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

[Superrjamz54]

I think Apple should have a pop up message informing the user of the potential hardware security issue. This would be a pop up that could happen daily without the ability to be disabled (basically some type of awareness message informing the user of the risk they are operating with). The point that Apple makes regarding security is completely valid, but disabling the iPhone is probably to harsh for the general public. This is great for the phone when being used in a government or enterprise business environment, but those types of businesses can write off a phone and buy a new one when a phone breaks.

That won't work, it's the potential security risk of a N

Just disable all touch id within the software if it detects an unauthorised repair. Not the whole phone.

cant do that when the same button has other functions. The only other thing they could do was just completely deactivate the home button. The phone will work without a ho

See how much bad press Apple got when someone got electrocuted by a charger and it turned out it was a 3rd party Chinese knockoff? But too late, all the public hears is "Woman electrocuted by iPhone"

One Apple Pay breach could destroy the public's confidence in Apple Pay completely so I'm really not surprised they are going out of their way to ensure the risk of this is minimal whilst also keeping us users secure.

I don't know why they have to brick the phone though, why not just disable TouchID?

you can't separate touched from the home button. They could just brick the home button, but imagine the users who can't figure out how to use an IPhone without a functional home button.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Support at the Apple Store in London told the guy to buy a new phone, while Apple PR is telling affected customers to contact Apple Support. How does that work?

iPhones and Apple devices are very fragile, but if you handle them with care they last long. For you to have to replace the home button probably proves you need to put your fingers under manners. I have an iPod Touch from 2009 and I use it daily. In contrast, I have an iPhone 4s and I lent it to my nephew, within 1 month, he destroyed the home button. You don't need to press the Home button like you are trying poke out someone's eyes.

Alternate between the home button, sleep/wake button and swipe to make your home button last long. Gentle press and use the Touch ID to open the device to reduce wear and tear over time.

 

[sundragon]

#firstworldproblems

As someone who works in security - It's your ****ing fingerprints and your data, ****tards! It's not a joke or convenience. Could you image the backlash if they didn't do the check and someone's phone was "repaired" and it was used to hack?

The outrage over something serious like this is absurd. Buy a Samsung "Galaxy wannabe iPhone 6 Plus" phone with it's awful fingerprint button and you can have it repaired anywhere (at your own risk) and be done with it, if you are in such OUTRAGE over something designed to protect the customer and Apple's promise to keep your data as safe as possible...

The SKY is falling!!

OH THE TRAVESTY!

OH THE OUTRAGE!

OMG, my iPhone can't stop bullets?

OMG, the selfies I take on my iPhone don't make me look thinner

OMG, Apple makes a new phone every year and we're FORCED to buy another one!!

Good grief... /sigh

 

[Superrjamz54]

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

The non-Honda garage is still likely to use Honda parts to fix it. Just as likely that an authorized Apple repair shop will use Apple certified parts. It's the people who use cheap their party parts that probably have huge security holes that are going to face this.

 

[Terrinb]

I am sure if I replace figureprint sensor on Nexus 6P, I will not brick that phone.

Admit it, Apple just want your money

Yes, because Google is the first name I think of when I think of security. Brings back the fond memories of both my father and friend's gmail accounts being hacked and then both being locked out. Good times.

 

[iReality85]

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

Just going to chime in here. As someone whose family has been in the business of providing such services for many years, replacing a modern door lock system or installing a remote start in a vehicle isn't as simple as you think.

Bad analogy.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

It is Apple's way to get more money from Apple fans. Make the home button that break easily and charge them ridiculous amount of money to fix it.

Any thing that make Apple gets more money is banned and brick the phone. LOL

Break easily? I've fallen twice when running with my iPhone 6 in hand, each time the phone getting smashed on concrete. One time the glass was completely shattered, one time saved by a more robust case. Neither time did the Touch ID button stop working. So I don't know what people are doing to their Touch ID buttons but they are trying very hard. It's not that easy to break them.

As for your premise that Apple is doing this out of greed, no, its more like its doing this to prevent a lawsuit. Its a way to maintain the level of security of the phone, something it can't guarantee w/ 3rd party parts. It's the same reason it doesn't allow 3rd party apps.

 

[dragosul]

How can this be a safety feature if it only activates after an OS update?

 

[Kaibelf]

Why?

If my iPhone is out of warranty, then I should be able to have it repaired by who ever I want.

I can see why it might be a good thing to avoid circumventing the security on stolen phones, but from a user standpoint who wants a repair, apple repairs aren't exactly the cheapest, or in the UK and other countries where apple stores are only in big cities, its a pain in the rear not being able to take it to a local phone shop.

So you want someone to put in a fake FINGERPRINT READER and then you very like ALSO want Apple to still be liable if your stuff gets stolen. Makes total sense.

