Apple announces iOS 16 will detect counterfeit AirPods, iPhone pop-ups already appear (with live video test)

Starting with iOS 16, Apple users who try to connect fake AirPods to their iPhone may see a "Cannot Verify AirPods" alert on their iPhone, Apple announced today on its official support page, the same as previously reported.

As you can see from the image, after connecting fake AirPods to the iPhone, users will see a "Cannot Verify AirPods" pop-up, then a prominent button at the bottom that says "Do not connect", and a small button below that that says "Connect in Bluetooth settings". button "Connect in Bluetooth settings.

Apple says that not only iPhones, but also users who receive this alert when trying to connect their AirPods to their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch will need to verify that the AirPods are genuine. "You can choose not to connect unverified AirPods, or connect them in Bluetooth settings. If you connect unauthenticated AirPods, they may not function as expected."