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This is why I really like the added security of the new Apple magnetic wallet I got. The wallet holds your cards and attaches to the back of the phone using mag

This is why I really like the added security of the new Apple magnetic wallet I got. The wallet holds your cards and attaches to the back of the phone using magnets. While the inside of the wallet is magnetically shielded, I’ve found it’s nearly impossible when actually handling the magnetic wallet not to accidentally pass the card past the outside of the magnetic wallet. I have found that my card no longer works in pure magstripe readers such as parking meters and other older devices. Having ruined my magnetic stripe, Apple has protected me from mag stripe attacks. An idea so bold, no one but Apple could have thought of the magnetic card wallet.

wil421 4y ago
I’ve had an Apple Wallet since they came out and never had any cards lose their magnetic strip. Same with my wife.
- RC_ITR 4y ago
  Yeah, OP clarified he was using another brands wallet lol. Weird to dunk on Apple implying they underengineer their products. Engineering and (probably) precision manufacturing some magnetic shield is exactly the kind of thing Apple would do. From [0]: According to Apple's site, "the leather wallet is shielded so it’s safe for credit cards." That shield protects both Low Coercivity (LoCo) and High Coercivity (HiCo) cards — which is a fancy way of saying how resistant something is from being demagnetized. So, LoCo cards are considered things like hotel keys and gift cards while credit cards fall under HiCo. [0] https://mashable.com/article/apple-magsafe-iphone-wallet-demagnetize-cards https://mashable.com/article/apple-magsafe-iphone-wallet-dem...
  - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
    Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I’m saying that it’s easy when handling the small removable wallet to accidentally touch the non-shielded side of the wallet. Both my Popwallet and the Apple wallet have essentially the same design. A shielded pouch for credit cards, and a magnetic backing that attaches to the phone. The magnetic back cannot be shielded on the side that attaches to the phone, or it wouldn’t attach to the phone. The problem is not insufficient shielding on the inside of the wallet, the problem is the way apple designed the system. Apple designed a small removable wallet with magnets on one exterior face of the thing. When handling the magnetic wallet I’ve found myself accidentally touching my card to the unshielded side of the wallet. I think the way apple designed it, their solution is “don’t do that”, but it’s very easy to do.
    - scrumbledober 4y ago
      You're holding it wrong.
    - RC_ITR 4y ago
      >but it’s very easy to do. Let a thousand blossoms bloom, I guess.
hammock 4y ago
With just about everything either chip or tap now, is there any danger in just scratching out the mag stripe of my cards?
- giantg2 4y ago
  The small number of places with older swipe only terminals. Or when the chip isn't working (Lowes has a stripe reader on the register if the main terminal isn't working; mainly used for gift cards though). And finally, an alert employee might not accept a damaged card.
  - Macha 4y ago
    I've seen a few people in the US mention "when the chip isn't working". I don't think I've encountered this... ever? Of course, when the merchant's only alternative is handling cash, maybe there's more incentive to keep the card machine in order
    - giantg2 4y ago
      I have chip malfunctions at least once per month. I assume there is dirt or debris in the terminal or on the chip.
      - Macha 4y ago
        I find it odd that they're so unreliable in the US given they're neither new nor complicated technology and have a decade of use in Europe before they even started gaining adoption in the US, but I'll take your word for it. I wonder what US card or terminal manufacturers are doing wrong for such a reliability difference
        Reason077 4y ago
        Chip payments occasionally had problems in Europe too. The chips on the cards, or the contacts on the terminals would get dirty or wear out or whatever. Contactless is much more reliable.
RockRobotRock 4y ago
I can see how this is annoying, but I think I use the magstripe 1 time per year on average. Although, I could see it being used more often by bartenders and other merchants who take my card.
- hgsgm 4y ago
- nicoburns 4y ago
  I live in the UK, and I don’t think I’ve used my mag stripe here once in the last decade. The only time I can remember using it was on a plane.
  - Reason077 4y ago
    Even EMV contactless is designed to work offline. There's no need for the mag stripe at all anymore unless you encounter a truly ancient card terminal. The last time I remember encountering one was at a toll booth in Italy around 2011 or so. And the transaction was immediately declined by my UK bank!
    - stavros 4y ago
      I've always wondered: What happens if I use a paused/canceled card on a plane? Do I just get the item for free?
      - Tomdarkness 4y ago
        Yep, like this person who used that method to steal £25,000 worth of goods from airlines: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-airport-passenger-steals-duty-23473932 https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manches...
        stavros 4y ago
        Oh wow, that's taking things to another level.
bob1029 4y ago
Those must have been some low-coercivity card stock. HiCo cards should be very resilient to this sort of thing.
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  Brand new Visa Debit card from Chase Bank. I’d have thought it was one of the good ones. I should say I’m actually not using the official Apple magnetic case but the Popwallet brand which includes a little finger holder thing. Perhaps they’re using more powerful magnets than apple.
  - mlambie 4y ago
    So your point about Apple, is in fact, not about Apple at all. Cool.
    - Spooky23 4y ago
      Thanks to Apple, I had a bean burrito this afternoon that upset my stomach. Not sure why iPhone engineering didn’t anticipate this happening, but the flatulence kept my boss away so everything worked out.
    - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
