iPhone 5 Deactivated After Every iOS Software Update

Question

iPhone 5 Deactivated After Every iOS Software Update

For the second time in a row, the iOS software update caused my 64GB iPhone 5 to have its phone service (through Sprint) deactivated. This time, in the process of backing up and restoring my iPhone (which a rep from Sprint advised me to do the first time), iTunes didn't tell me that the back-up had failed until I tried to restore from it. I had to restore from an earlier back-up, causing me to lose a month's worth of text messages and other valuable data.

A rep at Sprint told me that "this is just gonna happen," meaning every time Apple updates the iOS, my phone is going to be deactivated, and I am going to have to spend an hour or more backing up and restoring my phone, not to mention sucking up 50+ GB of memory on my hard drive.

My girlfriend has an iPhone 4S, and she does not have this problem. I find it hard to believe that the newer model would have such a drastic flaw. iPhone 5 users out there - what do you know about this?

Thanks,

Noah

iPhone 5, iOS 6.1.2, 64GB

Posted on Feb 22, 2013 5:55 PM

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Answer 1

COD3M4N

Level 1

64 points

Feb 22, 2013 5:59 PM in response to Melodious Funk

Noah are you a PC or MAC guy? PC's care have error codes that restrict some phones for updating.

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Answer 2

Feb 22, 2013 6:39 PM in response to COD3M4N

I am a PC guy, running Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit.

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Answer 3

Feb 22, 2013 7:03 PM in response to Melodious Funk

I use AT&T, never heard of this.

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Answer 4

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Feb 22, 2013 8:21 PM in response to Melodious Funk

That is abnormal. If you still within 90 days of complimentary support call apple to walk you through back up and wi fi update. Preferably iCloud back up, since I have a feeling your computer got something to do with it.

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Answer 5

Mar 20, 2013 11:53 AM in response to Melodious Funk

I am having the same issue and it is with sprint. I believe it is something to do on there end and not with the phone.

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Answer 6

fromsouth

Level 5

4,945 points

Mar 20, 2013 12:13 PM in response to Winston Hubbard

since that last post I have seen that happen a few times and it required Sprint network updates. I do not know if that has to do with phone or sprint or your computer if that is how you update, but....

it is not normal and you want to understand why it happens in order to stop it.

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Answer 7

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,195 points

Mar 20, 2013 12:22 PM in response to Winston Hubbard

I have to agree. This sounds like a problem with Sprint. I've never had anything like that happen with AT&T, nor have I seen it happen on phones people in the office have on Verizon.

It has happened to my son in law, though, who is on Sprint.

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Answer 8

Mar 20, 2013 2:05 PM in response to Melodious Funk

Thanks, everybody. Not thrilled with Sprint - especially since I just moved to Seattle and who knows when they'll ever get LTE up and running here.

Cheers,

~Noah

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Answer 9

njp14

Level 1

0 points

Mar 24, 2013 5:34 PM in response to Melodious Funk

This happens to me too! It is an issue with the actual phone. Go to the phone function and type in ##update# and hit the call button. This will reactivate your phone. 🙂

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Answer 10

Mar 25, 2013 10:18 AM in response to njp14

Thanks njp14. I will give that a try next time!

~N

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Answer 11

May 6, 2013 2:11 AM in response to njp14

This was happening to me since I got the iphone 5 in november. I have counted 4 software updates and I just recently went into a Sprint store and they also told me to do the ##update# then call button plan. So frustrating because the other 3 times I wasted about an hour trying to figure it out with other Sprint employees -- whether on the phone or in the store. Hopefully the ##update# won't fail us in the future!

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