Q: iPhone restore error 53 - not listed anywhere, what is the problem? has anyone seen it before???

I know what the issue is - error 53 usually happens when the phone cannot recognise the original touch ID - ask yourselves, have you recently changed the screen? if so, does your touch ID still work?

If the phone does not recognise your touch id, the phone will not update. Even worse, if you try and factory reset or restore from backup, error 53 will occur and your phone is essentially a paperweight!

Touch ID is paired with the mainboard. if you damage touch ID, you cannot simply replace it with another as the ID's will not match each other.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news guys

You're repeating what's already been stated over a dozen times in this thread.

:-O god forbid someone does that!!

This is apple's way of forcing you to buy a new iphone or have it, very expensively, repaired at an Apple store or authorized third party. the same strategy occured when they blocked access to SSD drives not installed by Apple in Yosemite. Why do I say this? Apple has not bricked iphones before since the touch id was implemented in iphone 5s and anyway you need to use a pin code  so I suppose so the security argument is totally bogus. Demand a free repair.

No.

REally sorry to disappoint you bro but i've been suffering with the same issue and they made me pay 300$. Here's the full detailed information on this thread. "iphone 6 error 53 and APPLE WONT REPLACE OR FIX!"

It's simple Apple owns your life and your device even though you bought it with your own money, you can not repaire your phone yourself or at an unauthorised repaire shop... if you do when you update your ios Apple will detect an unauthorized repair and brick your phone. Ounce you are in the Apple ecosystem you never leave it's like selling your soul to the devil.

I started to understand this when I was limited to an EOL (end of life ) ios with my iphone 5 ... many apps did not work anymore and basically it became an expensive paper weight. thats when I decided to opt out to Android.. it's not as slick but I feel more FREEEEE

MDG33 wrote:

 

I started to understand this when I was limited to an EOL (end of life ) ios with my iphone 5 ... many apps did not work anymore and basically it became an expensive paper weight. thats when I decided to opt out to Android.. it's not as slick but I feel more FREEEEE

The iPhone 5 runs the current iOS9, as does the 4S before it. You are misinformed, or have an iPhone 4.

MDG33 wrote:

thats when I decided to opt out to Android.. it's not as slick but I feel more FREEEEE

You should always buy the device that best meets your needs.

You know, saying "You should always buy the device that best fits your needs" is not helpful to the people whose phones have been bricked, whose information has been lost, and whose wallet is now thinner.  Let's have some Apple executives join the conversation to explain how they will fix this unfortunate technical problem, with either a free fix, or a free replacement iPhone.

There are no Apple executives participating here nor will there be. If you want to hear from them you will have to call or write them. They will then tell you that you can fix the issue by buying a new iPhone. If this is not acceptable to you then you need to take Meg's always good advice and buy something that fits your needs.

risandy wrote:

 

You know, saying "You should always buy the device that best fits your needs" is not helpful to the people whose phones have been bricked, whose information has been lost, and whose wallet is now thinner.  Let's have some Apple executives join the conversation to explain how they will fix this unfortunate technical problem, with either a free fix, or a free replacement iPhone.

Let's have you re-read the terms of use for this forum so you can understand that Apple does not participate in these forums.  It is a user-to-user technical forum ONLY.  If you're waiting for Apple to respond officially here, then you'll be waiting a very, very long time.

Go to www.apple.com/feedback and submit your concerns there.

Or contact Apple support.

If the update was intended to brick iPhones, then why are NONE of my multiple 4S, 5, 5C & 5S units not having this error?  Or at least, none of my people have told me that they've run into it.  And that's a few dozen units, actually, at last count.  50+ at least.  Still trying to phase out the older units, but budget ya know?  Since they still work just fine (even the 4S units), tough to justify trading them out.   Heck I've still got 4-5 iPhone 4 units running 7.1.2 without issue, sitting ready as backups as needed.

Oh, wait!  I know!  Apple is secretly monitoring you phone and your bank account and only sending out the magic 'brick' signal to those that have had the same iPhone for more than a year and can't afford a full brand new iPhone, but can only afford the Out-of-Warranty fee!  That must be it!

risandy wrote:

 

You know, saying "You should always buy the device that best fits your needs" is not helpful to the people whose phones have been bricked, `

The person to whom I was responding said they had already bought an Android. I was concurring with their decision.

I don't claim it was INTENDED to brick phones.  I just don't see why Apple can't respond to the problem.  Clearly this is something that users' cannot help each other with.  Only Apple can fix it, either by a software/hardware repair, or a replacement.  And if Apple doesn't want to monitor their own discussion sites, maybe that shows how uninterested they are in the problems users face.

Are you saying that none of Apple employees/managers/technical people use Apple products?  Aren't they users too?  Or do they all use Windows phones?

Apple has hosts here who monitor the forum for violations of the Terms of Use. There are also some Community Specialists that answer technical questions that have gone unanswered for 24 hours. When you agreed to the Terms of Use for this site you knew it was a user-to-user technical support site.

If you want an answer from Apple corporate you need to contact Customer Service and plead your case. Apple's current response to the problem is for you to buy a new phone. Their policy regarding hardware that has been worked on by non-authorized repair sites using non-Apple or used parts is they will no longer work on that device.