Apple releases updated iOS 9.3 to fix Activation Lock bug on older devices

Apple on Monday pushed out yet another new build of its iOS 9.3 mobile operating system, attempting to fix issues related to an Activation Lock bug that presented itself on older iPhones and iPads.

Still identified as iOS 9.3, the new update is distinguished with a new build number, 13E237. Users who have been stuck on the Activation Lock screen since last week may need to restore their device via iTunes to upgrade to the new version and address the issue.

Apple stopped signing the previous, broken version of iOS 9.3 for older devices last week. The problem occurred in the password authorization phase of the iOS 9.3 setup process.

Apple confirmed that the problem affected iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier. AppleInsider was first to report on the issue, noting that certain device owners were unable to proceed past the password authentication stage after updating to iOS 9.3.

Some users found success in downloading iOS 9.3 through iTunes on a Mac and installing the firmware via a hardwired connection, suggesting there is an underlying issue on Apple's end. Others have found a full system restore also works, though the method is hit-or-miss.

A different iOS 9.3 build, 13E236, was released specifically for the iPad 2 last week to address the authentication issue as well.

Apple has also published a support document offering workaround suggestions. The company urges affected users to reset their password through iCloud, perform an iTunes-based installation and activation, or remove Activation Lock through iCloud.com. As reported on Tuesday, those who tried these methods have found limited success.

iOS 9.3 still has another significant, unrelated bug that causes apps to crash and freeze when attempting to open hyperlinks in Safari, Mail, and Messages, as well as third-party Web browsers like Google Chrome. The issue is apparently unpatched in the new iOS 9.3 update, and affects all devices, not just older ones.

21 Comments

rogifan_new 4297 comments · 9 Years

About 8 years ago

With all the betas 9.3 had how are there so many bugs right out of the gate?

melgross 33607 comments · 20 Years

This shows just how hard it is to do updates. With all of the time Apple spent on this one, and with all the developer betas that went out, including the many thousands of people on the beta program, apparently not one had this problem, which appeared instantly after the update went out to everyone.

yoyo2222 144 comments · 14 Years

Of course there's a new problem (affecting my wife's plain vanilla iPad Air) with Safari locking up if a link is clicked in any search engine results page. See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7505840?start=0&tstart=0 It doesn't affect Chrome.

As someone else noted above , what is the public beta program for if not to catch stuff like this? I have been an Apple advocate for years, and I own their stock, but I'm afraid someone is letting the ball drop with these updates. This problem is not one of a near obsolete iPad 2 with activation problems. This is an issue affecting their browser on their current (or near current) hardware.

lkrupp 10521 comments · 19 Years

melgross said:

This shows just how hard it is to do updates. With all of the time Apple spent on this one, and with all the developer betas that went out, including the many thousands of people on the beta program, apparently not one had this problem, which appeared instantly after the update went out to everyone.

While working as a central office technician for AT&T part of my job was to apply patches to the operating software of the digital telephone switch. You’d think connecting two subscribers together so they can talk to each other is a simple matter and you’d be wrong. Patches came in almost every day from the manufacturer, Nortel. Before digital switches there were electromechanical switches that we got physical rewiring orders for from Western Electric engineering. We literally rewired certain parts of the switch to fix issues. (yes, I’m that old). It was common knowledge that the best way to test a release was to make it live and let realtime live traffic hit the switch. Daily patch routines continue to this day. People who make critical statements about quality assurance simply don’t understand how complex software can be. For example Unix is how old now but flaws are still being found by security researchers. People also don’t remember the past very well when they long for the good old days when everything “just worked.” Nonsense, things never just worked. Remember OS 9 and the days of troubleshooting software conflicts? Remember Conflict Catcher? That outfit made millions with that app. Remember the OS release that disabled third party DRAM that didn’t meet Apple’s strict requirements. The wailing over that one was deafening. So deal with it people and stop your nonsensical caterwauling about QA. Just because you read it on the Internet doesn’t mean it’s true.

happilyretired 17 comments · 9 Years

Seems to me you're good updating devices until they're about 1 1/2 or maybe 2 years old. You keep updating them beyond that and the problems start creeping in. If you want the newest capabilities of the OS then after a certain point you just have to upgrade the DEVICE, not the software. Or be happy with what you have and leave it alone.