      I’m mostly having fun, but Apple’s official wallet also has magnets on the back. The point is apple designed a system where a small removable wallet needs to be handled with your cards. That’s apple’s system design. And I suspect that you would encounter the same issue with Apple’s official wallet. Just like my Popwallet apple says the inside of the wallet is shielded. But the outside cannot be shielded as it has to magnetically attach to the phone. So unless the apple wallet has much weaker magnets, in which case it would fall off the phone easily, then it’s going to have the same issue. The problem is with the system apple designed.
      - girvo 4y ago
        > The problem is with the system apple designed Is it? Numerous people up and down this thread who do use the official one have told you they've not experienced it, so I'm not sure your assumption holds.
Aperocky 4y ago
Can't have a mag stripe vulnerability if there is no more mag stripe, such simple and elegant solution is tradition for Apple (can't have a broken home button when you don't have one!)
- sigmoid10 4y ago
  Mag stripe needs to die anyways. It is such a glaring security issue, I openly welcome any effort towards getting rid if it.
  - hansvm 4y ago
    To be fair, chips have a similar vulnerability; it's just limited to being exploited immediately rather than being stored and played back later.
  - garyrichardson 4y ago
    You must be in the US -- America is the only place where mag stripe still exists. Everyone else is using tap or chip and pin.
    - derefr 4y ago
      Do you mean that credit cards in other countries don't have magnetic stripes, or just that nobody uses them? Living in Canada, there's basically no instance where we'd swipe our credit cards, but they've still got mag stripes; and when I visit the US, I sometimes have to swipe my card, and it does work to do so.
      - mathieuh 4y ago
        I’m in the UK, my cards still have the stripes but in my entire life (I’m 27) I’ve never used it. I don’t even think the card payment terminals we have here have the reader for the stripe anymore.
      - vladvasiliu 4y ago
        > Do you mean that credit cards in other countries don't have magnetic stripes, or just that nobody uses them? I don't know about other countries, but a few days ago I got a new Visa card in France. It still has the magnetic stripe. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it used here, but a few years ago I think they were still in use in German gas stations (at least). Some banks have a nice feature where they allow you to disable the magnetic strip of the card. I presume the information is still physically on the card, but they can somehow know that the payment was done that way and decline it.
ynx 4y ago
Snark about Apple's shortsightedness tends to land better when you're not literally lying about using their product.
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  The problem is with the system Apple designed. They have a small removable wallet with magnets on the back. While I’m using a Popwallet brand wallet with my iPhone, the way it is designed I don’t think the official wallet would be any different. It has to have one side with exposed magnets per Apple’s design, and when handling the removable wallet I’ve found myself accidentally touching the magnetic side with my card. I genuinely don’t think it would be different with the official wallet.
  - ruined 4y ago
    dont let the haters get you down
  - w-ll 4y ago
    Well my thought on "pop sockets" is when one of your flagship products needs another product for people to hold it... some one f'd up and is not there anymore to call out the bs.
    - giancarlostoro 4y ago
      You don't actually need them to hold the phone though, just some people want to hold on to less of their phone to keep it on their hand. I personally just hold on to my phone with my own hand.
      - w-ll 4y ago
        For one hand usability they kinda are a must for most people. I can manage. But still, I'm OG SE camp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g0Mft1CQ7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g0Mft1CQ7A
      - 4y ago
throwaway-blaze 4y ago
So you mention lower in the thread that in fact you didn't get the new Apple magnetic wallet, but actually a 3rd party wallet and just assume Apple's will have the same problem. That seems like a distinction worth mentioning, especially with the first comment on the article. While it seems reasonable that Apple's wallet might have the same problem, you dont actually know.
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  Yes I didn’t realize how seriously people would view this until after I could no longer edit the comment. I mostly thought my story was funny. Though it is true that my Popwallet demagnetized my cards due to the ease with which once can accidentally contact the non shielded exterior of the magnetic wallet with the magnetic card. As I said down thread, apple intentionally designed a wallet that has to have relatively powerful magnets on the exterior. A lot of people in thread are claiming their apple wallet hasn’t demagnetized their cards, but they have not confirmed if they’ve accidentally contacted the magnetic exterior of the apple wallet with their card. Obviously the inside of the wallet is shielded and I don’t believe my card was demagnetized due to poor shielding, but by accidental contact with the magnetic face of the wallet during handling. Apple is clear in their marketing materials that the inside of their wallet is shielded, but they say nothing about risks associated with accidental card contact on the magnetic exterior of their wallet. And this is the situation of concern for me. Perhaps they use much weaker magnets than Popwallet, and you’re right that I can’t say for sure, but I suspect they still use reasonably powerful magnets and accidental contact with a magstripe on the magnetic side of their wallet could pose a problem for cards.
  - bee_rider 4y ago
    Your original comment was funny, and the ones making fun of you for the sort of important, uh, tweaked detail are also funny, so you are 2 for 2 if the intent was to be lighten hearts.
deleted 4y ago
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deleted 4y ago
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wil421 4y ago

