Users Facing 'Error 53' Bricking Message After Third-Party iPhone 6 Home Button Repairs

[Abazigal]

I can understand why Apple does this kind of things, but I feel Apple really needs to communicate their intent better.

At least let users know in advance what an unauthorised home button replacement can do to your phone so they can make an informed judgement, not throw them under the bus like this by bricking their device for no reason after the fact.

And error 53? What kind of message is that? At least make it known what the issue is in plain English. Has Apple been taking coding lessons from Microsoft or something?

 

[orthorim]

There is not even a question here: Of course they need to do that. There is no alternative to keeping TouchID secure - it's either that, or turn it off. Apple sells close to 300 million touch ID devices a year - there is a huge, enormous, gigantic incentive for hackers, law enforcement, intelligence services, private eyes to hack the device. If they are doing security they have to be bomb-proof.

If Apple were super nice, they would allow replacing the home button with one without secure enclave, and without Touch ID, and just turn off TouchID in iOS when that happens. But I can see how such a feature would be pretty tricky to implement.

I was affected by this issue: My iPhone 6 home button simply stopped working. I had a shop replace it and my phone was bricked (note: I could still use if with the broken home button using the on-screen home button in accessibility - it sucked but it was WAY better than a brick...)
I had the shop put my original home button back in, and my original broken screen too for good measure, then returned it to Apple in San Francisco. The phone was out of warranty so I figured I'd have to pay the $300 accidental damage replacement. But the customer service rep just said, oh, you're only a month out of warranty - here's a new one! Boom! Handed in my battered, broken twice, scratched to hell old phone and got a brand new one!

As a result of this little episode I am a customer for life. This is why Apple is winning.

 

[doelcm82]

You've just proven my point. You isolate and remedy, not throw out the baby with the bath water. Which is what Apple is doing in this instance, and getting applauded for it by some.

I agree with you. Authorized Apple repair centers should be able to recover from this by replacing the unauthorized home button.

Of course the phone's data is compromised, so the repair should also re-load the firmware and the OS, returning it to factory state. Then the owner of the phone could restore the personal data from a backup (preferably a backup from before the suspicious home button was installed), and re-download any apps from the app store.

It could be an expensive remedy, not covered by any warranty. But I think the out-of-warranty aspect and the need to reset the phone to factory state are the main differences from if Apple's authorized repair center had done the repair in the first place.
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If Apple intentionally bricks a device that is required to be useful for 911 calls is that OK?

Scenario. User B suffers severe chest pains and shortness of breath immediately after installing iOS update. Error 53 is displayed on the screen when his body is found.

This is good for Apple?

Moral: If you have a heart condition, a history of DVT, or are or think you might be pregnant, don't let unauthorized people repair your iPhone.

 

[DVDRAMMER]

Why would the sensor matter? Isn't the fingerprint stored in the System?

Still seems like a money grab. Shame on Apple and greedy Cook & Co..

 

[Picka]

People defending this

So people have a phone that's working fine. Apple pushes an update and asks them to install it. Now their phone is permanently damaged and becomes a $1000 brick. In what world is this acceptable?

 

[Quu]

Im gonna go ahead and say Apple knows better than you.

Answer me this. Apple says they cannot decrypt iPhones, they say they cannot bypass the password lock.

FBI wants access, they can't change the Touch ID to get into the phone, but Apple can change the Touch ID and re-link the TouchID Sensor to the Secure Enclave.

Does that mean Apple actually can access the phone if they are able to change the TouchID and re-link it to the Secure Enclave? No. Because they already told the FBI it is impossible for them to bypass the password lock or decrypt the iPhones storage and being able to re-link a TouchID (and bypass the Enclave security) would make that statement false.

Thus we know verifiable by Apples own word that there is no way to defeat the security mechanism that they are aware of and yet they posses the ability to change TouchID sensors. What this means is, there is no security issue with changing TouchID sensors at all.

Do you understand what I'm getting at? All the magic occurs inside the Secure Enclave. The TouchID is just a scanning device. Changing it does not bypass the security of the phone.

 

[dotnet]

My 6 Plus went Error 53 in January as I tried to upgrade to IOS 9.2.1 from, I guess, 9.2.0. The upgrade failed, then it said I needed to do a factory reset which I did, but that resulted in Error 53.

I had never done any work on the phone - no touch ID (or any other) repairs.

At the Apple Store I said "error 53" and they said "ok, let's verify that". They got the same result & said "you need a new phone". Since I didn't have AppleCare, they sold me a new phone for $329.

