iOS 6.1 patch to fix Exchange flaw that kills iPhone battery

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 14 Feb 2013 at 10:11

Apple is set to fix another flaw in iOS 6.1, saying it's readying a patch for an calendar flaw that was wreaking havoc on Exchange servers.

Earlier this week, Apple updated its iPhone and iPad OS to iOS 6.1.1, fixing a flaw that caused connectivity problems in the iPhone 4S.

Users had also complained of poor battery life and strange activity with Calendar events, causing the iPhone to excessively ping Exchange servers - and leading some companies to temporarily block iPhones.

In a support note, Apple admitted the flaw, saying a solution was on the way.

"When you respond to an exception to a recurring calendar event with a Microsoft Exchange account on a device running iOS 6.1, the device may begin to generate excessive communication with Microsoft Exchange Server," Apple explained. "You may notice increased network activity or reduced battery life on the iOS device. This extra network activity will be shown in the logs on Exchange Server and it may lead to the server blocking the iOS device."

Apple said the problem is occurring with iOS 6.1 in combination with Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP1 or later, or the Office 365 version.

Apple hasn't said exactly when the solution will be released, only that it's coming with a future software update.

"In the meantime, you can avoid this bug by not responding to an exception to a recurring event on your iOS device," Apple advised in its support pages. "If you do experience the symptoms described above, disable then re-enable the Exchange calendar on your iOS device."

To do that, go into Calendars on your device, select Exchange from the Accounts list, and flip the setting to off. Wait a few moments, then flip it back on.