Apple beta devices around the world have been receiving the error “Activation Required”. Apple has placed an expiry date on their beta versions, this forces users who are still running betas of iOS 7 to update to the current version.

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The Solution*

Currently the only way to get around this is to plug your device into iTunes and restoring from a backup. Then you can update to the latest version of ios 7.02

Developers can also access the latest build of iOS through the Apple members centre.

Some users are saying that they cannot restore their device because they have “Find my iPhone” enabled.

If you haven’t got find my iPhone enabled you can use the steps below to try and restore your device.

1. Copy over your photos using Image Capture/iPhoto/etc.

2. Boot into restore mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

3. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes (11.1.1) then Download the 7.0.2 firmware for your device (Mac OS X daily has links to the direct downloads for all devices).

4. Alt+Click (Shift+Click on Windows) the restore button to specify the firmware file. Everything on the phone will be deleted.

5. Restore from iCloud or iTunes “restore backup”

Restoring phone with “Find my iPhone” enabled

Diana has commented below with details of restoring with “Find my iPhone” enabled. See details below.

“If you have Find My iPhone activated, you’ll need to do a recovery-mode restore: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808

If your iPhone turns on randomly during the download, just let the download finish, and repeat the process of shutting off the phone and holding the home button while you plug the lightning cable in (continue holding until you see the connect to iTunes screen again). You can then install what you’ve downloaded.”

Another Suggestion from a comment below

“Information: My iPhone is a iPhone4s purchased in November 2011 and I updated to ios7 before the official release through apple (early September). I use a MacBook pro to connect my computer.

Solution: the first thing I did was log into icloud and ‘forget’ my iPhone so that I could turn it off. I restarted my computer, then I updated my iTunes to itunes 11. Once it was installed I restored my phone by turning the phone off then pressing the home button while connecting the cable to the iPhone, then the ‘connect to iTunes’ logo appeared. My iTunes had detected the iPhone in recovery mode and It began to reset my iPhone to factory settings then it automatically updated the iPhone software to ios7.0.2. All is well and the whole process took less then 20 minutes.”

Thanks to Nick Prasad for this information.

*please use these solutions with caution as none have been tested by us and are not confirmed as working.

Have anymore details about this error? Comment below.

Justin Taylor

Justin's path into design and marketing has been anything but conventional. A random selection of career decisions saw him designing rave flyers, t-shirts and (although refusing to divulge his stage name) he allegedly did a summer stint in Gt Yarmouth as a magician before finally settling on a career in marketing.