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

[SuperMarioKart]

I've just read this BBC news article regarding the latest iOS upgrade. I havnt got round to upgrading to iOS 9.2.1 yet but 2 weeks ago dropped my phone cracking the screen which was replaced by a non Apple phone repairer. I've done a search on this forum on error 53 and read what's already been out here but wondered if this is likely to cause issues before I upgrade? It was the glass which cracked. The Touch ID worked perfectly (as did the screen) after it had been dropped and I only paid £80 for the repair so not sure if they did anything to the Touch ID button but wondered if I should refrain from updating?

Bbc article below if anyone hasn't seen it yet. Not sure if this is a new issue.

iPhones 'disabled' if Apple detects third-party repairs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35502030

If your flash memory was damaged during the impact, you could end up with a bricked phone. It's rare, but there is always the 1%. Updating will bring you no must-have features until 9.3, but it will stop the annoying update message.
[doublepost=1454823288][/doublepost]

Worth noting as well that Apple considers a non-Apple replacement of the Touch ID assembly to be a third party modification, and as per the rules established by Apple an authorised repair center is unable to accept these devices even if the customer offers to pay to have the issue rectified. The AppleCare repair center will send the device back un-repaired if a third party modification is found on inspection.

I can't see any way that a customer would be able to correct this issue without purchasing a new phone. Which sucks, because the phone would otherwise work fine if Apple would simply disable the Touch ID feature entirely but leave the phone operational as was the case in the past.

I haven't stared at a 3rd-party Touch ID much compared with an original, but in any event, you could use an original Touch ID from a broken iPhone 6. As long as you wipe off your prints from the LCD shield and shield covering the screen cables(making sure not to mix up the screws), there wouldn't be any clear signs of tampering other than the Error 53. I just had a look at one the other day, but the person who previously did the screen repair broke off the metal hole for the middle screw somehow, so I'll just keep it and advise the next owner not to update *fingers crossed*.

 

[IGI2]

That analogy fails on many levels, the least of which is it's relevance to the topic. I don't think you read the entire article or you didn't understand it. When the guy got his phone fixed with unauthorized parts, the phone worked. Just like it used to work. So in his instance, what you claim as a security feature, it didn't do what you described: if true, lock the device. Where's the security? Unauthorized parts installed. Phone works fine.

Error-53 kicked in when he responded to the request to update his phone. If he hadn't updated, he could still possibly have a working phone, with unauthorized parts. I understand the security rationale behind Apple's explanation. I agree with the rationale as well. It just didn't work until the guy updated. If that update is required before the security kicks in, that's not exactly security in the purest sense.

So what? They just bumped the security level on the latest update, or they just checked for phone to upgrade so that they could validate. How do phone could be constantly monitoring itself, it would be a waste of resources. Once for a while is good option. Maybe it's just a beginning of a new trend.

 

[Radon87000]

Agreed, but these lawsuits are going to go nowhere.

I can't believe how much you "insert known word here" Apple.Its MY iPhone.I can repair it with whomsoever I want.On the contrary we need more of these lawsuits to force Apple to wake up and realise costumers won't take their **** lying down

 

[I7guy]

I can't believe how much you "insert known word here" Apple.Its MY iPhone.I can repair it with whomsoever I want.On the contrary we need more of these lawsuits to force Apple to wake up and realise costumers won't take their **** lying down

So go get it repaired wherever you want , I'm not stopping you. Take up your beef with Apple. Asterisks and euphemisms are not going to change things.
[doublepost=1454834745][/doublepost]

Not anymore. Tim Cook said he expects decline in both profits and revenue in the next quarter.

Even biggest Apple shills such as Walt Mossberg started bashing Apple for their poor software quality. And I completely agree. I am sure those factors will accelerate the decline even more.

Probably have a smaller record breaking quarter next. However iPhone 7 is going to shatter even apples records.

 

[jimmynitcher]

Well said HKZ - religiously pro Apple people act as another unofficial layer of security around their products.
But you do realise you are taking on another battle here? Namely, threatening the sense of elitism of those that live near their stores and can afford the ridiculous repair prices clearly get from trotting out the party line.
Their lack of empathy is what sets them apart! You can't win! Macrumors is the very nest in which they breed.
Luckily Apple wants everyone's money not just theirs and they stand to lose a lot if they cut out third party repair.
I love their products but I would have to leave the iPhone, they are just too easy to break and I don't belong to the hallowed group. Guess I'll stick to my 5c and see what happens.

