Apple re-issues iOS 9.3 after crippling older devices, confusing customers

Apple yesterday replaced the iOS 9.3 update with a
new version after the original crippled some older
devices last week, and confused large numbers of
unaffected customers when their iPhones and
iPads told them that they weren't connected to
the Internet when in truth they were.

The initial version of iOS 9.3, which Apple issued a
week ago, threw owners of older hardware --
iPhone 5S and earlier, and iPad Air and earlier --
for a loop when it asked them for their Apple ID
and password, normally not a step in the iOS
update process.

Apple published a support document that
acknowledged the problem and provided solutions.
Last week, Apple pulled iOS 9.3 from its servers in
an effort to prevent more people from seeing the
demand for an ID and password. Today, the
Cupertino, Calif. company re-released iOS 9.3.

In the meantime, however, users whose devices
had already downloaded iOS 9.3, but whom had
not authorized the upgrade, began seeing a
message when they got around to updating.

"Unable to Verify Update," the on-screen message
read. "iOS 9.3 failed verification because you are
no longer connected to the Internet."

But those devices -- including an iPhone 6 owned
by a Computerworld staffer -- were connected
to the Internet.

A thread on Apple's support forum spelled out the
problem, and the likely cause.

"I suspect this is really Apple's way of blocking you
from installing the update you have already
downloaded, until they fix the known activation
issue with the update," wrote someone identified
as "AndreTheGeek" on March 25. "Wait for the
update to the update."

Apple probably dropped or changed the digital
"signature" of the update on its end, creating a
mismatch that resulted in the "Unable to Verify
Update" message.

Although the thread contained fewer than 30
message, it had been viewed more than 10,000
times, a very large number for such a small
collection of reports. In other words, lots of users
had seen the same no-Internet error, searched
the Web using a string such as "ios 9.3 verification
failure," were directed to Apple's support forum.