Apple to send fix for 1970 date bug; devices can be affected by setting date to May 1970 or earlier

Admitting that the the "1970 date bug" does exist, Apple posted a support document today that tells users of certain iOS devices that "Manually changing the date to May 1970 or earlier can prevent your iOS device from turning on after a restart." First reports had the bug bricking 64-bit Apple iPhones, Apple iPads and Apple iPods when the date was set to January 1st, 1970.

The support document says that Apple is going to be sending out a software update to "prevent this issue from affecting iOS devices." Apple says that those whose devices were bricked by the bug should call Apple Support.

As we pointed out yesterday, letting the battery discharge completely could reset the device. However, those who have done this say that the rebooted device will run slowly.

What makes this bug so deadly is that some with a sick sense of humor are trying to trick iOS device owners who are not familiar with the bug, into setting the date back which makes the device unusable. Until Apple sends out the update to fix this issue, we would suggest not fooling around by manually changing the date on your 64-bit iOS device to May 1970 or earlier.

source: Apple via AppleInsider