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Apple updates iOS 9.2.1 to restore iPhones affected by ‘error 53’, apologizes to customers

error-53

Apple today has released a new version of iOS 9.2.1 that will remedy bricked iPhones affected by ‘error 53‘ after servicing hardware with Touch ID (via TechCrunch). iOS 9.2.1 is the same version number released last month, but the updated build from 13D15 to 13D20 reflects the resolution for bricked iPhones.

Don’t expect to see this iOS update appear over-the-air if you’re already running iOS 9.2.1, however, as it’s only intended to make restoring via iTunes possible for affected iPhones.

Error 53 gained attention earlier this month as a large number of iPhone users with third-party Home button repairs were reporting issues after updating to newer versions of iOS, namely no longer being able to use the device.

The error was put in place by design to protect fingerprint data on the Secure Enclave found on iPhones with the Touch ID sensor, but the issues created by it caught enough attention to lead to a potential class action lawsuit in the U.S.

For Apple’s part, it reacted somewhat quickly to the controversy with today’s fix. The company offered the following statement to TechCrunch regarding the issue:

Some customers’ devices are showing ‘Connect to iTunes’ after attempting an iOS update or a restore from iTunes on a Mac or PC. This reports as an Error 53 in iTunes and appears when a device fails a security test. This test was designed to check whether Touch ID works properly before the device leaves the factory.

Today, Apple released a software update that allows customers who have encountered this error message to successfully restore their device using iTunes on a Mac or PC.

We apologize for any inconvenience, this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers. Customers who paid for an out-of-warranty replacement of their device based on this issue should contact AppleCare about a reimbursement.

Apple has also updated its support document detailing error 53 for iPhones.

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Comments

  1. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    Well done, apple.
    I like a company that takes responsibility of their actions.

    • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

      But common sense was not used in the first place. What other outcome do you expect when you brick people’s phones in the first place?

      • varera (@real_varera) - 8 years ago

        >But common sense was not used in the first place. What other outcome do you expect when you brick people’s phones in the first place?

        It depends on how you define your common sense. As Apple has explained, error 53 and related diagnostics were designed to sort out defective devices on the assembly line. If touchID was not properly installed, the device would give an error, and the it would be disassembled.

        Does this make sense to you?

  2. If this was really a security measure, it would take effect first boot after the non-matching touchID is installed, otherwise those with malicious intent will simply not update the phone. It’s ineffective and affects the wrong people. Brick it from the get go or not at all.

  3. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    Let the “apple is greedy” posts began.

  4. Hans HT - 8 years ago

    Is the “new” version of iOS 9.2.1 fixing the problems with January 1. 1970?

  5. butskristof - 8 years ago

    They shouldn’t have done it. It was a security measure against tampering with Touch ID. If this is the reason in the future they are able to breach Touch ID (and more importantly: Apple Pay), they’re going to regret it..

    • paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

      In the 9.2.1 update if a non-Apple part is found it just disables the Touch ID which still prevents tampering with it, it just doesn’t brick the whole phone.

    • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

      You don’t get to brick phones without giving warning to buyers first. The “may void warranty” warning doesn’t cover, “repair with third party and we brick you” security or otherwise. The buyer deserves a heads up.

    • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

      Well, here’s the issue from my perspective. iPhones are simply devices that the user or an un-authorized party should not be trying to fix or modify on their own. Some people think if they have a screwdriver and watch videos on YouTube videos that that’s going to make them an authorized repair person. It doesn’t.

      The fingerprint sensor button and the logic board must be paired together and if you try to replace one and you don’t have the ability to pair the two, then it’s probably going to have some problems. Only Apple or their AASP’s have the ability to pair the home button and logic board. PERIOD. They aren’t and I don’t think they have to release those tools to the general population so people can fix and tamper their devices. I think anyone cracking open one of these and they aren’t fully qualified personnel with proper tools to really fix these things shouldn’t be trying to play Tim, The Tool Man, Taylor.

      Yeah, those that tamper with the devices need to learn not to. It’s the way these things are being designed to only be repaired/replaced by authorized parties, which is the mfg directly or through an AASP.

      • Lawrence Krupp - 8 years ago

        Yeah, well some people are just plain bullheaded and will refuse to do something just because they were told they had to. That kind of mindset is hard to deal with. There’s already an analog of this going on in the automotive industry. There are certain parts and certain softwares that your local third party mechanic simply cannot obtain or repair. Some cases require a password to access the software which only dealer mechanics get. I don’t know of any class action lawsuits filed against the automakers for those policies. This whole nonsense of, “It’s MY property and I”LL do what I want with it” and then lambasting the manufacturer for requiring proprietary parts or procedures (syncing the Security Vault) must be dealt with.

      • paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

        You do know that there are no AASP’s for iPhone correct? Only Apple is the only AASP for iPhone. Also to fix a screen on the iPhone it only takes a pentelope screw driver and a micro screw driver. Not saying that people should be trying to fix there own device but it isn’t brain science. The only problem that exists is the inability to purchase certified Apple parts and the mystery of how to re-authenticate a new home button. Anyway, when the phone is under warranty users should take it to Apple in order to not void that warranty.

      • chrisl84 - 8 years ago

        You’re the guy who takes his car to the dealership to get an oil change….smh. Some of us are real men and like to do things on our own, because well yeah we can…..and NOT ONE OF THESE bricked devices were because it was done incorrectly, it was because Apple.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        Well, I went to Apple’s Service Provider locater on their website and specifically typed in iPhone Service providers and they listed both Apple and other AASP’s. I’ve never gone through an AASP on any iPhone issue because I’ve never had an issue in the first place. I’ve only bought an iPhone either direct from Apple or a Cell Phone carrier. But when you go to this page, https://locate.apple.com/country. and select the country, then select you are looking for Service Provider, and then select iPhone, type in your location, and it comes up with a list of places near your location. That’s all I did. And I did that in my area and it listed both Apple Store locations and other AASP’s. So, if it’s true that Apple doesn’t have AASP’s capable on fixing an iPhone, then their website Service Provider is in need of updating.

      • Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

        @paulywalnuts23
        I just went to the site Rich Davis linked to and found several, non Apple, service providers for iPhones. The closest to me is London Drugs who I’ve taken Macs to a couple of times. They’ve either fixed things directly or shipped them to Apple for repair as needed. So I’m not sure what you mean that there are AASP’s for the iPhone. If we have one here in the wilds of Vancouver Island, there has to be one close to you.

      • paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

        Doug and Rich, I would need to check but the places that came up in my search on that website are Mac Service providers first and foremost. My hunch is that they can do service to the iPhone like restoring software and user level help, but when it comes to fixing the Touch ID if would be something that they would just send the phone to Apple to fix. However I could be wrong, trying to find where I saw that in the past. The bigger issue would be that the places on my list, when it comes to Mac repair charge twice as much to fix it than if you would just take it to an Apple Store or even just sending it directly to Apple. Really I think the screen replacement cost that the Apple charges at no more than 150 bucks for the most expensive 6s Plus. http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/repair/screen-damage/ is quite reasonable, as to find a quality replacement 6s or even 6 screen from a trusted source isn’t cheap. Anytime anyone says anything to me about a broken 6 thru 6s plus screen, my first words are just take it to an Apple Store.

    • Read the article. It wasn’t a security measure. It was an internal test (at least according to Apple): We apologize for any inconvenience, this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers.

    • cdm283813 - 8 years ago

      Dude, just stop it. Apple was wrong to brick phones without warning. Plain and simple.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        It wasn’t done intentionally.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        Things happen to phones that can cause it to brick. Sometimes they can figure out how to unbrick it. Look at the Android users that were downloading XDA code that also bricked some phones. There are tons of Android users with bricked phones and a lot of people did think they had to get a new phone. But later they figured out how to unbrick it. Now, in Apple’s case, they are reimbursing people if they paid any money, which I don’t know if the Android mfg were doing that if someone bricked their phone from XDA code and they didn’t know how to unbrick. It happens. And it does it without warning. It’s just that they have to figure out the cause and fix and in this case, it was something they can fix with the S/W update.

        With various products we buy, before something “blow ups” we don’t always get warnings. It’s the nature of the situation. Heck, look at the Samsung Sudden Death Syndrome. Those phones were bricked and there was no warning. I’m sure it wasn’t done intentionally. If your NAND storage dies, is there a warning? I don’t think there is.

  6. Donny Tsedah (@ooshdah) - 8 years ago

    They fixed the bricking of the phone but your touch id is not working. Just like the iPhone 5S.

  7. Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

    I’m wondering how they can restore a bricked phone with the Error 53 to update it.

    • paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

      The term bricked is just a term that means it wasn’t use able. Basically the adjusted the code so when it boots and fails the check for Certified Apple Parts instead of giving the Error 53 code and not booting the phone, it just disables the touch id instead so people can’t tamper with the touch id and secure enclave. As far as a user fixing the Error 53 code, as the article alludes to you have to put the phone in DFU mode, plug it into iTunes and update to the new 9.2.1 software, then upon reboot your phone will work again.

      • Rich Davis (@RichDavis9) - 8 years ago

        Oh, OK. What happens if they didn’t back up to their computer or to the Cloud prior to the Error 53? I wasn’t affected by Error 53, but I know a couple of people that were and they didn’t back up to iTunes prior. I’m just wondering what can those people do?

      • paulywalnuts23 - 8 years ago

        Rich, If you have to put it into DFU to update it and you don’t have a backup then you will be starting from scratch, minus anything you might have synced through iCloud.

  8. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    “this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers. ”
    This is the most telling part. It was something intended for internal use and didn’t get turned off. This is supported by how quickly Apple was able to fix it.
    IT was a programming error, a bug, and not a nasty plot by Apple to “force” people to buy new phones.
    Kudos to Apple for how well, and quickly, they handled this.

  9. 3rdngoal - 8 years ago

    Where is everyone that was saying this was a good idea? Pretty quiet in here now.

    I’m glad they fixed this.

  10. gamer27 (@gamer2710) - 8 years ago

    If you break the void seal on the game console you lose your warranty on the spot, which mean declined services from manufacture, period.

    • Lederh (@EderH) - 8 years ago

      but not like customers like myself that never opened or fixed nor repair the iphone, and still got error 53

  11. gamer27 (@gamer2710) - 8 years ago

    If you break the void seal on the game console you lose your warranty on the spot, which mean declined services from manufacture, period.
    If you modified your game console and use online services, your console gets banned permanently.

  12. John Smith - 8 years ago

    Mmmm …

    So it starts with the fingerprint sensor insecure – it could be tampered with and we would not know. That needed to be sorted.

    Then they responded by totally bricking the phone if people have their sensor fixed by anyone other than Apple – totally over the top.

    Now they take the middle ground. Tamper with the fingerprint sensor and the finger print sensor no longer works – but the phone still does. Pretty sensible and proportionate.

    Just look what can be done with reasonable and proportionate levels of security – the middle ground.

    Shame they refuse to do that with the encryption/law enforcement issue.

  13. strawbis - 8 years ago

    Unfortunately, Quick fixes like this usually lead to unforeseen situations. I give it a week before someone finds another problem brought about by this hasty capitulation.

  14. Mark - 8 years ago

    Wow – a acknowledgement to making a mistake. Nicely done!

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.