iOS 9 Update Could Kill Your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus: What is 'Error 53?'

For iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users planning to update their iOS, think again.

Daily Mail reported that a so-called "Error 53" has been bugging these two iPhone models along with iOS 9 updates for a couple of weeks.

It added that phones, whose home buttons have been repaired by third-party shops or technicians, could be completely destroyed with this error.

According to The Guardian, users have been complaining that their iPhones have been rendered useless after the iOS system disabled permanently their handset.

This means that the phone has lost data including photos that cannot anymore be retrieved.

Photographer Antonio Olmos told The Guardian that his phone became a victim of this error a few weeks earlier. He claimed that he dropped his phone in the Balkans while covering the movement of refugees.

"Because I desperately needed it for work I got it fixed at a local shop, as there are no Apple stores in Macedonia. They repaired the screen and home button, and it worked perfectly," he added.

But after upgrading his iOS and seeing the Error 53 on his screen, it has since been unusable despite trips to various Apple stores and repair shops.

This software update error, as per The Sydney Morning Herald, also happens when a phone is connected to a personal computer or a laptop for the update.

It noted that, when Apple was asked for a comment on the problem, the company claimed that it was part of their security checks to make sure that their customers are protected.

"iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device's other components. If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled," the company explained in a text message to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Apple also noted that this measure helps in preventing frauds access phones which are not theirs. It also advised users to contact Apple Support if this error prompts in their handsets.

Meanwhile, ZDNet mentioned that there might be also instances that the said error will not be prompted by a replacement of the Touch ID sensor with a third-party technician.

It said that The Daily Dot's Mike Wehner experienced the issue after having problems with the fingerprint reader. In his case, the phone was replaced by Apple.

For people to avoid losing a big amount of money to a "dead iPhone," the help of an authorized Apple repair outlet should always be sought.