A new report claims that Apple is switching to a randomized serial number for its future products as early as this year.

Apple will reportedly change the numbering scheme of its products starting in 2021. According to an Apple Care email, seen by MacRumors, Apple will switch to a randomized serial key for its products later this year. The new numbering format will contain a serial number of a randomized alphanumeric string of 8-14 characters, pushing Apple’s privacy claims even further.

Currently, a serial number of an Apple product can reveal a lot of information. Be it iPhone, Mac, or even an Apple Watch, serial numbers of all the devices were 12 characters long. The first three characters of the current serial numbers represent the manufacturing location of the device. The next two characters reveal the year in which the device was manufactured, while the next to detail the week it was manufactured in. The last four digits unveil the configuration of the device, revealing its color, model, and storage capacity.

The new number format will have an 8-14 characters alphanumeric string which won’t reveal any of the information. Initially, the new serial numbers will be 10 characters long. The report of Apple switching to a randomized serial number was detailed last year, but it was delayed.

The report details that Apple will switch to the new format in ‘early 2021.’ Apple might introduce its long-rumored 12.9-inch mini-LED iPad Pro, which will supposedly launch on 23rd March at an Apple event, with the new numbering format.

Did you know that a serial number can decode information about your Apple product? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!