Apple Acknowledges iOS 6.1 Passcode Bug, Fix Coming in Future Software Update - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Acknowledges iOS 6.1 Passcode Bug, Fix Coming in Future Software Update

by

passcode_lock_keypadFollowing today's significant publicity surrounding a bug in iOS 6.1 that allows users to bypass the iPhone's passcode lock to access the device's phone functions and contacts, Apple has issued a brief statement to AllThingsD acknowledging the issue and promising a fix for it.

Reached for comment, Apple said it is hard at work on a fix. “Apple takes user security very seriously” spokeswoman Trudy Muller told AllThingsD. “We are aware of this issue, and will deliver a fix in a future software update.”

The company did not provide a timeframe for the fix.

Apple issued a first developer beta of iOS 6.1.1 last week, but then delivered a public iOS 6.1.1 release only for the iPhone 4S earlier this week. We suspect that Apple rushed out the iPhone 4S bug fix update and that the original iOS 6.1.1 in developer testing will become iOS 6.1.2 as it proceeds through the development and testing process.

It seems reasonable to assume that Apple will have enough time to fold a fix for the passcode issue into this next release, but it is unknown when that update will be made available to the public.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

Apple to Launch 'MacBook Ultra' With These Six New Features

Friday April 24, 2026 10:32 am PDT by
While the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were just updated with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips last month, bigger changes are reportedly around the corner. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the higher-end MacBook Pro models will be receiving a major redesign by early 2027, and he said that Apple might use "MacBook Ultra" branding for them. If so, the MacBook Ultra would likely be a...
Read Full Article • 140 comments
Apple TV Thumb 3

Here's What's Coming in the 2026 Apple TV

Thursday April 23, 2026 12:08 pm PDT by
There are a lot of folks waiting for a new version of the Apple TV because the set-top box hasn't been updated since 2022. There is an update coming this year, but people will need to wait a bit longer because Apple is holding the next Apple TV until the new version of Siri comes out this fall. Design Apple TV design updates don't happen often, and that's not changing in 2026. The next...
Read Full Article • 164 comments
Mostly Screen iPhone Purple Feature 2027

20th Anniversary iPhone to Feature Custom 'Micro-Curved' OLED Panel

Friday April 24, 2026 3:34 am PDT by
For its 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is tapping Samsung to produce a custom micro-curved OLED display that is brighter and thinner than existing panels, according to new supply chain information out of China. Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device. ...
Read Full Article • 105 comments

Top Rated Comments

haruhiko Avatar
haruhiko
172 months ago
And the faithful still insists "it just works." This is how you know when you're a fanboy. When you have patience/understanding and put up with issues after issue (Battery Drain, Exchange Sync, Bypass Security Code, etc...) all the while bad mouthing another OS if it had the same issues. And running back to iOS claiming it just works, and never has issues.
Face it, iOS is just like any other OS. It's not perfect.

It just works =/= it is perfect. :D
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TMar Avatar
TMar
172 months ago
Which bugs are you referring to? I haven't had any problems with 6.1.

This is a security flaw. A minor one at that since thieves are rarely stealing smartphones for the contact lists.

"I'm not having any issues so nobody is having issues".

3g issues, wifi issues, exchange issues, lockscreen bypass issue and several others that elude me at the moment.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SpyderBite Avatar
SpyderBite
172 months ago
why so many bugs with the 6.1, not good apple.

Which bugs are you referring to? I haven't had any problems with 6.1.

This is a security flaw. A minor one at that since thieves are rarely stealing smartphones for the contact lists.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
Tankmaze
172 months ago
why so many bugs with the 6.1, not good apple.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nepalisherpa Avatar
nepalisherpa
172 months ago
6.1 happened after so many months of beta and it is already plagued with so many bugs: 4S' bug, exchange bug, and this loophole. Don't know if they rushed or goofed up!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BC2009 Avatar
BC2009
172 months ago
The way you have to jump through so many hoops to activate this security hole makes it look more like an "easter egg" or "backdoor" than a bug.

How on earth did anybody figure this out? The steps involved are astounding and they are hardly anything that you would stumble upon.

This totally seems like a backdoor coded into the phone by some disgruntled developer at Apple.

Oddly, the only thing this thing will let you access is the phone app -- not the rest of the phone. While that is bad, it is not nearly as bad as letting somebody launch eBay or Amazon with your saved password (assuming you save your password in those apps) and then start buying things.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments