iOS 11.3 update reportedly breaks iPhone 8s with third-party replaced screens

The latest iOS update from Apple is apparently having an unintended consequence for iPhone 8 s with third-party replaced screens.

According to Motherboard , iOS 11 .3 (which was released on March 29) is causing the touchscreen to stop working when it’s been replaced by anyone other than Apple.

Although the screens will continue to display the homescreen, they can’t be interacted with.

“This has caused my company over 2,000 reshipments,” Aakshay Kripalani, chief executive of repair shop Injured Gadgets told Motherboard.

“Customers are annoyed and it seems like Apple is doing this to prevent customers from doing third-party repair.”

Some sources have suggested this is Apple’s latest attempt to stop people going to independent repair shops.

Considering the iPhone 8 starts at £700 for the 4.7-inch model and £800 for the 5.5-inch one, it’s reasonable to assume people will look at alternatives to the £156.44 that Apple charges to fix broken screens itself.

Reports suggest that screen suppliers are already figuring out ways to address the issue, but it means opening up the phone and tinkering with a small microchip embedded in each device.

It’s not clear yet whether Apple will issue a further software update to fix the bug and enable it to work with independently fitted screens.

If you’re a paying member of the AppleCare+ insurance program (£129 for two years of coverage) then you won’t have to pay as much to get a screen fixed by the company.

The iOS 11.3 update was announced in January and allows users to turn off the performance throttling feature designed to help their battery life if they want to maximise power on older handsets.

How to download iOS 11.3

If you haven’t already downloaded the new update to your iPhone or iPad, here’s how to do it.

Go to Settings icon on your homescreen and click General.

Scroll down to Software Update and hit confirm.

Eligible devices include every iPhone from the iPhone 5s upwards and every iPad from the iPad mini 2 and later.

Apple said: “iOS 11.3 delivers exciting new immersive augmented reality experiences, new Animoji for iPhone X users, access to personal health records in the Health app and more.

“This free software update also offers customers more visibility into the battery health and performance of their iPhone.”