We have often heard stories of how sometimes the cost of repairing an iPhone at the Apple Store is so expensive that it is ridiculous. This is why sometimes people send their phones to unofficial Apple repair shops, which for the most part gets the job done for a much lower price. However if you are considering going down that route, here’s something to take into consideration.

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According to a report from The Guardian, it seems that in the latest update of iOS, Apple seems to be bricking handsets that have been unofficially repaired. The resulting code is “Error 53”, a little known code that basically bricks your handset for good, along with all data and files that you might have stored on it.

However it seems that if all these reported problems have one thing in common, it would be that the repairs involved the home button/Touch ID sensor. This isn’t so much that Apple wants users to repair their phones at the official Apple Store, but it sounds more like a security feature. With all the fuss Apple has made about security and encryption, we’re sure the last thing Apple wants is for people to be able to bypass Touch ID physically.

This has since been confirmed by an Apple spokeswoman to Money. That being said, it sounds like most of the issue here is how it might seem like an overly harsh punishment, at least for those who are simply repairing their phones for a lower price, and that there is no warning that this could happen. In any case, this is something for you guys to think about the next time you think about sending your phone in to repair at an unofficial repair shop.

Filed in . Read more about iOS, iPhone and Social Hit.