I've had error 53 popping up quite a few times in the past when iPhone updates had to be done via USB and iTunes. It simply and very non-specifically indicates an error with installing a new firmware or OS. In some cases I could trace it back to a dodgy USB cable, sometimes a Mac reboot or iTunes update fixed it. In a couple of cases Apple replaced the phone.

The most recent of those cases happened just a week ago and was nearly identical to what sososowhat experienced. The iPhone 6 failed the over-the-air iOS update to 9.2.1, told me to do a restore via iTunes and boom! – error 53! Apple said it was most likely a flash memory fault and replaced the phone for free after checking that there had been no liquid damage or unauthorised repair. The phone had no issues with TouchID prior to the failure.

 

[just.in.time]

But it is not just about the touch ID. The Apple spokeswoman in the article says: he adds: “When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorized repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated.”

So screens and other components are deemed to "affect the touch ID". How are we going to know what these components are when we get our phone repaired?

This is a fair question. Assuming that the screen and TouchID/home button aren't all one component, I think it would be fair of Apple to list a "critical don't touch these parts, as it may brick your phone" type of list.

 

[nicho]

Answer me this. Apple says they cannot decrypt iPhones, they say they cannot bypass the password lock.

FBI wants access, they can't change the Touch ID to get into the phone, but Apple can change the Touch ID and re-link the TouchID Sensor to the Secure Enclave.

Does that mean Apple actually can access the phone if they are able to change the TouchID and re-link it to the Secure Enclave? No. Because they already told the FBI it is impossible for them to bypass the password lock or decrypt the iPhones storage and being able to re-link a TouchID (and bypass the Enclave security) would make that statement false.

Thus we know verifiable by Apples own word that there is no way to defeat the security mechanism that they are aware of and yet they posses the ability to change TouchID sensors. What this means is, there is no security issue with changing TouchID sensors at all.

Do you understand what I'm getting at? All the magic occurs inside the Secure Enclave. The TouchID is just a scanning device. Changing it does not bypass the security of the phone.

you missed the point. The Apple supplied TouchID sensor is just a scanning device.

Apple have no idea what a third party replacement is potentially capable of. For instance, storing and replicating or falsifying the owners credentials in order to allow another person access to the phone.

Allowing this would bypass the security of the phone.

 

[SuperMarioKart]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here that needs to be clarified for the 100th time:

The issue arises when a phone is updated(either OTA or in iTunes) or restored while using another Touch ID(most likely, the original was damaged during a screen repair when the repair person improperly removed the adhesive holding the Touch ID/home button flex cable down). An original Touch ID from the same iPhone model will not fix the issue either. Only one Touch ID can prevent and fix the Error 53. If it breaks, your phone is a ticking time-bomb.

The iPhone 6(Plus/S) can still be used if you know the owner's passcode or there is no passcode at all. You just won't be able to use the person's Apple Pay and other features that require the Touch ID.

If you're on IOS 9, you'll get those annoying update messages everyday and have to be aware of the consequences.

Apple authorized repair centers cannot repair this issue. They send the phone to Apple and charge you a flat fee on top of the out of warranty replacement cost($299/$329). If you're lucky to have realized the Touch ID doesn't work anymore, Apple can replace it for $109(the cost of a screen repair). I think they replace the screen as well when they reflash a new Touch ID.

This Error 53 does nothing for security. Maybe 1 in a million people has changed the Touch ID in an attempt to use someone else's Apple Pay.

I guess this isn't the time to talk about the millions of users who have unwittingly purchased iPhones second-hand with iCloud(not lost/stolen) and have lost contact with the original owners; thus, their iPhones have become bricks as well.

 

[dotnet]

There seems to be a lot of misinformation here that needs to be clarified for the 100th time:

The issue arises when a phone is updated(either OTA or in iTunes) or restored while using another Touch ID(most likely, the original was damaged during a screen repair when the repair person improperly removed the adhesive holding the Touch ID/home button flex cable down). An original Touch ID from the same iPhone model will not fix the issue either. Only one Touch ID can prevent and fix the Error 53. If it breaks, your phone is a ticking time-bomb.

Unfortunately this clarifies nothing. As I said above, my recent error 53 occurred on an iPhone 6 that had never been opened, for any reason. I also experienced this error with several phones in the past, none of which even had TouchID sensors.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[Quu]

you missed the point. The Apple supplied TouchID sensor is just a scanning device.

Apple have no idea what a third party replacement is potentially capable of. For instance, storing and replicating or falsifying the owners credentials in order to allow another person access to the phone.

