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Apple Will Fix 'January 1, 1970' Date Bug in Upcoming iOS Update

mrgraff said:
As a time traveler, I routinely commute between 1968 and 2016. So I often have to set my iPhone back before 1970. Just because you can't see a reason to do this to your phone doesn't mean nobody does. I really wish people could be more thoughtful when they post here.
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The next time you travel back to 1968, visit 13-year-old Steve Jobs and give it to him. Show him what it does. Tell him to make sure he doesn't sell it for weed. Also tell him to watch out for a geek by the name of Bill because he may try to steal it. I'm curious how much more advanced Apple's technology would be by now in this alternative timeline.
 
joneslife4 said:
Common sense doesn't tell me that if I set my date back to a date that is allowed on my phone it will brick my phone...

That's a stupid argument...
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Comon sense tells you that if you do something a person told you will "brick" your phone, it will "brick" it. And btw, it is not bricked since you can recover it.
 
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2010mini said:
why would anyone set their phone to the wrong date?
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Ok here's ALL you have to do to get the said retro 1970's logo WITHOUT setting the date to 1970 and restarting your phone..ready? Open your iphone's browser, google 1970's Apple logo, select and take a screenshot, and then make that shot your homescreen. That's it lol. All you have to do...no brick necessary :p
 
mariana888 said:
That's a bit harsh, it was a stupid mistake and he has been grounded (still is) for being so gullible.
I did make sure he also got a telling off from the Apple Store staff, to not try anything he reads on the Internet, the truth is...the Internet is full of idiots.

I'm sure we all did stupid things when we were younger and found the hard way we had made mistakes.
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Well, since it is seemingly recoverable (unlike the touch ID repair); the punition won't be too harsh.
 
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To my comment about it hardly being a bug, which I cannot seem to find anymore on this thread...

C DM said:
And changing the date using the built in functionality of the OS isn't supposed to do anything other than change the date--if it does, then it's a bug.
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OK, I guess you're technically right. I just didn't think it was worth posting an entire article about.

MentalFloss said:
[doublepost=1455639415][/doublepost]
Please tell me you are not working in software development.

If the user interface allows something, then it is automatically an intended behaviour. Period. If it weren't intended, then Apple would have disabled this functionality in the user interface. That is one of the core principles of software development: You don't allow any inputs into a software module that it is not intended to process.

And another principle is that you test your modules for corner cases. There should be module tests somewhere in the iOS development that check what happens when the lowest and the highest possible date/time combinations are fed into the phone. Those module test obviously do not exist. That is unacceptably amateurish. Not the kind of "**** happens!" bug, but the kind of "Fire the developer!" bug.
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I do work in software development, but I am by no means a senior level developer. I'm barely mid-level if that, and I'm not ashamed to change my initial stance or be corrected by someone smarter than me. I always try to surround myself with people who are smarter than I am. That's one reason I like coming to this forum. There are a lot of smart people in here. Technically, yes it is a bug and I totally agree with what you said about user inputs. I wouldn't go as far as to say you should fire the developer over this particular bug though. Please tell me you are not in management. ;)
 
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jtrenda33 said:
To my comment about it hardly being a bug, which I cannot seem to find anymore on this thread...



OK, I guess you're technically right. I just didn't think it was worth posting an entire article about.



I do work in software development, but I am by no means a senior level developer. I'm barely mid-level if that, and I'm not ashamed to change my initial stance or be corrected by someone smarter than me. I always try to surround myself with people who are smarter than I am. That's one reason I like coming to this forum. There are a lot of smart people in here. Technically, yes it is a bug and I totally agree with what you said about user inputs. I wouldn't go as far as to say you should fire the developer over this particular bug though. Please tell me you are not in management. ;)
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It's not worthy to have an article about an innocuous settings change that leads to a bug that completely disables devices?
 
Actually i see a possible "fix"

(1 Apple doesn't actually fix this bug,, but just prevents the user from setting the date to Janurary 1st 1970 by reducing how far back u can set the date to. If it's not there, or u can't set it that far back, there it will never be a problem.

Since there is no valid reason why u'd want to set a phone to this pre-date, only because the bug is there. why have the option ? Possible temporary solution?
 
C DM said:
It's not worthy to have an article about an innocuous settings change that leads to a bug that completely disables devices?
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If it was something as innocuous as toggling on/off the wifi or something sure, but changing the date to May 1970 or earlier and restarting the device seems, as one commenter stated, a "corner case".
 
simbo123 said:
My brother changed mine. iPad is absolutely screwed. I can't run it down because the batteries too big. I can't take it apart because according to ifixit it's one of the most difficult iOS devices to disassemble (iPad Air) and Apple said they wanted £75 to give me a new battery! I didn't want a new battery I just wanted them to fix my iPad but that was all they offered
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is it out of warranty?
 
jtrenda33 said:
If it was something as innocuous as toggling on/off the wifi or something sure, but changing the date to May 1970 or earlier and restarting the device seems, as one commenter stated, a "corner case".
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Doesn't make it any less innocuous or any less of a bug with rather very unexpected and dramatic consequences that is certainly worthy of coverage and discussion.
 
dennysanders said:
why would they replace the battery free of charge then? it's just like any sort of misuse of the device. sorta like accidental damage.
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How is changing a date using the built-in settings app provided by the manufacturer represent a misuse of the device?
 
