DON’T set your iPhone to 1 January 1970 or you’ll break it

A fake advertisement claims that changing the date on your iPhone to 1 January 1970 will give you a retro Apple design – it doesn’t. The post has been circulating social media recently

And the date change will cause your phone to become permanently stuck while rebooting if it’s switched off or runs out of battery.

The bug affects the likes of the iPad Air, Mini 2 and any iPhone 5s onwards.

The glitch was discovered last week, but a fake photo has been circulating on social media encouraging people to switch the date on iPhones 5s and upwards.

Users were meant to be able to discover an hidden theme in the form of a 1970s-style multicoloured Apple logo and design.

Unfortunately, going retro on your iPhone won’t change the design.

Instead, when the phone is turned off and turned on again, it refuses to reboot, displaying the Apple home screen and going no further.

The devices effected are – the iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus, the iPad Air 2, the iPad Mini 3 and 4, and the sixth-generation iPod Touch.