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Apple warns pacemaker users of magnet risk in MagSafe products

The magnets in Apple products such as the recently released iPhone 12 could interfere with the function of pacemakers and defibrillators.

TJ Denzer

June 28, 2021 10:05 AM

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Apple products have continued to get more and more versatile year to year as the tech giant aims to permeate our every day with devices made to make things easier. That said, as Apple has worked to incorporate ease of access into much of its devices, it may have overlooked a dangerous and perhaps even fatal flaw in recent products. Concern over the use of MagSafe products in newer Apple products such as the iPhone 12 have prompted Apple to update its safety support pages in regards to magnets in its devices and interaction with pacemakers and personal defibrillators.

The recent change on Apple’s support pages took place very recently, as reported by MacRumors. The update to Apple’s pages now includes a page very specifically about magnets in Apple products, their effect on personal medical equipment, and a list of products that those with pacemakers and other such devices should be aware of and/or stay away from. Notably, the recently released iPhone 12 appears on the list, which just began including MagSafe wireless charging functionality, as announced late in 2020.

The issue with magnets in an iPhone or other such portable product is that if one happens to place it in a shirt pocket, and they just happen to be a person with a pacemaker or personal defibrillator, it could call unintended interaction or, even worse, malfunction in the devices. For this reason, Apple’s Support page now suggests keeping the listed Apple products more than six inches away from such devices at all times. It remains to be seen if there will be further action beyond this, but it seems like a very strange oversight for a company that also involves itself so heavily with health technology in the likes of the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Nonetheless, if you have a pacemaker or personal defibrillator, as well as a newer Apple product, it may be in your interest to read and adhere to the warning Apple has finally put together on this topic.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.