I’ve had an Apple Wallet since they came out and never had any cards lose their magnetic strip. Same with my wife.

RC_ITR 4y ago
Yeah, OP clarified he was using another brands wallet lol. Weird to dunk on Apple implying they underengineer their products. Engineering and (probably) precision manufacturing some magnetic shield is exactly the kind of thing Apple would do. From [0]: According to Apple's site, "the leather wallet is shielded so it’s safe for credit cards." That shield protects both Low Coercivity (LoCo) and High Coercivity (HiCo) cards — which is a fancy way of saying how resistant something is from being demagnetized. So, LoCo cards are considered things like hotel keys and gift cards while credit cards fall under HiCo. [0] https://mashable.com/article/apple-magsafe-iphone-wallet-demagnetize-cards https://mashable.com/article/apple-magsafe-iphone-wallet-dem...
- TaylorAlexander 4y ago
  Sorry if I wasn’t clear, but I’m saying that it’s easy when handling the small removable wallet to accidentally touch the non-shielded side of the wallet. Both my Popwallet and the Apple wallet have essentially the same design. A shielded pouch for credit cards, and a magnetic backing that attaches to the phone. The magnetic back cannot be shielded on the side that attaches to the phone, or it wouldn’t attach to the phone. The problem is not insufficient shielding on the inside of the wallet, the problem is the way apple designed the system. Apple designed a small removable wallet with magnets on one exterior face of the thing. When handling the magnetic wallet I’ve found myself accidentally touching my card to the unshielded side of the wallet. I think the way apple designed it, their solution is “don’t do that”, but it’s very easy to do.
  - scrumbledober 4y ago
    You're holding it wrong.
  - RC_ITR 4y ago
    >but it’s very easy to do. Let a thousand blossoms bloom, I guess.

