• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechWorld's Most Admired Companies

How to Fix the iOS Update That Broke Your iPad

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 25, 2016, 12:18 PM ET

If you have an older iOS-based device that was bricked by the iOS 9.3 update, there’s still some hope.

Earlier this week, owners of older-model iPhones and iPads were complaining that when trying to update to iOS 9.3, the operating system version Apple (AAPL) announced at its “Let us loop you in” event on Monday, their devices were rendered useless. Soon after, Apple pulled the update for users of its elderly devices, saying it would offer an update that would address the issue.

“Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update,” an Apple spokesperson told Fortune in a statement. “In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

In essence, as users of older devices tried to update to Apple’s latest software, they were asked to input their passwords. If they couldn’t do so, the update provided no recourse for resetting or recalling the password, and effectively left the iPad or iPhone useless.

Not surprisingly, iOS owners quickly took to Apple’s Support forums, Twitter (TWTR), and other places to seek help (and voice their displeasure). On Thursday, Apple’s Twitter Support account tweeted out a link identifying several ways for affected users to get their devices up and running.

The support page, titled, “If you can’t activate your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch after installing iOS 9.3,” described steps to revive the bricked device. It firstly recommended that users sign in to their iCloud to reset their Apple ID password or remove an activation lock. The page also suggested users connect their device to iTunes.

Late on Thursday, however, Apple did one better: It released the promised iOS 9.3 update to iPad 2 owners that fixes the issue.

Apple subsequently posted another Support article specifically targeting iPad 2 users, saying that in order to get the new software to work, they’d need to connect their tablet to a computer. From there, they need to open iTunes, force the iPad to restart by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons simultaneously, and entering Recovery Mode. According to Apple, iTunes will then install the update and all of the iPad’s data will be restored. It might be a pain, but Apple says it works.

That said, the issue affected more than just iPad 2 owners, so it’s unknown at this point when other affected Apple users will get their patch. For non-iPad 2 owners, following Apple’s first support page may still be the best course of action.

Apple’s iOS 9.3 Ready to Run On Your iPhone and iPad

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how it will address the other affected devices.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersTerm Sheet
Exclusive: Mytra raises $120 million Series C to scale supply chain robotics amid industry boom
By Allie GarfinkleJanuary 15, 2026
2 hours ago
MagazineIPOs
IPO boom times are back, with SpaceX and OpenAI on investors’ 2026 wish list. But be careful what you buy
By Jeff John RobertsJanuary 15, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo: President Donald Trump during a bill signing event with dairy farmers in the Oval Office on Wednesday January 14, 2026.
InvestingMarkets
Trump’s chips ‘proclamation’ causes retail investors to dump the Magnificent Seven stocks  
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 15, 2026
3 hours ago
The Verizon logo displayed on a smartphone screen on September 30, 2024. (Photo illustration: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Verizon hit with a major U.S. outage
By Andrew NuscaJanuary 15, 2026
3 hours ago
sharma
CommentaryTraining
AI will infiltrate the industrial workforce in 2026—let’s apply it to training the next generation, not replacing them
By Kriti SharmaJanuary 15, 2026
5 hours ago
Young girl uses AI virtual assistant to do schoolwork.Concept of Artificial Intelligence and Futuristic technology
AIEducation
Teachers decry AI as brain-rotting junk food for kids: ‘Students can’t reason. They can’t think. They can’t solve problems’
By Eva RoytburgJanuary 15, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Peter Thiel makes his biggest donation in years to help defeat California’s billionaire wealth tax
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 14, 2026
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Godfather of AI' says the technology will create massive unemployment and send profits soaring — 'that is the capitalist system'
By Jason MaJanuary 12, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Despite his $2.6 billion net worth, MrBeast says he’s having to borrow cash and doesn’t even have enough money in his bank account to buy McDonald’s
By Emma BurleighJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Being mean to ChatGPT can boost its accuracy, but scientists warn you may regret it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Jamie Dimon warns $38 trillion national debt is going to 'bite': 'You can't just keep borrowing money endlessly'
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 14, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
'Microshifting,' an extreme form of hybrid working that breaks work into short, non-continuous blocks, is on the rise
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 13, 2026
2 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.