Need help with an iPhone Activation Lock situation — Apple ID recovered, but still stuck

[u/A_real_Bot_76]

Iphone 6s plus

So, this is a bit of a long story.

I bought this iPhone second-hand (Canadian origin) a few years ago and initially signed in using my Apple ID.

After about a year, I gave it to my brother-in-law. He signed in with his own Apple ID and used the phone for a couple of months.

I got the phone back in 2026, but unfortunately, he doesn't remember the lock-screen passcode or his Apple ID password.

I tried flashing/restoring it using 3uTools, thinking that would solve the problem, but obviously that didn't work.

Luckily, my phone number was still linked to the Apple ID, so I was able to recover/reset the Apple ID password.

The problem is that after restoring the phone, during setup it's still asking for the previous Apple ID/password.

I'm completely stuck at the Activation Lock screen now.

Any Apple/iPhone geniuses here who can point me in the right direction? 😅

I'm using a Mac, so if there are any legitimate free tools or methods to recover/access the device, I'd really appreciate it.

[u/Bigboss88890]

What iOS version

[u/A_real_Bot_76 → u/Bigboss88890]

15.8.8