Apple Voluntarily Recalls Some Older Three-Prong Wall Plug Adapters Due to Risk of Electrical Shock

Apple today announced a voluntary recall of three-prong AC wall plug adapters designed for use primarily in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

ac wall plug apple
Apple states that, in very rare cases, affected Apple three-prong wall plug adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped with Mac and certain iOS devices between 2003 and 2010 and were also included in the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit.

Apple says it is aware of six incidents worldwide and asks customers to stop using affected plug adapters, citing customer safety as a "top priority." Apple will exchange affected wall plug adapters with a new adapter, free of charge.


Affected three-prong wall plug adapters are white, with no letters in the inside slot where it attaches to an Apple power adapter. New adapters are white with gray on the inside portion that attaches to the power adapter.

The recall does not affect any USB power adapters, like those included in the box with iPhones and iPads, according to Apple.

If you are impacted, read the recall program details and then head to Apple's Get Support page to initiate the exchange process.

In January 2016, Apple initiated a similar voluntary recall program for two-prong AC wall plug adapters designed for use in Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Argentina, and Brazil due to the same risk of electrical shock if touched. These wall plug adapters shipped from 2003 to 2015.

Tag: Recall

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple Sports App Preview Feature

Apple Sports App on iPhone Now Available in More European Countries

Monday November 17, 2025 6:27 am PST by
The free Apple Sports app on the iPhone was released in additional European countries today, including Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine, and others. The app was already available in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Austria, France, Germany,...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
86 months ago
Apple states that, in very rare cases, affected Apple three-prong wall plug adapters may break and create a risk of electrical shock if touched.
That is of course assuming you haven't impaled your foot on one of those bad boys first. Between these and LEGO, I'm beginning to think the uk has it out for feet.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cerberusss Avatar
86 months ago
I am a secret agent, and always carry a handful of these three-prong things. Whenever I am chased, I drop them on the ground because they make for terrific caltrops.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IRockThat828pScreen Avatar
86 months ago
Prepare for the Forbes article "Apple Admits Its Charging Bricks Have A Huge Problem"
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
displaced Avatar
86 months ago
So it’s technically safer, but how does that translate in to real world results? If it’s say twice as expensive and twice as wasteful (in terms of materials used) but results in say, less than 0.001% electrical related accidents is it worth it? What are the trade offs? Maybe it is, but the article only talks about how it’s technically safer, not real world numbers.
It was designed a long time ago. The primary purpose wasn’t to perform a cost/benefit analysis on deaths-by-electrocution and deaths-by-electrical fire versus cost.

Surely when designing a connector that will be in ubiquitous use throughout a nation, used millions of times per year by tens or hundreds of millions of people, it’s a good idea to make it as safe as possible?

If having a plug that costs a penny or two more to manufacture makes me and my property (and everyone else and their property) a fair bit safer, I’m cool with that.

Besides, the retail, non-trade, non-bulk, sales-tax-inclusive, including a fuse cost of one of our plugs is £0.99. Or a pack of 3 for £2.50.

(there’s a reasonably short list of British things I’m absolutely unequivocally proud of, and our mains plugs and sockets are on it )
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kebabselector Avatar
86 months ago
Interestingly the one shown as broken in the article looks like a new one (with no lettering).
Yes it is....


[doublepost=1556203377][/doublepost]
Guys, why are your plugs so needlessly large?
Ironically it's for safety - the plugs are fused and the larger earth pin pushes a slider in the socket allowing access to the live/neutral pins.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whooleytoo Avatar
86 months ago
The three-prong plugs are also used in Ireland, though I'm sure anyone potentially affected by this issue in Ireland would already know that. :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)