 

[I7guy]

Well said HKZ - religiously pro Apple people act as another unofficial layer of security around their products.
But you do realise you are taking on another battle here? Namely, threatening the sense of elitism of those that live near their stores and can afford the ridiculous repair prices clearly get from trotting out the party line.
Their lack of empathy is what sets them apart! You can't win! Macrumors is the very nest in which they breed.
Luckily Apple wants everyone's money not just theirs and they stand to lose a lot if they cut out third party repair.
I love their products but I would have to leave the iPhone, they are just too easy to break and I don't belong to the hallowed group. Guess I'll stick to my 5c and see what happens.

The alternatives section has a lot of good information on decent low cost competitors. I don't get posts that spew this type of hyperbole. If I had this much eminis toward a company, its policies and the like I would buy elsewhere.

 

[thecombatwombat]

Well if I replace the door locking system on my car, and get it done at a non-honda garage, it doesn't stop the car from being usable..... so No, you're not

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I eventually pulled the security system completely out of one car I had because after servicing the thing twice, it would still think something fishy was going on, and so disable the ignition. It was the biggest pain I've ever dealt with from any product. Of course it never froze up while I was at home, only at the most inconvenient places. This was in an almost 20 year old '97 Skylark . . .

I don't think third party parts were at fault, but the same halt everything upon finding a problem response was there.

 

[Timur]

I just checked and you cannot make Apple store appointments for repairing anything other than iPhones on Apple's German support site anymore. I can well imagine the reason: The Genius bar often is the most populated area of our local store. Every time I had to go there for support it cost me a considerable amount of time. In the past it could happen that you had to wait over a week to even get an appointment.

Today there are plenty of free time slots (it's carnival week, though), but only for iPhone repairs. And just to mention it: the TouchID button is not among the selectable defects. You can only choose "other" and get the price for a full repair/exchange listed then (aka maximum). At least you get a quote before bringing it in, try to get that for something like a bricked harddrive of an iMac, no chance.
[doublepost=1454837294][/doublepost]

The alternatives section has a lot of good information on decent low cost competitors. I don't get posts that spew this type of hyperbole. If I had this much eminis toward a company, its policies and the like I would buy elsewhere.

The specific policy discussed here (destroy phone when third party part is detected) was not known when many of us bought their TouchID equipped iPhone. I never use this feature and would be quite p*ss*d *ff when my phone was completely bricked because of it. It wouldn't matter to my personal usage case if the feature was just turned off.

 

[bogg]

This is Apple telling us not to venture out of their ecosystem. In this case, if you try it your phone will be bricked. Imagine if you had to use genuine GM parts to repair your car or else your care is bricked. This scares the **** out of me.

Well, crucial parts are more or less required to be genuine GM parts and married to the car.
Say the ECU, only a genuine GM ECU will be able to be married to the car (and only by GM authorized repair shops in case they don't use cloned/hacked hardware).

There's plenty of stuff in a modern car that needs to be married to it to function correctly and thus only is able to be installed by authorized repair shops. Like the ECU, factory installed theft alarm/immobilizer systems, spare keys, and a bunch of other control units and devices.

 

[MarcusCarpenter]

Even they don't. When my home button stopped working, they just replaced the entire phone.

Apple may not be able to do this in every store or in any at all, if you send your iPhone to apples distribution centre in the box they send you they can do it there

 

[MrAverigeUser]

There is a saying:

"Well-willing is often the opposite of well-done"….

The problem is NOT the fact that for EVIDENT security reasons the phone gets blocked.
I am criticizing apple for many things, but not this care for more security itself.

The REAL problems - and this is where apple failed - are:
1) apple did not communicate the new security feature. No warning.
2) since you have still full security with your old method of four numbers, apple could easily have solved the problem in case of exchange of broken screens by making the phone demanding this code (or even a much more complicated one created by yourself while activating it the first time) after each exchange of screen or fingerprint-button.
3) apple could at least for the exchange of fingerprint-sensors and/or screen charge a reasonable charge instead of horrible charges, doing so they´d prevent forcing their customers to search for alternative repair services…

This solution is so simple and logic that I can´t imagine none at apple did think about it.

