Oh dear! This is a move I was kind of expecting Apple to take shortly after the release of the first iOS 5 beta, but now that its on its fourth release already, I thought that maybe theyd let us have our fun. To those of you running iOS 5 who arent Apple registered developers, now may be a good time to downgrade, because Apple could be about to brick your device.

The company has now begun disabling devices that it believes have unauthorized access to its iOS 5 beta software, in addition to the developer accounts which it believes are registering unique device identifiers (UDID) against its terms of service. This is mainly going to affect those users that paid to have their devices UDID registered through one of the many websites that currently offer this service.

Shortly after any major iOS release like this, a torrent of websites and eBay listings are spawned all of which provide access to Apples beta software for around $10 per device. You pay your money, send them your UDID, they register it on their Apple developer account and youre free to install and activate the beta software.

Of course, theres a pretty profit to be made for these websites. To become a registered Apple developer, you have to pay an annual fee of $99, however, for that you can register up to 100 UDIDs and grant them access to Apples beta software. Sell those at $10 a piece and youve got yourself a nice little Christmas fund.

One particular site, mentioned by AppleInsider, claims to be The Leading iOS Beta Registrar, having served a whopping 15,000 customers since it began in 2009. The sites blurb reads:

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Apple only allows registered iPhone developers to have access to iOS 5 beta. Thats where we come in. We have paid the fees and done all the work. All you have to do is register your iOS device on our account, once you register, youll be able to download the beta firmware and install it on your device.


These sites clearly target eager Apple fanboys who get a taste of Apples upcoming software at its WWDC announcements and have to have it on their device weve all been there, Im sure. But it isnt going to last for long.

Not only is Apple disabling unauthorized devices, but its also disabling the developer accounts that register them. That means that these registrars will also feel the Cupertino companys unforgiving wrath. The original report from KarthikK.net explains what happens once Apple catches you:

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Once Apple locks your iOS device, the phone will enter the initial setup mode asking you to connect to a WiFi network. And nothing happens more than that.


Apple effectively bricks your device and makes it completely unusable for daily use. Its unclear whether youll be able to downgrade to iOS 4 to resurrect it again, or whether youll have to wait for the final iOS 5 release this fall. It may be a good idea if youve used one of these sites, however, to downgrade now just in case.

Has your device been disabled by Apple yet?