Soon, Apple will change the way serial numbers are created on Macs and MacBooks, with a shift to random numbers in early 2021, making it difficult to detect details about a device.
Currently, the serial number of Apple products uses a format that can provide more information about the device. The existing string can be used to find out when and where a device was produced, as well as configuration codes that reveal the model and storage capacity of the device.
By changing this structure, Apple will switch to a new serial number format that consists of a random alphanumeric string between 8 characters and 14 characters in length. AppCare’s internal email seen by MacRumors explains that it will be scheduled for introduction in “early 2021” and that it will initially use serial numbers that are 10 digits long.
The introduction was initially scheduled for early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced Apple to delay its implementation by a year. Apple products currently being shipped will continue to use the existing format, but future products will switch to the new version.
The change in format will make it effectively impossible to show off details about the manufacturing location and the week and year of production, details that can be determined with the current system.
Other unique identifiers, such as the IMEI number of an iPhone, will remain unchanged in the current format.