[UPDATE] Evan Osnos tweets that he is now restoring iPad via DFU mode. DFU stands for Device Firmware Update. It is somehow related to Recovery Mode but is one's best chance to get out of more difficult problems with their iPhones or iPads. Twitterverse reacted with a thousand hearts. Seems the case of toddler-iPad-lock-out is now closed (no pun intended).
After trying multiple passwords on his dad's iPad, a kid locked the device until 2067. Evan Osnos has since put out a tweet asking for help to unlock his device.
He also shared a photo of the device, whose screen shows that the device was disabled. It reads, "Try again in 25,536,442 minutes."
Usually, if someone inputs a wrong password far too many times, the device forces them to wait just one minute before giving it another go. This is annoying — especially if one deliberately inputs wrong passwords out of boredom — but it's a clever security failsafe in case a thief or pickpocket tries to get access. However, the kid triggered a lockdown period of more than 48 years, notes CNN.
That means Osnos' iPad will not be unlockable until 2067 — by then there might not even be iPads anymore; people could just be communicating via high-tech microchips installed in their brains.
iPad Locked Until 2067
Thankfully, a number of Twitter users caught on Onos's predicament and tried to offer help. Some are downright fantastical:
"Time travel seems to be your best bet," one user quipped.
Some are nonsensical:
"Put it in a bag of rice."
Another user suggested Onos to "reboot" his 3-year-old. Jokes aside, others did offer resources and tips to solve the problem. One user said that insanely long lockout periods are a well-documented issue plaguing Apple devices.
Restoration
Apple's procedure calls for a total restore to be able to use the device again, but this means losing all the data if the device was never backed up in the first place. Speaking with the New York Daily News, Osnos said he was still locked out of the device.
"It's down a few hundred minutes from yesterday, but it looks like we've still got 25 million minutes to go," he said. "The consensus seems to be that we're using an old operating system that won't let us restart fresh from iTunes."
In an update, Osnos said he managed to get his iPad into its Device Firmware Update mode and is in the process of restoration. Hopefully Onos gets his iPad in working order again, and when he does, he should definitely consider putting the device out of his child's reach.
Have you experienced a similar thing with Apple's lockout feature? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
Uh, this looks fake but, alas, it’s our iPad today after 3-year-old tried (repeatedly) to unlock. Ideas? pic.twitter.com/5i7ZBxx9rW — Evan Osnos (@eosnos) April 6, 2019
