Apple tells everyone to keep all the things away from pacemakers in new support document

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Iphone 12 Magsafe
Iphone 12 Magsafe (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple is warning people with pacemakers to keep some of its products away from them.
  • The list of products is extensive and includes almost everything the company makes.

Apple has updated a support document that warns people to keep some of its products away from pacemakers. In reality, the list is so extensive that it perhaps makes up the majority of Apple's portfolio.

Putting devices with magnets in them near a pacemaker has always been a bad idea and sideways glances were made at iPhone 12 when it launched with MagSafe last year. We've seen various outfits try to decide whether MagSafe is an issue or not, but now Apple has decided that it is.

Under certain conditions, magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices. For example, implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact.

Apple says that the following products should be kept at least six inches away from a pacemaker, while those with wireless charging should be kept 12 inches away.

AirPods and charging cases

  • AirPods and Charging Case
  • AirPods and Wireless Charging Case
  • AirPods Pro and Wireless Charging Case
  • AirPods Max and Smart Case

Apple Watch and accessories

  • Apple Watch
  • Apple Watch bands with magnets
  • Apple Watch magnetic charging accessories

HomePod

  • HomePod
  • HomePod mini

iPad and accessories

  • iPad
  • iPad mini
  • iPad Air
  • iPad Pro
  • iPad Smart Covers and Smart Folios
  • iPad Smart Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio
  • Magic Keyboard for iPad

iPhone and MagSafe accessories

  • iPhone 12 models
  • MagSafe accessories

Mac and accessories

  • Mac mini
  • Mac Pro
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • iMac
  • Apple Pro Display XDR

Beats

  • Beats Flex
  • Beats X
  • PowerBeats Pro
  • UrBeats3

The list, first spotted by MacRumors, ends with Apple also noting that some other products contain magnets but that they are "are unlikely to interfere with medical devices."

Anyone who is concerned about their pacemaker should stop using the device in question and contact their doctor to seek guidance, Apple says.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.