Apple will soon change the way that serial numbers are created for Macs and MacBooks, with a switch to random numbers in early 2021, making it more difficult to find out details about a device.
Currently, the serial numbers of Apple products use a format that can provide more information about the device. The existing string can be used to determine when and where a device was manufactured, as well as configuration codes that reveal the model and storage capacity of the device.
In a change to that structure, Apple will switch to a new serial number format consisting of a random alphanumeric string between 8 characters and 14 characters long. The internal AppleCare email seen through MacRumors explains that the rollout is scheduled for “early 2021” and will initially use serial numbers that are 10 digits long.
The rollout was originally scheduled to take place in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Apple to delay implementation by a year. Apple products currently shipped will continue to use the existing format, but future products will switch to the new version.
In fact, the change in format makes it impossible to shine details of the production site and the week and year of production, details that can be determined with the current system.
Other unique identifiers, such as an iPhone’s IMEI number, will remain unchanged in their current format.