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Samuel Axon
According to MacRumors, Apple will completely change the way Mac serial numbers are generated. The numbers will soon be entirely random, which means that users, IT managers, repair shop technicians and others will not be able to glean the same information from them as the current serial number system.
The serial numbers on Macs shipped today reflect the time and location the Mac was assembled, as well as some configuration details such as storage capacity. In the future, serial numbers will be entirely random, with no code or consistency that can be used to obtain product information. New numbers will be eight to 14 characters long.
MacRumors says he learned of the change when he got access to an internal AppleCare email. This change does not apply to Mac models shipping today, but it will take effect for future Macs that the company introduces. That includes supposed updates to MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac expected later this year, as well as new Mac Pro models that appear to be slated for a later date.
According to the email, the change was originally scheduled to go into effect in 2020, but it was pushed back. The email now says it will happen “early in 2021”. Oddly enough, the most reliable rumors and leaks about upcoming Mac products put them in the second half of 2021, with only iPad refreshes initially expected in the coming weeks. But the date can refer to something in addition to the final shipping date of the products; we’ll have to wait and see.
Serial numbers are used in online forums, repair shops, and corporate IT departments to speed up troubleshooting and other tasks by quickly learning more about the machine in question, for example, if a computer exhibiting a problem is one of a certain set of models made in a certain period of time which all have this problem. Some information will still be accessible after starting the machine or dismantling it.
Apple has not publicly confirmed this change or explained the reasons, but we have reached out to the company for comment.
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