Apple posted an update to its website confirming a bug that caused products to become disabled was real. It began as a practical joke, but has led to many technical issues.
On their site, Apple said that if anyone experienced issues after changing the date on their phone to May 1970, they should contact Support. They said that putting this particular date in would prevent the device from turning on, even after being restarted.
Apple also assured users an update would come that would resolve the issue and prevent it from happening again.
According to Forbes, the devices that experienced these issues included iPhones, iPads and iPod touches with operating systems 8.x or 9.x.
The Reddit thread where the joke came from apparently told users that changing the date to Jan. 1970 would unlock a hidden feature. However, this only led to the devices becoming disabled.
If you were one of the many who did not change the date on their phone, do not give it a try. And if you are the unlucky person who lost access to their phone, Apple will be there to help you.