So - for me - this is just another step away from their customers. Like they solder now every SSD, RAM, glue every battery - their policy is to make their customers slaves.
Their once well-functioning Eco-system is getting more and more a real prison.

They give a **** on customers needs and free choice (to update/modify their own property for example) now. Sadly, there are still too much lemmings who even apologize everything…

I hope there will be class lawsuit action soon.
They deserve it.

 

[Smartass]

Well, crucial parts are more or less required to be genuine GM parts and married to the car.
Say the ECU, only a genuine GM ECU will be able to be married to the car (and only by GM authorized repair shops in case they don't use cloned/hacked hardware).

There's plenty of stuff in a modern car that needs to be married to it to function correctly and thus only is able to be installed by authorized repair shops. Like the ECU, factory installed theft alarm/immobilizer systems, spare keys, and a bunch of other control units and devices.

yes, but a "non-genuine" alarm system wont render your car completely useless to the point that youll have to bring it to junkyard. Thats the problem here, if the error 54 was just temporary or touchid was disabled that would be quite logical, but having your phone bricked completely? that wont stand in any court, not US nor EU.

Apple pretty much shot themselves in the foot on this one.

 

[craig1410]

If you read the Forbes article you will realise why that's no longer the case.

Hopefully you realize that a (by all accounts temporary) reduction in profit/revenue is not the same as making a loss? So, yes, the money will keep coming in the door.

Also, it seems highly likely that this will only affect the current quarter and growth will probably return later this year. If you care about the details as to why the current quarter is likely to be down then you'll see this is most likely just a brief blip. eg. Q2 2015 large screen iPhone supply/demand balance, FX headwinds, global economy downturn etc.

 

[nicho]

But it isn't the case. Even Authorised Repairers must send the entire device back to Apple to have any repair involving anything more than a camera or a battery performed, including screen replacements. What makes an authorised repairer "authorised" is the ability to facilitate those returns to Apple and track their progress on the behalf of the customer. This is a service strategy specific to the iPhone. Mac repairs and iPod / iPad replacements can be performed by authorised repairers in-house.

I wasn't aware that was the case - so authorised repairers can only take the back off but not the front basically?

Still, if independents used Apple parts do people seriously think they'd still be so competitive on price?

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[Popeye206]

Funny the passionate responses here when honestly I don't see this much different than most other products. I know on cars, if something goes wrong and I have it fixed with aftermarket parts and something goes wrong afterwards, the car manufacture warrantee may not be valid. So if you take your phone to someone that fixes it wrong or with subpar parts and it bricks your phone, go complain at who fixed it. They screwed you not Apple.

So many people here think their so entitled to do whatever they want and Apple is supposed to bend over backwards to make up for their actions. The sad thing is these people will blast Apple for being money hungry and greedy when in my experience Apple support and in-store repairs have been nothing but stellar for me. Even when I messed up and soaked my iPhone in the ocean... 110% my fault... Apple saved me $100's by replacing my phone under their out-of-warrantee program. I don't know to many companies that would have done that.

 

[Col4bin]

This is actually a good thing. However, people will still be mad.

So what's the security concern? Someone theoretically could steal a person's iPhone 6 and replace the home button to access the phone? Is this proven to be possible with 3rd party home button replacement on these devises?

Or, is this Apple's attempt to exert control over the consumer and dictate where the repair of an oft-broken iPhone part is done (aka by Apple?) So what's next, a cracked screen? Wow.
[doublepost=1454849353][/doublepost]

This is a good thing. At least we know Apple is doing their best to keep the TouchID system as secure as possible. It's not Apple's responsibility to inform customers of a repair center that they could end up with a bricked phone. That responsibility falls on the shoulders of the third party shops.

Apple occasionally does questionable things in attempting to get people to upgrade. However, I don't believe this is one of those times.

Or it's Apple exerting control over where broken iPhone parts get fixed. Otherwise known as controlling the market and you the consumer. Broken home button today, cracked screen tomorrow, where does it stop?Just saying.
[doublepost=1454849730][/doublepost]

Funny the passionate responses here when honestly I don't see this much different than most other products. I know on cars, if something goes wrong and I have it fixed with aftermarket parts and something goes wrong afterwards, the car manufacture warrantee may not be valid. So if you take your phone to someone that fixes it wrong or with subpar parts and it bricks your phone, go complain at who fixed it. They screwed you not Apple.

