iPhone 6 Error 53: how Apple protects their repair monopoly by deleting your data!

[rcarlos243]

 

 

 

Apple has been screwing with independent repair shops for years, the very places that offer the services they do not.

Now, they are taking to deleting your data if you have us fix your phone. This has gone too far.

 

[spartaman64]

apple this is why people dont like you

[Knaj]

I'm not surprised.

 

It's apple.

[Yummychickenblue]

The Digital Right to Repair Bill ties in pretty closely with this. Louis has another video on this explaining it and why it's important:

[pckid]

This is why less people are using Apple these days.

[Yummychickenblue]

This is why less people are using Apple these days.

See the thing is more people are using Apple these days. according to Statista every time Apple releases a new phone millions of people go out and buy it. Now granted many of those people may be upgrading from their old one but Q3 2015 sales are still higher than 2014 sales which means that more and more people are using Apple products every day.

[79wjd]

This is why less people are using Apple these days.

Less people are using Apple devices? That's news to me. 

 

So they provide an error message and delete your phone when you replace a component with one that's out of spec. 

 

lol, the hate is strong with this one. That's reason enough not to give this video or his content a second thought (off to an actual unopinionated news article).

[Yummychickenblue]

Less people are using Apple devices? That's news to me. 

 

So they provide an error message and delete your phone when you replace a component with one that's out of spec. 

and Apple won't provide data recovery if you bring an a device with Error 53 on it.

[pckid]

See the thing is more people are using Apple these days. according to Statista every time Apple releases a new phone millions of people go out and buy it. Now granted many of those people may be upgrading from their old one but Q3 2015 sales are still higher than 2014 sales which means that more and more people are using Apple products every day.

 

Less people are using Apple devices? That's news to me. 

 

So they provide an error message and delete your phone when you replace a component with one that's out of spec. 

 

lol, the hate is strong with this one. That's reason enough not to give this video or his content a second thought (off to an actual unopinionated news article).

Where I live less people are using Apple.

[TomvanWijnen]

Where I live less people are using Apple.

Let me move to there please

[WereCat]

This is why less people are using Apple these days.

I know only one person that uses any Apple product but in my country Apple is not really popular. However that doesent change the fact that in other parts of the world people are buying them in millions.

[Godlygamer23]

Moved to Mobile Devices. When posting in this sub-forum, please make sure you're following all requirements found here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/11724-read-before-posting-in-this-section/

[79wjd]

So from what I've gathered be reading legitimate sources that aren't rants against Apple like the OP linked, it appears as though Error 53 occurs when the device with a replaced touch ID button is updated to a new version of iOS and in the process it deletes all of your data. 

 

Now, to me, this sounds like an attempt by Apple to prevent your data from being stolen in the event that your phone is stolen.

 

My theories: 

I want to say that the way Apple managed to keep your fingerprints isolated on the device was by incorporating them into the touch ID scanner rather than the actual device itself. Meaning that if you replace the touch ID scanner then you can technically trick the iPhone into unlocking for the wrong person. OR even if the fingerprints are stored on the device itself, it still may be possible to insert a new touch ID scanner in order to bypass the touch ID lock. If either of those scenarios are true, then Error 53 is actually in place in order to protect your data from someone who may have stolen your phone. 

 

Now with all of that said, it does seem weird that Apple won't verify that you're the original device owner and fix the phone (but not restore the data, because it can't). 

 

For the record, Apple will supposedly replace the device if it throws an error 53, and send your device back to Apple. 

[Prysin]

Less people are using Apple devices? That's news to me. 

 

So they provide an error message and delete your phone when you replace a component with one that's out of spec. 

 

i knew apple was malicious, but causing a spontaneous singularity to swallow a phone seems a bit overkill

[79wjd]

i knew apple was malicious, but causing a spontaneous singularity to swallow a phone seems a bit overkill

Read my previous response. Apple's intentions may not be as malicious as they appear to be at first glance. 

[Guest Generallee]

This is why less people are using Apple these days.

 

less people are using apple these days

 

apple sold millions of iphones in a weekend

[Bensemus]

Just keep your original home button and you won't get an error 53.

[79wjd]

Just keep your original home button and you won't get an error 53.

Well, that's not really the ideal solution either... 

 

What Apple should do is give you the option to disable secure erase (They already have that as an option for inputting a code -- you can choose to wipe your phone on the 10th incorrect attempt). Should you choose to leave that enabled, then it's probably best that Error 53 remains an unfixable error, because if Apple were to make it fixable then it would still remain possible for a thief to acquire your information; and seeing as Apple will supposedly (I can't speak defeinitvely since I haven't heard any official reports and/or experienced it myself) replace the device, it's really not a big deal. With all of that said, error 53 should only pop up if you chose to enable that setting in the first place. 

[baxtmann]

its apple what did you expect?

[Bensemus]

Well, that's not really the ideal solution either... 

