Apple’s Macs Can Now Detect Any Liquid Found In The USB-C Ports, Helping Cut Down False Warranty Claims

wccftech.com:

Apple reportedly provides legendary warranty service to its customers, but there are occasions in which Mac owners attempt to claim false warranty, especially when it comes to hardware that no longer works because of liquid damage. Before, it was impossible to detect if any Macs’ USB-C port was damaged due to liquid entry, but everything will change going forward.

The limited warranty provided by Apple does not cover water damage, but the company and its staff had little way of employing techniques that would allow them to conclude that a Mac was damaged by liquid. According to 9to5Mac, macOS Sonoma 14.1 now includes a new system daemon named ‘liquiddetectiond,’ and judging by the name, it can identify when the computer has been exposed to liquids.

This daemon also runs in the background to collect liquid detection analysis from each USB-C port on the Mac and is described as a ‘Liquid Detection and Corrosion Mitigation Daemon.’ iPhones and iPads already featured a similar daemon, and it would alert users to immediately disconnect their devices from the charger to prevent any irreparable damage. For the Mac, it does not appear that the daemon will provide any alerts but only collect data to inform Apple’s staff if the USB-C shows liquid entry.

This will make it easier to determine if the Mac owner is seeking a false warranty claim for liquid damage. There are other ways to find out if a Mac has been exposed to liquid damage, and that is through the use of special indicators called Liquid Contact Indicators, or LCI, that are strategically placed inside the Mac to inform others if the machine has been exposed.

As far as the daemon named ‘liquiddetectiond’ goes, it is unclear if it will appear in the latest MacBook Pro models