iPhone 5 asking for Activation Lock password, will not activate without SIM installed...

[sting7k]

I use my old iPhone 5 as a remote in my house and for various other things so take some load off my newer iPhones. Last night I picked it up and it first asked for my PIN and then it started taking me through screens as though the software had just been updated. Then it said the iPhone was secured with activation lock and asked for my password. After entering my password it says cannot activate without a SIM card installed. I cannot get past this screen right now. Why is this happening all of a sudden?

I've had not had a SIM card in this iPhone 5 for over 2 years now and have never had this issue. Why do I need a SIM installed? When I get home from work I guess I will take the SIM out of my iPhone 7 and use that but IMO that seems ridiculous.

 

[Just_Me_D]

I don't know exactly why that's happening to you, especially if airplane is enabled.

 

[sting7k]

I don't have airplane mode enabled. Do you think I should? I don't mind that it just says "No SIM" next to the Wifi indicator all the time.

In any case, my method of using the SIM from my iPhone 7 worked. But I still don't know why it did this all of a sudden. After it got past the activation it asked me if I wanted to restore the iPhone or setup as new; also strange. I selected setup as new and even still all my apps and data were intact...