 

[Bigsk8r]

I am sure if I replace figureprint sensor on Nexus 6P, I will not brick that phone.

Admit it, Apple just want your money

And I am sure that you, or someone like you, is going to have their entire life worth of data stolen because you let Untrustworthy Ted replace your security feature and download all your phones contents in the process.

If Apple devices never release my data, and never have any kind of software or hardware back-doors, they can occasionally have my money.

 

[sim667]

The non-Honda garage is still likely to use Honda parts to fix it. Just as likely that an authorized Apple repair shop will use Apple certified parts. It's the people who use cheap their party parts that probably have huge security holes that are going to face this.

Not always

Even so Honda would sell you the parts if you wanted to do it yourself.

Apple won't supply anyone who isn't an AASP, and AASP's aren't allowed to repair phones/tablets/apple tv's I don't think.

Even so, they should not have applied it retrospectively, and without announcement.
[doublepost=1454689225][/doublepost]

So you want someone to put in a fake FINGERPRINT READER and then you very like ALSO want Apple to still be liable if your stuff gets stolen. Makes total sense.

Thats not the issue is it?

The issue is that its been applied retrospectively, and as far as I know they won't supply the part if you want to fix it yourself. Who am I to argue with someone WHO WRITES IN CAPS though? Because we all know when you WRITE IN CAPS you MUST BE RIGHT.

 

[iCloudStrife]

Tim Cook: "Execute error 53."

 

[Superrjamz54]

How can this be a safety feature if it only activates after an OS update?

Obviously they changed their code to do that. Maybe they had some complaints about stolen information from faulty installations or the cheap button didn't work

 

[sunapple]

...but how about just disabling Touch ID instead of bricking the whole phone, forcing people to buy a new one? Why can't Apple just replace Touch ID again to make the existing phone work?

 

[navaira]

I can't believe nobody said yet "if you don't like it go buy a Samsung mwahaha" so, yeah, if you don't like it, go buy a Samsung. There.

How can this be a safety feature if it only activates after an OS update?

Possibly Apple weren't aware that there were cheap knockoffs of Touch ID going round.

This could have been neatly avoided by Apple displaying the message "It appears that security of your Touch ID has been compromised. Touch ID will be disabled now. Please contact an Apple representative to resolve. You may continue using your iPhone until then." instead of "Error 53".

 

[baw578]

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

Not really comparable since your car door locks don't contain access to your security enclave with your personal data and thumb print.

 

[AlphaTeam]

Apple has zero responsibility to allow or consider non- Apple parts being put into their product.

Its not Apple's product. In MINE, I paid for it.

 

[Wowereit]

Why is it necessary to brick the phone when the fingerprint sensor got changed?
Just force to confirm the login via password.

 

[Superrjamz54]

Not always

Even so Honda would sell you the parts if you wanted to do it yourself.

Apple won't supply anyone who isn't an AASP, and AASP's aren't allowed to repair phones/tablets/apple tv's I don't think.

Even so, they should not have applied it retrospectively, and without announcement.
[doublepost=1454689225][/doublepost]

Thats not the issue is it?

The issue is that its been applied retrospectively, and as far as I know they won't supply the part if you want to fix it yourself. Who am I to argue with someone WHO WRITES IN CAPS though? Because we all know when you WRITE IN CAPS you MUST BE RIGHT.

Apple doesn't want to have people complaining to them about how they screwed up the phone with either improperly installed parts or knock offs that steal data so they bricked it. And they do it without announcing it to a,e sure that none of the knock off parts work at all. A certified Apple part will not brick the phone this way either. As long as it was installed properly.

 

[navaira]

Its not Apple's product. In MINE, I paid for it.

Mmmmm I wonder if you read all 21324009134012947 pages of the user agreement?

 

[doelcm82]

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.

Right. It's like GM installing a sensor that detects if you've replaced a crucial part with one that might fail at high speed causing a catastrophic crash killing all the occupants and several bystanders, and then refusing to let you operate your death machine where it can cause untold damage.

 

[sim667]

Not really comparable since your car door locks don't contain access to your security enclave with your personal data and thumb print.

They contain access to the security enclave to the chip in my key....

Its exactly the same principle.

 

[Superrjamz54]

Why is it necessary to brick the phone when the fingerprint sensor got changed?
Just force to confirm the login via password.

They probably can not separate the fingerprint sensor from the home button. Would you want to use a iPhone without a home button at all? Probably not since you replaced it in the first place

 

[sososowhat]

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.

 

[sim667]

Right. It's like GM installing a sensor that detects if you've replaced a crucial part with one that might fail at high speed causing a catastrophic crash killing all the occupants and several bystanders, and then refusing to let you operate your death machine where it can cause untold damage.

I'm not sure the iPhone is going to kill you because it can't authenticate that the thumb belongs to its owner