A head's up for anybody getting 3rd party repairs done to your iPhone. This is quite concerning if you happen to get, or have had your iPhone's fingerprint reader or screen repaired by a 3rd Party. The security concerns that Apple says are behind it are a flakey, I think. There are better ways to confirm the phone is not stolen.
On its website, Apple says the Error 53 message means the phone’s fingerprint sensor is either broken or has been replaced. The company says that can happen after “an unauthorized or faulty screen replacement.”
In a statement, Apple said, “We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers.”
Apple said its software checks that the fingerprint sensor matches the device’s other components. If the check fails, “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.”
Kyle Wiens, head of electronics-repair site iFixit.com, said Error 53 has become a big issue for iPhone users, sparking 70 conversations on his site, including one with 173,000 views.
Independent repair shops often replace the fingerprint sensor or its small cable when replacing cracked screens or broken home buttons on iPhones, Mr. Wiens said. Effectively killing a phone because of a replaced or faulty fingerprint sensor is a harsh policy, Mr. Wiens said, particularly because the replaced sensors are often recycled Apple parts and function as well as the original.
He said the policy appears to fit a recent pattern to give Apple more control over iPhone repairs and undermine third-party vendors. In another example, he said Apple uses proprietary screws on iPhones and refuses to sell screwdrivers that fit them.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “That’s the same as Ford saying we’re not going to let any mechanics work on our cars because they’ll change the key.”
Whenever someone tells me they love apple products, I try to be nice but they can always tell that i think they're a moron.
"You like paying double and using less programs, how great for you! I'm totally sure the improved device synergy is worth it. Also, I'm also completely certain that Apple's current business model is to cash in on all the goodwill they spent years acquiring by releasing continuously inferior products while maintaining premium pricing, you definitely made a good decision, have fun!"
Last edited by Matata; 02-07-2016 at 07:59 AM.
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Would you get NFC chip on your Visa card fixed by someone other than your bank?
No, but I can get a new Visa card for free if there is something wrong with it.
Apple could have just instead erased the banking information and rendered the fingerprint reader unusable, or at the very worst made you to go into an Apple Store and confirmed your identity and ownership of the phone before allowing the fingerprint reader to be used again. It seems pretty overkill.
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I hate apple products so freaking much they gouge you for everything wtf is a lightning cable and why couldn't they use a normal micro USB like everyone else God I hate apple!
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its odd to think that a decade back my techie friends all considered Microsoft the evil empire and apple some kind of freedom loving cross between Luke sky walker and the greatfull dead.
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I hate apple products so freaking much they gouge you for everything wtf is a lightning cable and why couldn't they use a normal micro USB like everyone else God I hate apple!
I have an Android phone that doesn't use a micro USB cable. USB type C.
You can by the way still love Apple, its products and agree this is a pretty crappy thing to do to your customers..
You are an IT professional you should see the security issues involved here. I'm sure most aftermarket parts are legit but it only takes one that gets access to a users apple pay through an aftermarket nefarious fingerprint reader to really hurt apple, they are simply protecting themselves.
That being said they should have been more transparent letting users know that the patch would do this and if they didn't upgrade apple pay on their phone would not operate and allow the users to decide.
I'm willing to bet in the EULA it states no aftermarket parts or repairs can be done on their phones and something about this, also something about a human centipede but who reads those things anyway.
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Maybe to help out our less observant members you need a user name change to "HeyGuysTakeItEasyOnMyGrammarIGrewUpInADifferentCo untrySpeakingADifferentLanguage"
Having read more about error 53, yikes Apple. I get that there should be some sort of controls around the TouchID enclave to keep people from stealing fingerprints with unauthorized access to the phones internals but bricking the phone is completely unnecessary. If the phone detects the home button or any of it's components has changed, it should immediately prompt the user and delete all TouchID data in the enclave including Apple Pay and allow the user to set it up again. This is extremely heavy handed. I will be staying away from iOS updates now as I have had some repairs done.
Having read more about error 53, yikes Apple. I get that there should be some sort of controls around the TouchID enclave to keep people from stealing fingerprints with unauthorized access to the phones internals but bricking the phone is completely unnecessary. If the phone detects the home button or any of it's components has changed, it should immediately prompt the user and delete all TouchID data in the enclave including Apple Pay and allow the user to set it up again. This is extremely heavy handed. I will be staying away from iOS updates now as I have had some repairs done.
So let's suppose they did this.
The only difference is the headline would read 'Apple restricts iPhone functionality when 3rd party components are detected'
Same negative press. Same empty lawsuits threats.
The issue here is that there is no secure way to authenticate the TouchID's enclave with the logic board after the hardware repair unless it's done by someone with access to their internal network.
You can dismiss the security concerns, but they're very real, especially with banks involved.
Some people should really try to understand the issue before calling it a money grab by Apple.
You are an IT professional you should see the security issues involved here. I'm sure most aftermarket parts are legit but it only takes one that gets access to a users apple pay through an aftermarket nefarious fingerprint reader to really hurt apple, they are simply protecting themselves.
That being said they should have been more transparent letting users know that the patch would do this and if they didn't upgrade apple pay on their phone would not operate and allow the users to decide.
I'm willing to bet in the EULA it states no aftermarket parts or repairs can be done on their phones and something about this, also something about a human centipede but who reads those things anyway.
So lock the phone until you take it to the authorized apple service center, bricking a phone is extreme.
There are ways of getting the same result of protecting integrity without going to this rather harsh method of dealing with the issue.
__________________ Allskonar fyrir Aumingja!!
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Couldn't it just disable the fingerprint functionality and leave the rest of the phone as is. You have to put in your password every time you boot up anyway. Losing the fingerprint feature seems like a reasonable compromise on security and functionality.
Apple Error 53 (aka Apple Bricks your iPhone)