Allowing this would bypass the security of the phone.

Even under this event why does that warrant disabling the entire phone? They could just disable Touch ID and revert back to the passcode that has to be setup when you setup Touch ID. Apples approach here is very heavy handed.

 

[simty]

Some iPhone 6 users who had their smartphones repaired by third-party technicians are reporting that a mysterious "error 53" message is permanently bricking their iPhones (via The Guardian). Users who have had Touch ID on their iPhone 6 fixed by a non-Apple technician, and agreed to update the iPhone to the most recent version of iOS, are facing an issue which essentially prevents all access to the iPhone.

Freelance photographer Antonio Olmos is one such affected iPhone 6 user who had his iPhone repaired in Macedonia while working. He said "it worked perfectly" after the repair shop finished fixing the broken screen and home button, but once he updated to iOS 9 he got an "error 53" message and could no longer access any of his personal content on the iPhone. An Apple Store in London was shown the issue, and staff there admitted there was nothing they could do for him besides sell him a new iPhone.

Speaking with The Guardian, iFixit's Kyle Wiens said that the issue, while still unclear, appears to be Apple ensuring only genuine components are being used for repairs. Once a third party changes the home button or internal cable, the iPhone checks to be sure that all original components are running the phone, and if there are any discrepancies users face the "error 53" message and can't access their data. Since mentions of "error 53" span a few versions of iOS, it's unclear specifically which software update began the phone-locking error message.

An Apple spokeswoman commented on the issue, referring to protective security features intended to prevent "malicious" third-party components from potentially compromising a user's iPhone as the main reason for the "error 53" message. Other than that, Apple hasn't commented on the issue or outlined exactly what the company can do for those affected by the iPhone bricking error message. Mentions of "error 53" have been around since at least last April, where some users have encountered the issue in software updates as early as iOS 8.3.

Article Link: Users Facing 'Error 53' Bricking Message After Third-Party iPhone 6 Home Button Repairs

 

[Puonti]

The device as a whole requires a passcode on reboot. So unless you already have the passcode, changing the Touch ID sensor won't give you access to anything. And if you do, changing the Touch ID sensor won't give you access to anything that you can't already access. (*)

(*) Some third-party apps require Touch ID auth, and if you don't disable Touch ID when a mismatched sensor is detected, it might be possible to swap Touch ID sensors and gain access to those apps using only the passcode. So it is marginally important to disable the Touch ID sensor in such a way that if the user reenables it, any previous data protected solely by Touch ID would be wiped.

But no, from a security perspective, this makes little sense unless bricking the device is the only way for them to disable Touch ID's access to the secure enclave after a certain number of authentication failures, in which case the hardware design is fundamentally wrong.

I'll give you the passcode remaining even if Touch ID is disabled. For the sake of argument let's assume Apple could do it without compromising the secure enclave, too (it simply would not be used anymore) - I don't know enough about its inner workings to say for certain.

So, Apple detects an unauthorized replacement part and disables Touch ID because they absolutely have to, as there are no guarantees the third-party component is not somehow back doored. It might allow someone to bypass fingerprint detection and by extension the passcode where it is not requested in addition to or instead of a fingerprint. They can't vouch for its security, not to their customers nor their investors.

As a result the phone is not bricked, and compared to a bricked phone that's certainly an improvement, but that's also not how people tend to think about these things. You're generally not happy because something worse could have happened, but something bad happened instead. Not dying qualifies, but we're talking about phones here.

After all, these people paid good money for a premium phone and the premium features it came with - features that likely were the reason why they upgraded or switched to that iPhone in the first place. Reality might not match up to the statement as many long-time Apple customer know, but supposedly these things "just work". And now, all of the sudden, something in there simply does not work.

Furthermore the device's warranty, if it had any, is negated since the phone was opened up by an unauthorized party and Apple can't know what else has gone wrong. It's resale price goes down considerably because it is no longer and never will be fully functioning. Not unless Apple agrees to do out-of-warranty repairs on these devices, replacing the innards with original parts. Potentially a more expensive operation than simply having that Touch ID sensor replaced by Apple or an authorized service point in the first place.

I have no doubt that there would be just as much bellyaching with that outcome and the people who now blame Apple for handling this badly and for being greedy would do the same then. Not just that, but instead of having broken devices properly repaired and kept in circulation in fully functional form, Apple would have outwardly trouble-free devices lacking key functionality being re-sold to people who might not be fully aware of what they're getting.