 

What Apple should do is give you the option to disable secure erase (They already have that as an option for inputting a code -- you can choose to wipe your phone on the 10th incorrect attempt). Should you choose to leave that enabled, then it's probably best that Error 53 remains an unfixable error, because if Apple were to make it fixable then it would still remain possible for a thief to acquire your information; and seeing as Apple will supposedly (I can't speak defeinitvely since I haven't heard any official reports and/or experienced it myself) replace the device, it's really not a big deal. With all of that said, error 53 should only pop up if you chose to enable that setting in the first place. 

I agree. An option for your phone to be wiped if a new home button is installed would be good. Apple could make it so you can turn off the feature, swap the broken button, and then turn the protection back on. For people swapping their screens they should just keep their original button. I also read that the error can pop up if one of the ribbon cables is damaged.

 

Of course Apple could just be making life difficult for repair shops and swapping buttons has no effect on the security of the phone. idk if that has been confirmed or not.

[Yummychickenblue]

So from what I've gathered be reading legitimate sources that aren't rants against Apple like the OP linked, it appears as though Error 53 occurs when the device with a replaced touch ID button is updated to a new version of iOS and in the process it deletes all of your data. 

 

Now, to me, this sounds like an attempt by Apple to prevent your data from being stolen in the event that your phone is stolen.

 

My theories: 

I want to say that the way Apple managed to keep your fingerprints isolated on the device was by incorporating them into the touch ID scanner rather than the actual device itself. Meaning that if you replace the touch ID scanner then you can technically trick the iPhone into unlocking for the wrong person. OR even if the fingerprints are stored on the device itself, it still may be possible to insert a new touch ID scanner in order to bypass the touch ID lock. If either of those scenarios are true, then Error 53 is actually in place in order to protect your data from someone who may have stolen your phone. 

 

Now with all of that said, it does seem weird that Apple won't verify that you're the original device owner and fix the phone (but not restore the data, because it can't). 

 

For the record, Apple will supposedly replace the device if it throws an error 53, and send your device back to Apple.

That was originally the case with the iPhone 5s but with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6± now if you replace other pieces of hardware and you try and update it it'll throw error 53 your way. Apple won't tell you they're gonna l brick the service either, they just do it.

[79wjd]

That was originally the case with the iPhone 5s but with the release of the iPhone 6 and 6± now if you replace other pieces of hardware and you try and update it it'll throw error 53 your way. Apple won't tell you they're gonna l brick the service either, they just do it.

I haven't read a single report where an error 53 occurred that didn't involve the home button being replaced (or the ribbon cable for the touchID being damaged). 

[bbqsauce]

I haven't read a single report where an error 53 occurred that didn't involve the home button being replaced (or the ribbon cable for the touchID being damaged). 

i've seen this video before if im not wrong he mentions that the reason for the error was because the button itself was tied to the motherboard. replacing the button anywhere other than apple causes the problem. only apple has the software to make the swap and tie the new button to the motherboard. to prevent future ios update to brick your device.

so if we assume what the guy says to be legit, i don't think its a security thing.

well i'm not too well versed in this topic, just my two cents

[patrick3027]

So from what I've gathered be reading legitimate sources that aren't rants against Apple like the OP linked, it appears as though Error 53 occurs when the device with a replaced touch ID button is updated to a new version of iOS and in the process it deletes all of your data. 

 

Now, to me, this sounds like an attempt by Apple to prevent your data from being stolen in the event that your phone is stolen.

 

My theories: 

I want to say that the way Apple managed to keep your fingerprints isolated on the device was by incorporating them into the touch ID scanner rather than the actual device itself. Meaning that if you replace the touch ID scanner then you can technically trick the iPhone into unlocking for the wrong person. OR even if the fingerprints are stored on the device itself, it still may be possible to insert a new touch ID scanner in order to bypass the touch ID lock. If either of those scenarios are true, then Error 53 is actually in place in order to protect your data from someone who may have stolen your phone. 

 

Now with all of that said, it does seem weird that Apple won't verify that you're the original device owner and fix the phone (but not restore the data, because it can't). 

 

For the record, Apple will supposedly replace the device if it throws an error 53, and send your device back to Apple.

False, given you can access the phone with the replaced TouchID before the update just fine, it's only when you update the phone that the error appears.

[79wjd]

i've seen this video before if im not wrong he mentions that the reason for the error was because the button itself was tied to the motherboard. replacing the button anywhere other than apple causes the problem. only apple has the software to make the swap and tie the new button to the motherboard. to prevent future ios update to brick your device.

so if we assume what the guy says to be legit, i don't think its a security thing.

well i'm not too well versed in this topic, just my two cents

I'd also take this video with a very small grain of salt. He's clearly quite biased against Apple based on the tone and the way he just generally shits on Apple and praises Android.

 

False, given you can access the phone with the replaced TouchID before the update just fine, it's only when you update the phone that the error appears.

iOS probably only scans for new hardware when you update.