USED Apple AirPods could have a major security flaw, according to a new report.
Some used AirPods reportedly stay linked to the previous owner’s iCloud account despite a factory reset, Business Insider said on Wednesday.
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Upon set-up, some of the affected units reportedly display “AirPod Mismatch,” as opposed to “New Owner Name’s AirPods,” in Apple’s Find My app.
Furthermore, when the new owner tries to access their AirPods via their smartphones, a message pops up saying the gadgets are linked to a different Apple ID.
It then proceeds to ask them if one of the earbuds is “mixed up with someone else’s AirPods.”
This problem seems to be associated with thousands of AirPods that have been returned to large American retailers such as Walmart and then resold.
Reportedly eight in 10 AirPods that go through goTRG – the company associated with Walmart returns – are facing issues.
“It is a big concern,” David Malka, chief sales officer of goTRG, said.
“We’ve tested it in the facilities. We’ve been testing it every day,” he added.
Another huge issue is the potential data breaches associated with users’ iCloud information.
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“It’s like me telling you, ‘hey, if you sell your car, you have to make sure you unplug this wire, if not somebody’s gonna be able to trace you,'” Malka said.
“It doesn’t make sense.”
Some experts say this is just another example of an Apple product that is not “return friendly”.
“It shows an underlying strategy at Apple, which is to lock down and control every aspect of the experience, including synchronizing individual parts inside the phone, or an individual earbud to an account,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of gadget repair website iFixit, said.
The Sun has reached out to Apple for comment but has not heard back at the time of publishing.
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