Apple fixes 'bricking' update flaw

Complaints from iPhone and iPad users updating to iOS 10 flooded social media after the software was rolled out on Tuesday.

Discussion around the issue was trending on social media - but Apple said it was limited to a "small number of users”.

Bricking is a term used to describe devices that have been rendered unusable due to a software or hardware fault - as in, the device is now as useful to you as a brick.

The firm apologised to affected customers.

"We experienced a brief issue with the software update process, affecting a small number of users during the first hour of availability,” an Apple spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

"The problem was quickly resolved and we apologise to those customers.

"Anyone who was affected should connect to iTunes to complete the update or contact AppleCare for help."

The roll out of iOS 10 comes a week before the iPhone 7 goes on sale. In the mean time, existing owners of Apple devices vented their frustration at the problem.

"Currently sitting here with a bricked iPhone full of photos with a recent family visit,” wrote Courtney Guertin on Twitter.

Teething

It is not the first time Apple has had teething problems in rolling out major updates.

When users tried to update to iOS 5 in 2011, high demand appeared to be behind users getting multiple error messages when trying to update.

More recently, in February this year, Apple faced criticism after an update started bricking devices if they had been repaired by a company other than Apple.

Apple apologised for the problem and issued a software update to fix the issue.

It said Error 53, as it became known, was in fact security measure designed to make sure the fingerprint sensor on the device had not been tampered with.

(BBC)