“Apple recently released a tool that lets anyone check the Activation Lock status of iOS devices,” Sébastien Page reports for iDownloadBlog. “Introduced along iOS 7, Activation Lock is a security feature that prevents anyone from erasing or activating your iOS device without entering your Apple ID and password first. The feature must be disabled before a device is passed or sold to another person. Failure to do so renders the device unusable for the new owner.”
“With the release of this new tool, Apple wants to make the process of checking for Activation Lock easier, and prevent people from buying a device that might have been locked because it was lost, stolen, or simply because the previous owner forgot remove the device from his account,” Page reports. “By going to icloud.com/activationlock, anyone can enter the IMEI or Serial Number of an iOS device to check its status. If the device is locked, a message clarifies that the current user’s Apple ID and password will be required before anyone else can activate and use the device.”
More info and screenshots in the full article here.