Mac and iPad buyback. Unlocked, erased, paid.

Activation Lock ties an iPhone, iPad or Mac to an Apple Account so a lost or stolen device cannot be set up by someone else. Apple's deployment guidance explains that organizations can manage and bypass Activation Lock for supervised devices through their device management service.

For a buyback, a device that is still locked usually cannot be reset for a new owner, so it is often worth only its parts value. Releasing devices from Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager, removing them from MDM and turning off Activation Lock before pickup is the single biggest thing an organization can do for its return.

A short checklist gets the most value out of an Apple fleet:

• Release the devices from Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager.
• Retire them in your MDM so they do not re-enroll after reset.
• Clear Activation Lock, or make sure your MDM can bypass it.
• Keep chargers with the devices where you have them.
• Send K12 a list by model, quantity and condition for an estimate before pickup.

Not every Apple device should be sold. Minor damage such as a cracked screen, a worn battery or a broken charging port can often be repaired for far less than a replacement, and K12's repair team handles Apple device repair to keep usable devices in the field longer.

When a generation is being retired, K12 erases each device to NIST SP 800-88 guidelines, grades it, and remarkets devices with resale value. Buyback value can be paid out or applied to new devices, repairs or other services.