The Apple AirPods revolutionized the way we listen to music ever since their release in 2016. Since then, TWS earbuds have become the way to go, and the headphone jack has effectively been eliminated from most devices as a result. However, there is admittedly still some clout in rocking the Apple buds despite increasing fame from competitors like Sony. That’s why millions of people have bought into the hype – but as expected, fakes are spreading through the market like wildfire as well. Does your pair give you even a sliver of suspicion that it might not be the real deal? Well, iOS 16 can now make it easier by verifying if your AirPods are indeed original.

Fake device manufacturers and counterfeiters have studied the originals meticulously and copied everything they can to bring as close an experience to the original. Some of them even manage to trigger software functions never before thought possible, like auto pairing and battery indication. However, the difference in performance will forever be present when it comes to these devices.

A report by 9to5Mac has found code that suggests stricter protocols when it comes to authenticating these devices. Should the AirPods you connect to the device not be original, the following message will allegedly pop up on the display: “These headphones could not be verified as genuine AirPods and may not behave as expected.” The report further states that a Learn More option will be available for users to confirm further, but these will still continue to work as intended. After all, there is a slim chance that a different pair of TWS earbuds with similar programming to Apple’s could be mistaken for a counterfeit.

This may expose dealers who have been selling high-quality copies disguised as authentic products themselves. We’ve seen quite a flood of these, even fakes that try to emulate the expensive over-ear Apple AirPods Max. At this point, we can only hope that not many people were fooled into purchasing fake products for the prices of the real deal.