Upgrading to iOS 9? Watch Out for Error 53!

Apple has always been known for the top-notch quality of all its products. That’s why its resale or appraisal value is often very high. Coupled with a consistent, regular schedule of releases, they also sport long lifecycles. It’s really little wonder why people not only eagerly anticipate the releases of their newest models, but iterations of their iOS operating system as well.
iOS 9 is the latest outing and it featured enough upgrades (both visual and functional) to get iPhone owners excited. Now, no new release is without its problems, for sure, but the recent reports of Error 53 occurrences has gotten many owners frustrated and flustered. PawnHero takes a quick look at what Error 53 is and how you can avoid it.

What is Error 53?

It’s hard to trace the very start of this whole series of problems, but an article from The Guardian seems to be the most popular documentation. The article follows Antonio Olmos, a correspondent on-assignment in the Balkans. He had dropped his iPhone and—needing it for work—took the unit for repair at a local shop—as there were no Apple stores in Macedonia.
It came back working fine after some work was done on the screen and the home button. The real problem began for Olmos when he accepted the upgrade-to-iOS9 prompt that popped up on his phone’s screen. Within seconds, his iPhone was rendered permanently bricked—and just about as useful as one. Getting it to an official Apple store in London, he was told that there was nothing that could be done.
Putting it simpler, Error 53 makes your iPhone unusable.

Why does Error 53 happen?

The apparent cause of this error is having your iPhone 6 repaired by third-party repair personnel. This seems to be centered around the TouchID-enabled home button. Although, many complaints in the forums have pointed out that repairs to the screen trigger the sequence of events that result in the dreaded bricking of your iPhone. Unnervingly enough, a few users noted that the error was triggered after they simply dropped their units—with no repair work being done.

What can you do about it?

Unfortunately, if you’re reading this after you’ve experienced it yourself, there doesn’t yet seem to be a way out of it at the moment. Even Apple has simply released a statement saying that not only did it know about Error 53 but that it was also an intended (though undisclosed) security feature in-built for the consumers’ protection. While that makes sense, especially for people who rely on their iPhone 6 for payment and other secure transactions, many have become frustrated at Apple’s non-disclosure of this feature, as well as the oh-too-simple ways that can trigger the error.
If you haven’t updated to iOS 9 and are worried about your iPhone 6, it helps to remember whether you’ve dropped it recently or had any repair work done. If you bought it second-hand, try to ask the person or shop you brought it from. The best thing to do, ultimately, would be to take your iPhone 6 to an accredited Apple store to have it checked/updated to be safe. That way, their accredited and trained technicians can determine whether things will be ok or not.

PawnHero is the first online pawn shop in the Philippines. We have a wider range of items we accept—and Apple iPhones are among the most highly appraised. We offer a convenient and quick pick-up and appraisal process that gets you much-needed funds in a shorter amount of time. Fill out our online form to try us out today.
Are you an iPhone 6 owner looking to upgrade to iOS 9? What do your feel about the problem with Error 53? Share your thoughts with us today!