So many people here think their so entitled to do whatever they want and Apple is supposed to bend over backwards to make up for their actions. The sad thing is these people will blast Apple for being money hungry and greedy when in my experience Apple support and in-store repairs have been nothing but stellar for me. Even when I messed up and soaked my iPhone in the ocean... 110% my fault... Apple saved me $100's by replacing my phone under their out-of-warrantee program. I don't know to many companies that would have done that.

That's well and good for you--I also have had great success at the Apple Genius Bar and is always my first choice for Apple product care. However, I don't think this is always an issue of the consumer trying to save a dollar or two. Not everyone like us happens to live near an Apple store. Sometimes it's more feasible for people who break their iPhone to visit their local mall kiosk or repair shop for a quick fix. Apple can't expect their customers to either drive 5 hours to an Apple store, or mail their phone's to Apple to be repaired.

 

[beanbaguk]

Funny the passionate responses here when honestly I don't see this much different than most other products. I know on cars, if something goes wrong and I have it fixed with aftermarket parts and something goes wrong afterwards, the car manufacture warrantee may not be valid. So if you take your phone to someone that fixes it wrong or with subpar parts and it bricks your phone, go complain at who fixed it. They screwed you not Apple.

So many people here think their so entitled to do whatever they want and Apple is supposed to bend over backwards to make up for their actions. The sad thing is these people will blast Apple for being money hungry and greedy when in my experience Apple support and in-store repairs have been nothing but stellar for me. Even when I messed up and soaked my iPhone in the ocean... 110% my fault... Apple saved me $100's by replacing my phone under their out-of-warrantee program. I don't know to many companies that would have done that.

However you're wrong. I don't know about US law but in the collective countries of Europe, you are legally permitted to take your car to a certified indie to get your car repaired and your warranty will not be affected.

Capitalism hasn't entirely taken over the EU and it's one of the things that I love about living in the EU. Makes life a lot fairer for us consumers and it also benefits you too across the pond.

2 year warranties for example are a direct result of EU rulings against manufacturers like Apple rejected claims after just 1 year yet consumers have another 12 months left on phone contracts.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

In addition to my posting some hours ago:

For me, there is now a clear context for these things happening:

----->>>> Didn´t Tim Cook just some days before (Presentaion of Q1 revenues) talk about "SERVICE MARKET giving a LOT of chance to have more revenues" ?????? He pointed out that apple has 1 Billion devices on the market (which is incorrect, they just SOLD that many devices historically) and does´t get much from SERVICE - so this would be the aim of apple for the upcoming times with decreasing amount of iPhones! They want to get much more from everyone of their slaved customers being captured in the apple-"Eco-system" !

NOW we understand that soldering SSDs, RAM, Glueing Batteries and bricking iPhones repaired by 3rd party services will not only force customers to buy the maxed options of the devices at horrible prices (and always pay even 15% on top of the already astronomic price to rest calm for 3 years), it generates in future times enormous income because customers will need desperately apple´s totally overpriced "SERVICE" just to change SSDs and repair failing screens or simple main buttons (the latter happened already often before, but this did cost just some USD).

It is all about GREED and abuse of a monopol status.

Stay with older IOS, older OSX, and with upgradable machines! Kick them in the ass!

AND: There must be class lawsuit action against them for soldering, glueing and the error53 scandal!

 

[LovingTeddy]

Funny the passionate responses here when honestly I don't see this much different than most other products. I know on cars, if something goes wrong and I have it fixed with aftermarket parts and something goes wrong afterwards, the car manufacture warrantee may not be valid. So if you take your phone to someone that fixes it wrong or with subpar parts and it bricks your phone, go complain at who fixed it. They screwed you not Apple.

So many people here think their so entitled to do whatever they want and Apple is supposed to bend over backwards to make up for their actions. The sad thing is these people will blast Apple for being money hungry and greedy when in my experience Apple support and in-store repairs have been nothing but stellar for me. Even when I messed up and soaked my iPhone in the ocean... 110% my fault... Apple saved me $100's by replacing my phone under their out-of-warrantee program. I don't know to many companies that would have done that.