hammock 4y ago

With just about everything either chip or tap now, is there any danger in just scratching out the mag stripe of my cards?

giantg2 4y ago
The small number of places with older swipe only terminals. Or when the chip isn't working (Lowes has a stripe reader on the register if the main terminal isn't working; mainly used for gift cards though). And finally, an alert employee might not accept a damaged card.
- Macha 4y ago
  I've seen a few people in the US mention "when the chip isn't working". I don't think I've encountered this... ever? Of course, when the merchant's only alternative is handling cash, maybe there's more incentive to keep the card machine in order
  - giantg2 4y ago
    I have chip malfunctions at least once per month. I assume there is dirt or debris in the terminal or on the chip.
    - Macha 4y ago
      I find it odd that they're so unreliable in the US given they're neither new nor complicated technology and have a decade of use in Europe before they even started gaining adoption in the US, but I'll take your word for it. I wonder what US card or terminal manufacturers are doing wrong for such a reliability difference
      - Reason077 4y ago
        Chip payments occasionally had problems in Europe too. The chips on the cards, or the contacts on the terminals would get dirty or wear out or whatever. Contactless is much more reliable.

RockRobotRock 4y ago

I can see how this is annoying, but I think I use the magstripe 1 time per year on average. Although, I could see it being used more often by bartenders and other merchants who take my card.

hgsgm 4y ago
nicoburns 4y ago
I live in the UK, and I don’t think I’ve used my mag stripe here once in the last decade. The only time I can remember using it was on a plane.
- Reason077 4y ago
  Even EMV contactless is designed to work offline. There's no need for the mag stripe at all anymore unless you encounter a truly ancient card terminal. The last time I remember encountering one was at a toll booth in Italy around 2011 or so. And the transaction was immediately declined by my UK bank!
  - stavros 4y ago
    I've always wondered: What happens if I use a paused/canceled card on a plane? Do I just get the item for free?
    - Tomdarkness 4y ago
      Yep, like this person who used that method to steal £25,000 worth of goods from airlines: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/manchester-airport-passenger-steals-duty-23473932 https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manches...
      - stavros 4y ago
        Oh wow, that's taking things to another level.

bob1029 4y ago

Those must have been some low-coercivity card stock. HiCo cards should be very resilient to this sort of thing.

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
Brand new Visa Debit card from Chase Bank. I’d have thought it was one of the good ones. I should say I’m actually not using the official Apple magnetic case but the Popwallet brand which includes a little finger holder thing. Perhaps they’re using more powerful magnets than apple.
- mlambie 4y ago
  So your point about Apple, is in fact, not about Apple at all. Cool.
  - Spooky23 4y ago
    Thanks to Apple, I had a bean burrito this afternoon that upset my stomach. Not sure why iPhone engineering didn’t anticipate this happening, but the flatulence kept my boss away so everything worked out.
  - TaylorAlexander 4y ago
    I’m mostly having fun, but Apple’s official wallet also has magnets on the back. The point is apple designed a system where a small removable wallet needs to be handled with your cards. That’s apple’s system design. And I suspect that you would encounter the same issue with Apple’s official wallet. Just like my Popwallet apple says the inside of the wallet is shielded. But the outside cannot be shielded as it has to magnetically attach to the phone. So unless the apple wallet has much weaker magnets, in which case it would fall off the phone easily, then it’s going to have the same issue. The problem is with the system apple designed.
    - girvo 4y ago
      > The problem is with the system apple designed Is it? Numerous people up and down this thread who do use the official one have told you they've not experienced it, so I'm not sure your assumption holds.