C DM said:
How is changing a date using the built-in settings app provided by the manufacturer represent a misuse of the device?
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why was it changed to that specific date? they'd consider that misuse. you know what changing it to that date does. so, yeah, misuse
noun
ˌmisˈyo͞os/
  1. 1.
    the wrong or improper use of something.
 
dennysanders said:
why was it changed to that specific date? they'd consider that misuse. you know what changing it to that date does. so, yeah, misuse
noun
ˌmisˈyo͞os/
  1. 1.
    the wrong or improper use of something.
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Using the Settings app to change an innocuous date option that is provided in that app isn't wrong or improper use of something as it's using the very things that something provides for the purposes it provides--if the date wasn't meant to be changed to something in the past, then that option wouldn't be offered. The reasoning why isn't really relevant in that context. Dividing by 0 isn't a valid mathematical calculation, yet who would ever think it would be OK for a calculator to just shut down and never work again if you divided something by 0 on it (whatever the reason might be)?
 
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oh that is good... Take a screenshot of 1970's Apple logo and replace it... I like it :) I'm doing that right now.
 
C DM said:
Using the Settings app to change an innocuous date option that is provided in that app isn't wrong or improper use of something as it's using the very things that something provides for the purposes it provides--if the date wasn't meant to be changed to something in the past, then that option wouldn't be offered. The reasoning why isn't really relevant in that context. Dividing by 0 isn't a valid mathematical calculation, yet who would ever think it would be OK for a calculator to just shut down and never work again if you divided something by 0 on it (whatever the reason might be)?
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well, the people at apple are much smarter than i am so i'm sure they have a pretty good reason for not replacing these devices free of charge. they put out replacement programs for other issues even if the device's warranty is expired so why aren't they for this issue?
 
dennysanders said:
well, the people at apple are much smarter than i am so i'm sure they have a pretty good reason for not replacing these devices free of charge. they put out replacement programs for other issues even if the device's warranty is expired so why aren't they for this issue?
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Well, they were charging people for replacements in relation to error 53 that was disabling their devices and just today released an update to correct that issue and are now offering reimbursements for those replacements.
 
C DM said:
Well, they were charging people for replacements in relation to error 53 that was disabling their devices and just today released an update to correct that issue and are now offering reimbursements for those replacements.
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you're right. so, maybe they will do the same for this.
 
dennysanders said:
you're right. so, maybe they will do the same for this.
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I can understand that unbricking the iphone in this situation is not too big of a deal, but all of us ipad air owners who have curious kids who bricked dad's ipad are still in limbo. I have tried "running the battery down" to 0, Dfu restore, etc. and still no luck. Apple quoted me $379(can) to send in for out of warranty "repair".

So a week after this bug surfaced I still have a cutting board instead of my ipad. And still no proper response for this from Apple.

Will I buy another ipad? probably not.
Will I buy another Appetv? maybe not.
Will I buy another Imac or macbook? probably not.
Will I buy another iphone? maybe.
Will I sell my Apple stocks (many)? quite possibly.
Is my borderline "fanboism" in Apple shaken do the rotten Apple core? most definitely.

C'mon Apple. Come through for us ipad owners! Or perhaps the old "Steve Jobs" DNA of Apple is truly gone; replaced by the bean-counter mentality of Tim C(r)ook?

iamthinking
 
For anyone thinking that this is due back in the Apple store, u can do this yourself....

I bricked my iPhone 6... opened it up... and disconnected batter for 30 seconds..... and phone got bought back to life..

Just the bricking causes the device to be 'stuck' in loop, and disconnecting battery resets the date.

If you do not have any pentalobe screw bits for iPhone 6/6s, u can use the end of flatbend screwdriver. Near the middle if a bit of ahese and underneath is the battery connector u pry up.

Works like a charm.. but I hot a snag since i ran into the same issue with iPad air 2... and like a doofus, i cracked the screen not realizing it was fused together...... (*should of checked iFixit first ...*doh*)

Hope this helps those adventurous users. If done right, it'll save you money... if not, u'll learn next time.
 
Iamthinking said:
I can understand that unbricking the iphone in this situation is not too big of a deal, but all of us ipad air owners who have curious kids who bricked dad's ipad are still in limbo. I have tried "running the battery down" to 0, Dfu restore, etc. and still no luck. Apple quoted me $379(can) to send in for out of warranty "repair".

So a week after this bug surfaced I still have a cutting board instead of my ipad. And still no proper response for this from Apple.

Will I buy another ipad? probably not.
Will I buy another Appetv? maybe not.
Will I buy another Imac or macbook? probably not.
Will I buy another iphone? maybe.
Will I sell my Apple stocks (many)? quite possibly.
Is my borderline "fanboism" in Apple shaken do the rotten Apple core? most definitely.

C'mon Apple. Come through for us ipad owners! Or perhaps the old "Steve Jobs" DNA of Apple is truly gone; replaced by the bean-counter mentality of Tim C(r)ook?

iamthinking
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So, if your kid threw your iPad into a swimming pool, should that be covered under your warranty too?
 
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