don't have to babysit the process, all you have to do is initiate it and the iPad and iPadOS will take it from there. You can even use your iPad as the app store downloads are still in process (that part can take a few hours) Your part is finished in a few minutes. If you have set up folders on the desktop, you may have to manually recreate those but that is a good excuse for some housecleaning. The only thing you might lose is an app that is no longer carried on the app store. JUST BE SURE YOU KNOW YOUR APPLE ID AND PASSWORD!

Joe, no have to redo all mail accounts, and also with fastmail and have to redo those, very tedious.

this is not apple btw, just a random 3rd party down the block who fixes iphones. The ipad it now too old for Apple to repair.

No skip, to try-- if you can, please send a screenshot.

Sorry, kevs, but I'm at a complete loss here. I can't tell you anything more than I've already posted, nor can I find any references to your issue...maybe Ira, maybe joemike.

It sounds like "Guest" is supposed to appear on your login screen..I think in the lower right hand corner, but I've searched every which way, and I can't find an explicit answer.

ALL OF YOUR SETTINGS, INCLUDING MAIL ACCOUNTS, WILL BE RESTORED FROM THE ICLOUD BACKUP CREATED IN THE PROCESS. Again, the only thing you are likely to lose are any folders you have set up on your desktop and any apps that are no longer available in the App Store.

However, given the age of your iPad, the fully automated built-in process I described may not be available in the version of iOS compatible with your iPad and you will have to perform one or two additional steps, but they are neither tedious nor time-consuming. Go to Settings > General and scroll down to the bottom of the list to see if Transfer or Reset iPad. If it does not appear and you see Reset and "Erase all Content and Settings" the process is still doable, but you will have to manually initiate the backup to iCloud step. The process will still work, but it may take a minute or so longer and include one or two additional actions on your part.

I found this about testing in a sandbox using AI search, but nothing resembling a "test account" such as others have suggested. I am not confident that anyone who is not an active iOS app developer would be aware of this technique.

As to. the random 3rd party down the block who fixes iphones, if he/she and/or his/her technicians are Apple Certified their technical skills should be up to snuff and should know about test accounts, if they exist. If they do exist, and the tech doesn't know about them, you might want to find another place to do the work.

Artie's quote from Apple and the Apple link in my post above seem to imply that guest is available only in a supervised iPad, which is an educational or business iPad. So I don't think we will find "Guest" in our setups.

Thanks guys, Joe ,if I had corporate/ government secrets, I would do all that, but too much for getting a battery.

That said, had not thought to ask about Apple certified. This place seems very cool and sharp, my guess is that is 50/50 they are apple certified.

I'm thinking I'd just log out of apple ID and cross fingers they are not snoopy which I would bet is 90%. But had to post as you read about.... you know... well knows snooping going on right, how else see news so and so laptop right?

Now if it was a laptop or mac mini, then you do get the full protection of handing it off as a test account right? (even then I would not habitually do that with a repair, so this is exercising that privacy part of the brain good)

My quote is from your linked article which could certainly be a lot more clear/explicit.

I just found this.

It seems pretty thoughtless of Apple to not have provided a means for people to protect the data on their iPads/Phones more easily if they need to leave their devices for service or send them in.

If they can provide "Guest Mode" (which sounds adequate) in some circumstances, why not all?

Artie, wow apple even suggest to do what Joe says, change a battery and wipe, erase ... seriously they have not figured out an easier way?

But if log out of apple ID then at least cloud is safe right? So what left.. email, contacts, not good, but rare someone would abuse it? Again this iphone/ ipad IOS.. For normal laptop/ desktop you'd just create test user?

The name of the game is SECURITY. Apple has based their corporate existence on keeping the user's data secure, on all their devices. An element in security is handheld devices are more vulnerable to theft, so the iOS and iPadOS have an even higher degree of security than macOS. This is achieved by leaving out features whose loss would be unacceptable on desktop and laptop devices.

IPadOS and iOS are not multiuser devices and can only support one user account at a time. To add a new user account, it is necessary to delete the existing account. The account is your Apple ID! You can have multiple devices on a single Apple ID, but not vice versa. This is not an oversite on Apple's part, it is a linchpin of iPhone and iPad security.

Recent versions of iOS and iPadOS have bundled what used to be several steps to back up, wipe, and restore into a single task as I described. The functionality is there in older iOS versions, just not in a single dialogue.

thanks Joe , for taking this in for repair/ battery, would you worry about most? If anything. What comes to mind are bookmarks to Banks..

Would you think it's though 1/1000, someone at a repair shop would 1), snoop, and 2) actively be malicious?

How does that reconcile with the "Guest" accounts that have been linked to?