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If iOS 9.3 bricked your iPhone or iPad, download this update from Apple

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ios 9.3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
iOS 9.3 may have been in beta since January, but that doesn’t mean its public rollout is without any issues.

Luckily, Apple has already offered a fix and firmware update for a problem plaguing some people who tried to upgrade to iOS 9.3. The problem affects iPhone 5S devices and earlier, as well as iPad Air devices and earlier. Your iOS device will essentially ask for a password to authorize your account and complete the update process. For some people, they couldn’t get their devices to activate, and the message, “activation server is temporarily unavailable” appeared onscreen.

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The Cupertino company addressed the issue in a statement to iMore.

“In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password,” a spokesperson told iMore. “For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step.”

Apple addressed the issue in a support page on its website, offering steps for users to get around the problem, but the iPhone maker didn’t take a “few days” to push the updated version. A firmware update is already available, and it’s not iOS 9.3.1. The build number changed from 13E233 to 135236, and it essentially removes the activation lock to allow users to access their phones.

If you’re having trouble, try signing into iCloud and confirm that your device is listed in the My Devices section. If that doesn’t work, try connecting your device to a computer and open iTunes. If you have the latest version of iTunes, select your device and there should be an Activate button near your device name. You then just need to enter your Apple ID and password.

If that still doesn’t help, you can remove Activation Lock in iCloud as a temporary fix.

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Julian Chokkattu
Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
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