iPhones that had had their home buttons replaced by third parties has been rendered useless by a software issues can now be fixed after Apple released a fix for the problems of “Erroer 53” that users were affected by.
Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint reader, which is part of the home button and can be used to unlock the device instead of inputting a passcode was the sources of the problem that had crippled many iPhones throughout the globe.
A subsequent update of the operating system detected a non-standard component and shut down the device if a non-Apple repairer replaced the button on a damaged iPhone or iPad. There was no way to restart it.
Earlier this week, there was severe fury expressed by thousands of users who found that their devices had been unexpectedly “bricked” when updating the operating system after they had repaired their damaged phones.
Apple had said at that time that the Error 53 was a security feature that was meant to protect customers.
“This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support,” it had said.
However now the company has gone back and said that the issue was a “factory test”. Apple told the tech site TechCrunch that it apologized for any inconvenience to customers and was issuing a fix with an updated version of its operating system iOS 9.2.1.
“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,” the company added.
Attention from a competition watchdog in Australia, widespread negative publicity about the issue and the Californian tech giant being served with a class action lawsuit over in the US were the reasons for the turnaround in position of the company, analysts say.
Connecting the devices to iTunes and installing the updated iOS would allow the users of the disabled iPhones to fix the problem, the company said. While iPhones updated via the cloud were unaffected, the company said that the update cannot be applied directly to the disabled phones via the cloud.
As a third-party replacement of the home button could potentially allow unauthorized access to a locked phone by modifying the fingerprint sensor, solving Error 53 does not re-enable Touch ID.
The issue of access to the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers has brought Apple and Apple devices at the center of a standoff between the company and the US government and the fix comes amidst this controversy.
(Source:www.theguardian.com)
Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint reader, which is part of the home button and can be used to unlock the device instead of inputting a passcode was the sources of the problem that had crippled many iPhones throughout the globe.
A subsequent update of the operating system detected a non-standard component and shut down the device if a non-Apple repairer replaced the button on a damaged iPhone or iPad. There was no way to restart it.
Earlier this week, there was severe fury expressed by thousands of users who found that their devices had been unexpectedly “bricked” when updating the operating system after they had repaired their damaged phones.
Apple had said at that time that the Error 53 was a security feature that was meant to protect customers.
“This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support,” it had said.
However now the company has gone back and said that the issue was a “factory test”. Apple told the tech site TechCrunch that it apologized for any inconvenience to customers and was issuing a fix with an updated version of its operating system iOS 9.2.1.
“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,” the company added.
Attention from a competition watchdog in Australia, widespread negative publicity about the issue and the Californian tech giant being served with a class action lawsuit over in the US were the reasons for the turnaround in position of the company, analysts say.
Connecting the devices to iTunes and installing the updated iOS would allow the users of the disabled iPhones to fix the problem, the company said. While iPhones updated via the cloud were unaffected, the company said that the update cannot be applied directly to the disabled phones via the cloud.
As a third-party replacement of the home button could potentially allow unauthorized access to a locked phone by modifying the fingerprint sensor, solving Error 53 does not re-enable Touch ID.
The issue of access to the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers has brought Apple and Apple devices at the center of a standoff between the company and the US government and the fix comes amidst this controversy.
(Source:www.theguardian.com)
