If you do not have a Mac, you can use a legacy DNS bypass. This does not remove the lock; it hides the activation window.

Several methods claim to bypass iCloud on an iPad Mini 1 with iOS 9.3.5, but not all of them are reliable or safe. Here are a few approaches:

running is complex because the device uses the A5 chip , which lacks the bootrom exploits available for newer devices. Method 1: Official Removal (Recommended)

: If you are the original owner and have the purchase receipt, you can start a Request for Activation Lock Support through Apple.

Websites claiming to offer "Official iCloud Unlock for iPad mini 1" for $50 are scams. Because iOS 9.3.5 is obsolete, most cheap IMEI unlocks do not work anymore; Apple stopped supporting the backend services for that chipset.