Just a few days after releasing iOS 9.3 to the masses, Apple was forced to stop signing the update following numerous complaints from owners of older iPhones and iPads, such as the original iPad Air and the iPhone 5s and older due to an activation issue.
And now Apple has released yet another, updated version of iOS 9.3 specifically for older devices that were affected by the activation bug that wouldn’t allow those devices to install the newest version of the company’s mobile operating system. While the software is still version iOS 9.3, the software build number has been updated to build 13E237, and it’s available now.
With the first release of iOS 9.3, older iOS devices were required to input the associated Apple ID and password that was used when first setting up the device. If that process was hung up in any way, or the information could not be recalled, the process would stall out, leaving the device incapable of upgrading and inaccessible. Apple was forced to stop signing the release of iOS 9.3 for several specific older devices. The iPad 2 was the first to get a re-released version of the software, due to a separate activation bug.
Following the release of the new build, Apple has resumed signing iOS 9.3 and the update now asks for current the Apple ID and password linked to the device instead of the original information.
Now, Apple has begun signing the build of iOS 9.3 for older devices again. As a result, devices being updated will ask for the current Apple ID and password, which should make installing much easier and smoother.
The new version of iOS 9.3, is now available for all iOS 9 users with older devices as an over-the-air update or through iTunes. Customers with older devices who had not yet updated to iOS 9.3 will be able to do so now.