Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Erroneous 'This Accessory May Not Be Supported' Alerts

California resident Monica Emerson has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple this week, accusing the company of releasing iOS updates which were "specifically designed and programmed to reject, starting on November of 2016, old iPhone chargers from properly charging the iPhones."

accessory may not be supported

Image Credit: iGeeksBlog

The complaint, obtained by MacRumors, alleges that Emerson bought an ‌iPhone‌ 7 in September 2016 and charged the device with Apple's power adapter included in the box without issue until around October 2017, when it stopped working alongside the alert "this accessory may not be supported."

In or around October 2017, Plaintiff attempted to use her Apple Charger and received a message that read "This accessory may not be supported." Thus, requiring that people buy a new charger for her iPhone. Upon learning this, Plaintiff felt ripped off, cheated, and violated by Defendant.

The alert is part of Apple's system that aims to protect iOS devices against potentially dangerous aftermarket accessories.

Emerson believes the alert forced her and thousands of other customers in her situation to buy new chargers, with total claims exceeding $5 million. As a result, she is suing Apple for damages, accusing the company of false advertising, unfair business practices, fraud, and other violations of California laws.

Emerson supposedly always used Apple's first-party charger, but it's unclear whether it was connected to the ‌iPhone‌ with an Apple-certified Lightning to USB cable under the Made for iPhone program. If she was using an Apple power adapter with an uncertified cable, then the message was correctly displayed.

While it's hard to believe that Apple released an iOS update that prevented its own chargers from working—it simply doesn't make sense—there have been scattered complaints of the "this accessory may not be supported" system throwing false positives for Apple-certified chargers and cables over the years.

False positives can occur for a variety of reasons, including something as simple as a dirty pin on the Lightning connector.

Emerson is seeking a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for Central California.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...

Top Rated Comments

JWiLL1988 Avatar
84 months ago
So instead of going to the Genius Bar or calling customer service to have it replaced for free, let’s file a lawsuit.

America
Score: 75 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maclver Avatar
84 months ago
Ohhhh FFS....
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcalict Avatar
84 months ago
No company can win in our litigious society. You fail to protect people and you're sued. You proactively protect people and you're sued.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
normang Avatar
84 months ago
I find i t amazing that she might get anyone to join such and obviously frivolous lawsuit... The warning is largely to protect you from using chargers that may burn your house down..
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
84 months ago
It would be great if people who are found to have brought frivolous lawsuits were forced to pay the legal costs of those they sue regardless of any countersuit from the other party. A lien on their taxes/home or a reduction in their benefits would put a quick stop to a lot of these get-rich-quick schemes.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikramerica Avatar
84 months ago
It’s the cable lady. It’s alwsts the cable. If your cable is damaged OR your lightning port is clogged with lint, this will happen.

The iPhone 7 will charge with ANY USB power source capable of delivering power to it. Apple charger, third party, computer (Mac or pc), powered usb hub, chargers built into power strips, built into wall outlets, airplane seats, cars. I’ve used them all with my 7.

It just requires a good cable. No iOS update for the iPhone 7 has disabled any chargers, not even a dot release via temporary bug. But a bad cable won’t send the right confirmation to the iPhone.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)