Apple Addresses GSM iPad 2 Activation Bug With Revised iOS 9.3, But Broader Issue Remains Unfixed [Update: Fixed]

ipadairiphone5sLast night, Apple released a new build of iOS 9.3 (13E236) designed specifically for the GSM iPad 2, addressing an issue that prevented the GSM iPad 2 from accessing Apple's activation servers. After downloading iOS 9.3, some iPad 2 users received the following message: "Your iPad could not be activated because the activation service is temporarily unavailable," a problem the update aims to fix.

There has been some confusion over the iPad 2 iOS 9.3 update, because there is a second separate activation bug affecting many older devices, including the iPad Air and earlier and the iPhone 5s and earlier.

The second activation bug, which spurred Apple to stop signing iOS 9.3 for multiple products yesterday, prevents older device owners from activating their iPhones and iPads if they can't remember the Apple ID and password originally used to set up the device.

While the iPad 2 iOS 9.3 update fixes the first activation issue, it does not address the second activation bug that affects many more devices. Apple has not resumed signing iOS 9.3 for older devices, so many customers who have an iPad Air or earlier, iPad mini 2 or earlier, or iPhone 5s or earlier are not able to download and install iOS 9.3 if they have not done so already.

Apple has said it is working on a fix for the second activation issue, which will be released in the form of a new update to iOS 9.3 in the next few days. Until that time, customers who have an older device will need to remain on iOS 9.2.1.

Update: Apple has released an updated build of iOS 9.3 for all users affected by the bug. The latest update has the build number 13E5237 and should fix the iOS activation lock problem on older devices.

Tag: iOS 9.3
Related Forum: iOS 9

Top Rated Comments

Bubba Satori Avatar
91 months ago
Since Steve Jobs hardly made a line of code, his presence would have been irrelevant...
His job as CEO was not to write code.
But you knew that.
His job was to make sure that something like the last five years
of wretched hardware and software disasters didn't happen.
Apple's incompetence of late is just stunning.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDevil7334 Avatar
91 months ago
So we had the 8.0.1 update that completely killed cellular functionality for people who had just bought the iPhone 6 (myself included), the 9.2 update that bricked iPhones with replaced Touch ID sensors, and now the 9.3 update that potentially locks up devices in two separate ways (though one has been fixed). What is going on with Apple's software quality control? It has gone absolutely down the toilet since they fired Forstall. Prior to version 7, iOS certainly had bugs. However, they were almost always minor, required usually no more than one .x release to fix, and were never show-stopping like some of these ones we have seen over the past few years. The craziest thing is that iOS 9 has had a public beta program for each 9.x version and has still managed to have several of these large bugs. It used to be that I would install the latest iOS update the moment it came out. Now, I wait at least a few days to make sure it's not going to brick my phone.

Sad that Apple has let things get this bad.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
91 months ago
What is the purpose of ios activation? Is it just asking Apple for permission to use our devices?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
morcutt11 Avatar
91 months ago
This seems like a fairly large screw up for an OS that was tested so extensively. Apple needs to do some serious internal analysis as to how this happened.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Crosscreek Avatar
91 months ago
Apple feels 5 year old iPad 2 should upgrade to iPad Pro . it's sad. lol
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
91 months ago
Wow, the iPad 2 still runs iOS 9. It'll always have a special place in my heart, but I upgraded to the iPad Air 2 about 18 months ago and I couldn't be happier.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
iPhone 15 Pro Mock Feature Buttonless

iPhone 15 Pro Max to 'Break Record' for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone

Friday March 17, 2023 2:59 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the record currently held by the Xiaomi 13. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. Both iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, potentially resulting in an Apple...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Launching This Year With These 11 New Features

Monday March 13, 2023 6:47 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 lineup is around six months away, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone 15 Pro models in particular, including a titanium frame and more. Below, we have recapped 11 features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A17...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple continues to test iOS 16.4, which includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features coming with the software update, including new emoji, push notifications from websites, and more. Apple says iOS 16.4 will be available in the spring, which begins today. In his newsletter this weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should ...