iPad Security During Repair - how did it magically become unlocked?

Question

WiFi iPad has a secure PIN set, Fingerprint, and Auto-lock. Doesn't have face recognition enabled. The charging port broke, and the iPad was used until it was out of battery and wouldn't turn on.

The unit was taken to a local non-Apple repair person, who fixed/replaced the charging port.

When the iPad was returned, it was powered up on the way home, and:

• It had a whole lot of notifications on it, as if it had been connected to the Internet (it had no Internet on the way home, the notifications had already downloaded).
• It didn't ask for a PIN, multiple times (on initial power up, as well as press the lock button, then wake it up, and it woke up without a PIN.

Upon returning home, the iPad connected to the home WiFi, and when it was next woken, it asked for a PIN.

1. How did the repair person connect the iPad to Internet without the PIN? Using an Ethernet charger seems like a strange thing to do for a repair person?
2. Why was the PIN lock suddenly missing when it woke up, multiple times, before getting home?
3. How did the PIN lock suddenly resume once it had Internet access at home?

The iPad had secure information on it, did the repairer have unfettered access to the apps and data on this iPad while it was being repaired? And how?

Answer 1

How did the repair person connect the iPad to Internet without the PIN? Using an ethernet charger seems like a strange thing to do for a repair person?

First, it is possible that the tech plugged in a USB Ethernet adapter; using either USB-C or USB-A via the Lightning to USB3 adapter. This would give your iPad network/Internet access. Apps would update/refresh in the background and notifications would show on the lock screen as they normally would. The iPad doesn’t need to be unlocked for background updates or for notifications to appear.

Why would a tech do this? It would allow the tech to test USB functionality without needing to sync it to a computer. This is a quick and easy way to make sure all of the USB functions work and that the repair was successful.

Why was the PIN lock suddenly missing when it woke up, multiple times, before getting home?

The PIN cannot be disabled/enabled based on network connection or lack thereof. It’s much more likely the tech at the repair shop had you test out the device prior to taking delivery. In that case you would have had to unlock it by either PIN or biometric (fingerprint). Depending on your security settings, the device may not have locked for some time, even on your way home. What you were likely seeing was the iPad in an unlocked state. If you interacted with the device on the way home while it was unlocked, you reset the lock timer.

How did the PIN lock suddenly resume once it had Internet access at home?

The lock timer probably coincidentally expired as you got home. Again, security isn’t enabled/disabled based on the network an iPad connects to.