People were complaining about buying Activation Locked phones, because they were not informed. People would complain just as much about buying phones with disabled Touch ID and Apple either refusing repairs outright or asking for their out-of-warranty list price for whatever they thought needed to be replaced.

There would be upsides - your phone breaking down in a place where you can't get authorized repairs done, or the phone breaking down when you've neglected to backup your data - but I would still not go that route. I'll rather take the peace of mind original parts and authorized service provides.

But then again I also take backups to avoid loss of important data and so far have not lost the use of my phone in a critical situation. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I might think differently if that had been my experience, and judging by replies to this thread a lot of people apparently have been there. The other option is that they're cheap and don't like the outcome of being cheap in this instance.

 

[MH01]

Honestly this is crazy. SINCE DAY ONE OF THE TOUCH ID IT'S BEEN KNOWN THAT TO ENSURE THE DEVICE REMAINS ENCRYPTED THE SECURE ENCLAVE AND TOUCH ID ARE PAIRED IN THE FACTORY.

This is BY DESIGN, discussed explicitly during the introduction specifically so that someone (authorities) couldn't just slip a modified sensor in to gain access.

The whole point of this was privacy, explicitly stated since day one of Touch ID.

Now does anyone think it's a bit funny that this "story" comes out (years after the introduction of Touch ID) at the exact same time that everyone from the states (california and New York) to the ****ing FBI are trying to ensure that the government has a way to access data as freely as they've been able to in the past?

This whole thing reeks.

All apple needed to do was permanently disable the touchid, once a 3rd party sensor was detected, the phone reverts back to its pin code and is secure and operational. The Touch ID functionality is permanently disabled.

The touchid is an option anyway. It's not critical to phone operation.

 

[nicho]

Even under this event why does that warrant disabling the entire phone? They could just disable Touch ID and revert back to the passcode that has to be setup when you setup Touch ID. Apples approach here is very heavy handed.

According to the poster above you this isn't the case

 

[snorkelman]

you missed the point. The Apple supplied TouchID sensor is just a scanning device.

Apple have no idea what a third party replacement is potentially capable of. For instance, storing and replicating or falsifying the owners credentials in order to allow another person access to the phone.

Allowing this would bypass the security of the phone.

But by most accounts they are allowing it - for an indefinite period until the user carries out their next iOS update

if its such a huge security concern that it requires phones to be immediately bricked upon detection with no provision for rectifying offered, then I'd expect the detection to be a wee bit more robust than that - like every time the handset is booted or the os makes a call to the touch ID sub system.

Not just when the handset has its OS updated - which could be anything from several months by an unwitting genuine owner, to as long as 'never in a month of Sundays' if its in the hands of a third party with malicious intent.

 

[MH01]

I'll give you the passcode remaining even if Touch ID is disabled. For the sake of argument let's assume Apple could do it without compromising the secure enclave, too (it simply would not be used anymore) - I don't know enough about its inner workings to say for certain.

So, Apple detects an unauthorized replacement part and disables Touch ID because they absolutely have to, as there are no guarantees the third-party component is not somehow back doored. It might allow someone to bypass fingerprint detection and by extension the passcode where it is not requested in addition to or instead of a fingerprint. They can't vouch for its security, not to their customers nor their investors.

As a result the phone is not bricked, and compared to a bricked phone that's certainly an improvement, but that's also not how people tend to think about these things. You're generally not happy because something worse could have happened, but something bad happened instead. Not dying qualifies, but we're talking about phones here.

After all, these people paid good money for a premium phone and the premium features it came with - features that likely were the reason why they upgraded or switched to that iPhone in the first place. Reality might not match up to the statement as many long-time Apple customer know, but supposedly these things "just work". And now, all of the sudden, something in there simply does not work.

Furthermore the device's warranty, if it had any, is negated since the phone was opened up by an unauthorized party and Apple can't know what else has gone wrong. It's resale price goes down considerably because it is no longer and never will be fully functioning. Not unless Apple agrees to do out-of-warranty repairs on these devices, replacing the innards with original parts. Potentially a more expensive operation than simply having that Touch ID sensor replaced by Apple or an authorized service point in the first place.

I have no doubt that there would be just as much bellyaching with that outcome and the people who now blame Apple for handling this badly and for being greedy would do the same then. Not just that, but instead of having broken devices properly repaired and kept in circulation in fully functional form, Apple would have outwardly trouble-free devices lacking key functionality being re-sold to people who might not be fully aware of what they're getting.

People were complaining about buying Activation Locked phones, because they were not informed. People would complain just as much about buying phones with disabled Touch ID and Apple either refusing repairs outright or asking for their out-of-warranty list price for whatever they thought needed to be replaced.

