An old bug called Error 53 is back and is troubling iPhone 6 users who have complained that their devices repaired by third-party repair shops are breaking.
The bug resurfaced when a journalist, who broke his phone screen while covering a refugee crisis was forced to get it repaired in a third-party store. While the phone initially worked fine after the repair, a subsequent update of the iOS produced the Error 53 bug making the device useless.
A report on The Verge notes that this isn't the first time the issue has popped up. However, the problem arises when the iPhone repaired by a third-party store gets a new version of the iOS. Once a phone is met with the error, there is nothing to do but send it back to the Apple headquarters.
Following consumer complaints, Apple acknowledged the issue and in its statement said that the Error 53 was the result of security checks performed after installing an update, especially the ones that pair the TouchID to the internal Secure Enclave chip.
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. It further noted that if the consumer encounters Error 53, they should contact Apple Support.
While it is true that the Secure Enclave chip is central to the iPhone's overall security, without a verified connection between the TouchID sensor and the Secure Enclave the iPhone's fingerprint system could be vulnerable to any attack. Without a verified connection, the payment systems like Apple Pay would not be possible.
However, many of the reported issues do not seem to be related to the TouchID at all. For example, one of the iPhone users got the device repaired for a simple screen crack at an unauthorised dealer and yet encountered the Error 53 after updating to iOS 9 months later.
Apple says that faulty screens may cause the check to fail, leaving users with no way to recover from the predictable issue.