The latest version of the Apple operating system has been struggling with a number of important bugs. Users of iOS 9.3 have been complaining about a series of problems.
Now Apple has released a new version of iOS 9.3 that should help with one particular problem. Users of older iPhones and iPads had complained that the software update turned their devices into bricks due to a problem with the Activation Lock, but Apple appears to have fixed the issue.
New build to fix iOS 9.3 bug
The new version is still called iOS 9.3 but has build number 13E237. Users who have been locked out of their devices need to restore their device using iTunes in order to upgrade to the latest build.
Apple released iOS 9.3 at its “Let us loop you in” event, held on March 21 at the Apple campus. The company is pushing a number of new features, including Night Shift, 3D Touch gestures and the ability to protect Notes using Touch ID.
Night Shift allows you to adjust the color tone of your screen before you go to sleep, supposedly allowing you to get a better night’s sleep by reducing the amount of blue light emitted by your device. While the new features certainly sound nifty, problems have arisen related to more basic functions of the mobile operating system.
Older devices locked after update
One issue occurred during the password authorization phase of the setup process on older devices. In response the update was restricted to owners of newer devices.
An Apple support document explained that owners of affected devices could have been asked for their Apple ID and password in order to complete the software update. However if they couldn’t remember the password, the device could get stuck.
Some users apparently may have been provided with a hint on the Activate iPhone screen. If not Apple provided a number of workarounds including signing into iCloud.com from a computer to reset the password, or remove Activation Lock. Another option is to connect the device to iTunes via USB and activate from there.
Other bugs remain in latest version of operating system
Users of the iPhone 5s and the iPad Air were particularly badly affected. While they were waiting for a patched version of iOS 9.3, Apple released a fix that would at least unlock the bricked devices. However users reported that the workaround had limited success.
Users of the iPad 2 were able to download a separate iOS 9.3 build, 13E236, before the patched version was released for all affected devices on Monday. But a further problem remains.
Those who have updated their device to iOS 9.3 have also reported problems opening hyperlinks, which cause apps to crash and freeze. The bug is said to affect all devices and relates to links opened on Mail, Safari, Messages and third-party Web browsers like Google Chrome.
One user writes: “I am having the same issue with the iOS 9.3 upgrade to my iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2. Can not open web links within Safari. It just freezes on both devices. Any third party apps using Safari to open links or web pages freezes as well.”
Other users have tried disabling javascript with limited success. Apple has apparently referred the problem to senior engineers as it tries to work out what is causing the problem.
The company needs to act quickly to avoid a repeat of the iOS 8 debacle, which left the operating system with a reputation for instability.
