Error 53 will kill your iPhone if repaired by unauthorised personnel

Error 53 pop-up creating havoc among iPhone users around the globe. As it bricks the iPhone if repaired by unauthorized personnel and there’s nothing you can do about it

Error 53 pop-up creating havoc among iPhone users around the globe. As it bricks the iPhone if repaired by unauthorized personnel and there’s nothing you can do about it (Flickr)

If your iPhone has been serviced by an unauthorised personnel, chances are that it'll be rendered useless if updated to the latest iOS 9. Apple is reportedly bricking all iPhones that have been repaired by a third-party service center.

The issue was initially spotted on Apple support forums and then reported by The Guardian. According to the report, iPhone users will see an 'Error 53' pop-up if the TouchID sensor of your iPhone has been repaired or replaced by anyone other than Apple's authorised service centres.

The issue affects all iPhone owners around the globe which Apple has now officially acknowledged. The company says that certain iPhones are bricked once they're updated to iOS 9, as it can detect whether your iPhone is repaired by unauthorised service centres.

"When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorised repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated. With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an 'error 53' being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support," said an Apple spokesperson in a statement.

Users who encounter the Error 53 pop-up will sadly not be able to do anything with their iPhones. If you're facing such an issue, we suggest you get in touch with Apple Support as soon as possible or take your iPhone to an authorised Apple service center. Others who've got their iPhones repaired by third-party personnel and your phone still works, we strongly advise that you refrain from updating your phone to iOS 9, take it to the nearest Apple store and hope for the best.