Yeah... no... when i replaced subpar parts to my car, it still driveable. After market parts where i brought from Parts Source, Canadian Tire or any other car repair shop will nkt render my car to pice of junk.

On other hand, just becuase i installed after market screen on iPhone and it become junk, thst is acceptable. I understand Apple may not offer warranty or repaire services for non-Apple product, but render my phone useless is stupid. All Apple want to do is creat monopoly with their repair and rip everyone off. Apple does nkt satisfied with rip you once, it will rip you off everytime you go fix your iPhone. No other phone manufacture will render yoye phone useless via software update, only Apple.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Oh right, Google has the same reputation for security as Apple. You make me laugh.

You and all the other predictable whiners are actually saying that Apple's insisting on the security of your fingerprint is a money grab?!

You know, if you keep posting absurd nonsense no will pay attention if you actually start to make sense one day. Just helping you out here.

Oh, stop just stop. As many people point out, it is nothing about security, it is entirely about money grabbing.

Let me ask you, if it is all about "security' why Applee waited for 9 months to brick the phonr? Why Apple can't simply wipe out the data and the phone still useful?

And second, TouchID sensor cannot read data in Secure Enclaves. It is just one way communication. When TouchID sensor does not match, TouchID function will stop work. There is no way some jacket can produce hacked version of TouchID to steal you information. 1) they do not know your fingerprint 2) they have no access to Secure Enclaves. Everything is encrypted, there is no way some magician hacker would able to get access your phone.

As many point out, Apple does not need brick someone's phone. It is all about force you go buy a new phone. Well, this is something Apple can do to push their iPhone sale where it gonna go down for this quarter

 

[I7guy]

I just checked and you cannot make Apple store appointments for repairing anything other than iPhones on Apple's German support site anymore. I can well imagine the reason: The Genius bar often is the most populated area of our local store. Every time I had to go there for support it cost me a considerable amount of time. In the past it could happen that you had to wait over a week to even get an appointment.

Today there are plenty of free time slots (it's carnival week, though), but only for iPhone repairs. And just to mention it: the TouchID button is not among the selectable defects. You can only choose "other" and get the price for a full repair/exchange listed then (aka maximum). At least you get a quote before bringing it in, try to get that for something like a bricked harddrive of an iMac, no chance.
[doublepost=1454837294][/doublepost]
The specific policy discussed here (destroy phone when third party part is detected) was not known when many of us bought their TouchID equipped iPhone. I never use this feature and would be quite p*ss*d *ff when my phone was completely bricked because of it. It wouldn't matter to my personal usage case if the feature was just turned off.

I don't even understand where one gets a third party (non-OEM) touch id button? Unless these are being bought from the back of the supplier truck.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

I don't even understand where one gets a third party (non-OEM) touch id button? Unless these are being bought from the back of the supplier truck.

apple-apologism at its best…

Well - explain for the others why they should pay 200-500% the price of what a 3rd party service would charge - just for entering an apple store to let them replace their screen or button after warranty expired???
A rather expensive ticket, no?
But I will not even exclude that apple one day will sell tickets to the lemmings - they will even pay thankfully for just getting permission to enter one of those shiny temples of the holy church of apple… Amen.

So - why the hell paying more than a reasonable price?
- Because the "genius" guy is a real gentle one?
- Because apple is near bankruptcy?
- Charity for support of Tim Cook and Joni Ive?
- because they don´t know how to burn money otherwise?

 

[Wowereit]

Funny the passionate responses here when honestly I don't see this much different than most other products. I know on cars, if something goes wrong and I have it fixed with aftermarket parts and something goes wrong afterwards, the car manufacture warrantee may not be valid. So if you take your phone to someone that fixes it wrong or with subpar parts and it bricks your phone, go complain at who fixed it. They screwed you not Apple.

Again:
They didn't brick your phone.
If they screw something up and damage your device it's their fault, sure, but if Apple starts bricking phones via software to "protect" their customers, that's on Apple.

 

[Voila]

Just got Error 53. iPhone 6S which has never been damaged, or repaired. iOS 9.2.1.
I suspect the Touch ID sensor failed all by itself yesterday - tried to restore iPhone today during trouble shooting and now bricked. I think this problem is bigger than just 3rd party repairs.....