A YouTube prankster is convincing people to drill holes into the new iPhone 7 as a secret way to uncover a hidden headphone jack.
In a tutorial that’s been viewed close to 10 million times, Taras Maksimuk, the mad genius behind the YouTube channel TechRax, claims he’s found a simple solution for everyone who doesn’t “want to get $159 wireless AirPods or have to insert your headphones into an adapter every time you listen to music.” He proceeds to clamp an iPhone 7 and drill a 3.5mm hole into the bottom left side of the phone—right where the headphone jack used to be. The video ends with music suspiciously playing from the phone.
There’s no shortage of variations on this prank, which, like most of the worst things on the internet, can be traced back to 4chan. In July, for example, a hoax image circulated claiming that putting your phone in a spinning microwave would simulate walking in Pokémon Go. (Spoiler: It doesn’t.)
The issue with this particular video is that TechRax has a long history of deconstructing and otherwise destroying smartphones to figure out what makes them tick. The channel has already ruined at least four other iPhone 7s, testing to see if it can survive in Liquid Nitrogen for five minutes or in Coca-Cola for 12 hours, be microwaved, and just how easily the Jet Black scratches.
So, when the channel claims it has a “secret hack” to get a headphone jack on the iPhone 7, there are some people who inevitably take the claim at face value—especially considering that it was revealed earlier this month that the headphone jack was replaced essentially with a piece of plastic.
It’s hard to tell who’s actually been duped in the comments, who’s trolling, and who’s counter-trolling, but people are pissed.
Some commenters actually claimed the hack works. (In case it needs to be repeated: It doesn’t.)
Maksimuk seems unfazed by the reactions or the irrefutable damage he might have done to his channel’s reputation.
— Taras Maksimuk (@TechRax) September 25, 2016
It should go without saying, but don’t try this at home. Your Apple warranty definitely isn’t going to cover it.
