Apple has released a fix for a bug which bricks any iOS devices that has its date set back to 1970.
The latest release, iOS 9.3 beta 4, is part of the company’s public beta programme. Users can now use iTunes to restore the device.
The bug, which was discovered recently, occurs whenever an iOS device’s date is manually set to 1970, leading to a continuous reboot cycle.
The newest beta allows to set the iPhone’s date as far as 31 December 2000. The beta prevents hackers from bricking devices by pretending to be a time server and using the built-in automatic time adjustment function to reset the time and date.
Apple is planning to launch iOS 9.3 for all iPhone users in the near future.
A Reddit user said restoring the iPhone using the beta software via iTunes will enable it to be used again.
A MacRumours forum user noted that the iOS 9.3 beta 4 update had restored iPhones bricked by pranksters in an Apple Store.
Another Reddit user said that the update would avoid users from setting the date beyond 1 January 2001.
In September 2015, Apple started rolling out the latest software update for Apple Watch after an unexpected delay in the launch of watchOS 2 due to a bug.
The company added new features to the watch, which includes new faces as well as major cities with time-lapse videos shot over 24 hours in locations like London, Paris and New York.
Nightstand mode has also been added, which allows users to use the watch even when they do not wear it. The watch, when connected to the charger, illuminates whenever the user touches the screen.
Last August, the DYLD bug, which provides deep access to affected machines, has been spotted infecting computers.
In 2014, Apple acknowledged a bug within its iMessage system preventing some users from receiving text messages when they moved from an iPhone to another type of mobile.
