And obviously, the company claims that bricked device owners should contact Apple Support for assistance.
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The program applies to iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models that are brought into Apple’s retail stores.
“We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks created to protect our customers”, an Apple spokesperson told The Independent.
The tech giant said if the iOS finds a mismatch between the TouchID sensor and other components of the device, the check fails and the sensor, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled.
Apple advise all customers who have fallen victim to the Error 53 message to contact the support team.
iFixit’s Kyle Weins believes that third-party repairers need to have a way to pair new Touch ID components with handsets.
Because each time an authorized Apple service provider repairs your device, they validate and re-validate the device’s Touch ID sensor. So it may just be that there is something which has gone wrong inside the device like the Touch ID sensor acting up. The problem is that Apple hasn’t released the tool to synchronize new parts with people’s phones.
Apple confirmed that it’s aware of the issue, but says it’s actually a feature of iOS 9.2.1 that is meant to protect the Secure Enclave that contains your fingerprint information.
Users have found their iPhones rendered obsolete after they had their screen or home buttons repaired and then tried upgrading the software. This error is down to Touch ID and is triggered by an unauthorised technician fiddling with the sensor on an iOS 9 device. Without the feature, a hacker could put a malicious Touch ID sensor on your iPhone and gain access to the secure enclave.
The error is generated by security checks created to protect its customers, according to Apple.
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The Error 53 message is known for turning iPhones into bricks, or making your phone completely non-functioning. Apple advice was not to throw your phone out jut yet. However, the fact that there is no warning or indication that your phone is about to be bricked if you’ve had your home button repaired at a non-Apple authorized fix facility has outraged many users.