There would be upsides - your phone breaking down in a place where you can't get authorized repairs done, or the phone breaking down when you've neglected to backup your data - but I would still not go that route. I'll rather take the peace of mind original parts and authorized service provides.

But then again I also take backups to avoid loss of important data and so far have not lost the use of my phone in a critical situation. I'm perfectly willing to admit that I might think differently if that had been my experience, and judging by replies to this thread a lot of people apparently have been there. The other option is that they're cheap and don't like the outcome of being cheap in this instance.

Any user who has unauthorised repairs needs to accept the consequences relating to warranty and quality.

In an ideal world, people would get apple to do repairs, though in the real world some cannot afford it.

The problem is that the touchid button, is critical to phone functionality, not the Id part but the home button function. So I can see users wanting to get home button working again, without caring about the ID sensor.

there are still many parts of the world that do not have apple stores or authorised dealers, or ones with dealers are only in major cities etc. The iPhone is in far more places than the support network .

 

[Jax44]

This is an inetresting twist on it tho from ASC;

Reply Helpfulby KDM666 on Feb 19, 2015 9:47 PM
Hi guys
I have to disappoint you all.
The problem is in Touch ID 1000%. If it is not original button for this particular motherboard or your touch id ribbon cable is damaged or not connected to your motherboard (at least it can be fixed)
The problem has no software solutions. At least until that moment when this topic will have thousandths of complaints about error 53. And apple will do something.
For now you can:…………………..
4)Find a guy who invented this stupid system with touch id on iPhone 6 and 6+ (5s has no such problem) - and throw your dead Brick-iPhone to his head. Maybe it will satisfy you a little.
Wonder why?

The below from TheDailyDot is also very telling of the attitude of Apple;

For starters, Apple lists 65 different numerical error codes on its website, ranging from common to rare, but Error 53 isn’t one of them. The company even addresses solutions for those who have jailbroken their devices, which the company greatly frowns upon, but doesn’t address Error 53 whatsoever.

Apple’s support forums, on the other hand, have plenty of discussion of Error 53. When a customer mentions encountering the error, the typical troubleshooting steps are recommended—things like restoring the iPhone or restarting the device—but not a single person has discovered a recommended method for restoring the device once the number 53 appears on their screen.

What a bunch of crap.

 

[AlexisV]

"Accept the consequences"

I can't think of another instance where getting something repairs results in it working fine for six months and then the original manufacturer knocks on your door, snatches the product from you and stamps on it.

 

[alexgowers]

It would be a worldwide scandal if it was the other way around.
Imagine the headlines..."People steal iPhones replace home button and steal all your stuff"

 

[Pandakopanda]

Theoretically every time you leave your iPhone to an untrusted person that person could tamper with your device. Which actually begs the question how good the vetting process is for authorised Apple repair personnel. I mean, security is often as good as the weakest link.

If Apple is really doing this for security reasons, then why don't they brick the phone immediately instead of waiting for the upgrade? Most people that have their phone repaired by an unauthorised repair shop don't care for 100% absolute security. They just want to have their phone fixed for a reasonable price without much hassle.

Intentionally bricking the phone without any warning is overkill.
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It would be a worldwide scandal if it was the other way around.
Imagine the headlines..."People steal iPhones replace home button and steal all your stuff"

They can't replace the home button and steal your stuff, it doesn't work that way; the home button doesn't do the actual authorisation. And even if it did the current "security" measure would be useless because doesn't go into effect immediately but only if you upgrade the os.

 

[Laura-1]

The problem is that the touchid button, is critical to phone functionality, not the Id part but the home button function. So I can see users wanting to get home button working again, without caring about the ID sensor.

Actutally, it's not. I have never used the physical touch id button and have no need to.

I find Assistive Touch (in iOS Settings) to be one the most unsold features of iOS. It's quiet a remarkable piece of code. Adapting and moving as you activate keyboards and various other aspects of the GUI. I use the power button to activate the screen from sleep, and there's my Kino like helper, Assistive Touch.

 

[MH01]

Actutally, it's not. I have never used the physical touch id button and have no need to.

I find Assistive Touch (in iOS Settings) to be one the most unsold features of iOS. It's quiet a remarkable piece of code. Adapting and moving as you activate keyboards and various other aspects of the GUI. I use the power button to activate the screen from sleep, and there's my Kino like helper, Assistive Touch.

Home button is core functionality. It's core how you use and navigate . Your using optional features to tailor your user journey.