Aperocky 4y ago

Can't have a mag stripe vulnerability if there is no more mag stripe, such simple and elegant solution is tradition for Apple (can't have a broken home button when you don't have one!)

sigmoid10 4y ago
Mag stripe needs to die anyways. It is such a glaring security issue, I openly welcome any effort towards getting rid if it.
- hansvm 4y ago
  To be fair, chips have a similar vulnerability; it's just limited to being exploited immediately rather than being stored and played back later.
- garyrichardson 4y ago
  You must be in the US -- America is the only place where mag stripe still exists. Everyone else is using tap or chip and pin.
  - derefr 4y ago
    Do you mean that credit cards in other countries don't have magnetic stripes, or just that nobody uses them? Living in Canada, there's basically no instance where we'd swipe our credit cards, but they've still got mag stripes; and when I visit the US, I sometimes have to swipe my card, and it does work to do so.
    - mathieuh 4y ago
      I’m in the UK, my cards still have the stripes but in my entire life (I’m 27) I’ve never used it. I don’t even think the card payment terminals we have here have the reader for the stripe anymore.
    - vladvasiliu 4y ago
      > Do you mean that credit cards in other countries don't have magnetic stripes, or just that nobody uses them? I don't know about other countries, but a few days ago I got a new Visa card in France. It still has the magnetic stripe. I'm not sure if I've ever seen it used here, but a few years ago I think they were still in use in German gas stations (at least). Some banks have a nice feature where they allow you to disable the magnetic strip of the card. I presume the information is still physically on the card, but they can somehow know that the payment was done that way and decline it.

ynx 4y ago

Snark about Apple's shortsightedness tends to land better when you're not literally lying about using their product.

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
The problem is with the system Apple designed. They have a small removable wallet with magnets on the back. While I’m using a Popwallet brand wallet with my iPhone, the way it is designed I don’t think the official wallet would be any different. It has to have one side with exposed magnets per Apple’s design, and when handling the removable wallet I’ve found myself accidentally touching the magnetic side with my card. I genuinely don’t think it would be different with the official wallet.
- ruined 4y ago
  dont let the haters get you down
- w-ll 4y ago
  Well my thought on "pop sockets" is when one of your flagship products needs another product for people to hold it... some one f'd up and is not there anymore to call out the bs.
  - giancarlostoro 4y ago
    You don't actually need them to hold the phone though, just some people want to hold on to less of their phone to keep it on their hand. I personally just hold on to my phone with my own hand.
    - w-ll 4y ago
      For one hand usability they kinda are a must for most people. I can manage. But still, I'm OG SE camp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g0Mft1CQ7A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g0Mft1CQ7A
    - 4y ago

throwaway-blaze 4y ago

So you mention lower in the thread that in fact you didn't get the new Apple magnetic wallet, but actually a 3rd party wallet and just assume Apple's will have the same problem. That seems like a distinction worth mentioning, especially with the first comment on the article. While it seems reasonable that Apple's wallet might have the same problem, you dont actually know.

TaylorAlexander 4y ago
Yes I didn’t realize how seriously people would view this until after I could no longer edit the comment. I mostly thought my story was funny. Though it is true that my Popwallet demagnetized my cards due to the ease with which once can accidentally contact the non shielded exterior of the magnetic wallet with the magnetic card. As I said down thread, apple intentionally designed a wallet that has to have relatively powerful magnets on the exterior. A lot of people in thread are claiming their apple wallet hasn’t demagnetized their cards, but they have not confirmed if they’ve accidentally contacted the magnetic exterior of the apple wallet with their card. Obviously the inside of the wallet is shielded and I don’t believe my card was demagnetized due to poor shielding, but by accidental contact with the magnetic face of the wallet during handling. Apple is clear in their marketing materials that the inside of their wallet is shielded, but they say nothing about risks associated with accidental card contact on the magnetic exterior of their wallet. And this is the situation of concern for me. Perhaps they use much weaker magnets than Popwallet, and you’re right that I can’t say for sure, but I suspect they still use reasonably powerful magnets and accidental contact with a magstripe on the magnetic side of their wallet could pose a problem for cards.
- bee_rider 4y ago
  Your original comment was funny, and the ones making fun of you for the sort of important, uh, tweaked detail are also funny, so you are 2 for 2 if the intent was to be lighten hearts.

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