Last Updated on August 6, 2023 by Ch David
To tell if your AirPods Pro are fake, check their serial number on Apple’s Check Coverage website. If Apple can’t validate the purchase date, you’re looking at a fake pair of AirPods Pro.
Manufacturers of fake AirPods have one goal – to maximise their profits for minimal costs. Because of this, the counterfeits are produced as cheaply as possible and therefore compromise on quality.
You might notice these differences and become suspicious about whether your AirPods Pro are genuine.Â
Our comprehensive Legit Check guide will cover some of the most common differences that you can identify. If you have doubts about whether your AirPods Pro are the real thing, read on to figure it out!
Note that fake AirPods Pro can have valid codes that are taken from genuine products. Due to this, it’s worth continuing through to the next steps to confirm their authenticity. It’s also possible to have real AirPods Pro without having access to the serial number, so we cover all bases in our complete list of comparisons.Â
While this guide applies to the AirPods Pro, we’ve also got guides for the regular AirPods, as well as for the AirPods Max. Make sure to check them out.
The quickest way to spot fake AirPods Pro is to scan the serial number that can be found on the inner side of the charging case. After you found your AirPods Pro’s unique code, visit checkcoverage.apple.com and check if Apple confirms it for you.
All Apple products include a serial number that can be used to verify their originality. You can enter them here to search Apple’s official records. Some AirPods have serial numbers on the individual earbuds, but it’s the serial number inside the case that you’ll need in this instance.Â
An added benefit to checking your serial code is that it will provide you with information on whether your AirPods Pro are still under warranty, and whether you can access additional Apple Care coverage.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to check your Apple product’s serial codes regardless of whether you’re checking their authenticity.Â
That’s not all of it. Besides this, we have added full detailed steps below in order for you to be sure you are looking at a real or fake AirPods Pro pair.
Over there in the highlighted area, you will find a code that’s unique to every AirPods Pro case.
Have a look at the picture below with an authentic Apple serial number so we can make it clear how to find this code:
Once you get that code written down, you will have to go to https://checkcoverage.apple.com
Over there, simply pop in the serial number and this is how we’ll find if your AirPods Pros are fake or real.
As you can see in the image above, the AirPods Pro is totally confirmed by Apple, from their website.
This should clear out 99% of AirPods legit checks — however, it’s not impossible that someone might switch the case and put in fake AirPods. Very unlikely, but not impossible.
For the second step of this guide on how to tell if your AirPods Pro are fake, we are going to move to the top of the real vs fake AirPods Pro, and we have to check out the pattern of the diffuser.
In fact, the authentic AirPod Pro’s material next to the diffuser is coloured black which is a bit shiny and reflects light, and the fake AirPod Pro’s material is coloured a dark grey, which doesn’t reflect any light.
Unsure whether you have a fake pair of AirPods Pro? Let us help you decide once and for all.
Our Apple authenticators are here for you, 24/7. All you have to do is just take a few pictures of the AirPods, send them to us, and we’ll take care of their authenticity!
Below, we have linked the same real vs fake AirPods Pro image, but with a zoomed-in view in order for you to understand this easier.
On the other hand, you will never see a fully-working AirPods Pro not having this material next to the speaker, which on the fake AirPods Pro, it is missing.
A quick mention:
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
In fact, the authentic AirPods Pro will always have the same dimensions as the metal on the bottom side.
On the legit AirPods Pro, you will never see the sensor missing, while on the fake AirPods Pro, it is a common factor to be missing.
On the authentic AirPods Pro’s charging case, you can see how the gap in the opening area of the charging case is less deep than in the fake AirPods Pro’s case.
This flaw is usually the most visible on the fake AirPods Pro’s top left corner of the gap, just as we have pointed out in the fake vs real AirPods Pro image above.
Want to go to the Max? We’ve also got you covered with a tutorial teaching you how to spot fake AirPods Max. Join the fun!
Here we will cover the details to look out for with the packaging of AirPods Pros.Â
Starting from the bottom of the box:
Moving on to the side, the AirPods Pro text is significantly different. For one, the classic San Francisco font is not used on the fake AirPods Pro box.
Besides that, the fake text has reflective properties, while the authentic box has this textbox simply printed in grey.
On another facet of the box cover, you will notice a huge giveaway for the replica. As you can see, multiple separate stickers are attached to the authentic box.
Besides that, it seems like the fake AirPods Pro comes with Chinese text in the upper left corner. Whether there is or isn’t Chinese text anywhere on the box can vary based on the region where the Apple AirPods Pro were purchased from.
However, it looks like regardless of the region, the text found on the fakes is slightly thicker.
To conclude this guide, we will review the technical differences that separate the original Apple AirPods Pro from their inferior counterfeits.Â
One of the most significant differences between real vs. fake AirPods Pro is that Apple uses exclusive technology that they have developed to enhance compatibility between their products.Â
If you have read this guide and are still uncertain about whether your Apple AirPods Pro are real or fake, the Legit Check App offers an authentication service to put your mind at ease.
If for any reason you aren’t confident or able to identify the authenticity of your AirPods Pro, you can use the Legit Check services for confirmation. All you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your Apple AirPods and we will get back to you with the results in 24 to 48 hours.
The results will also come with a report on why we believe your AirPods Pro are fake or authentic.
Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.
Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!
Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.
Thank you for reading this,
Ch Daniel and Ch David