If you are an iPhone user and your device has gone for repairs to a vendor other than Apple’s official repair service, you may be in for a nasty surprise at the next update.
It has emerged that Apple included a feature, innocently codenamed ‘Error 53’, that disables the device if the iOS detects non-standard components.
The killswitch smites down the iPhone when the user attempts to update it following the repair work.
The software giant has admitted that ‘Error 53’ can indeed stop iPhones from working.
A statement released by Apple said: “We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers.
“iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device’s other components. If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled.
“This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used.
“If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support.”