Apple Genius Bar online appointments now require Apple ID

Early last month, it became public knowledge that industrious folks in China were snapping up all the available Apple Genius Bar appointments and then selling slots to consumers who need help with their gadgetry. Such will no longer be possible — or will become far more complicated — with a change in policy that requires one to register for an appointment using an Apple ID.

Until now, making a Genius Bar appointment online was simple, requiring merely a name, address, and email address, with the flip side being that, among other things, Chinese scalpers could game the system for profit. Beyond the morally-dubious activities, however, is also the wider reality that the changes Apple has instituted will help connect the Apple ID with more of the company's overall ecosystem.

Now to make an appointment online, one will need to sign in with their Apple ID and password, also applying to Workshop appointments. With this comes a snazzy new profile page that lists one's current and former appointments, times, locations, and what device they concerned, allowing one to track their activities past and present.

The use of an Apple ID also serves to make appointment setting more convenient, with one's personal details being an automatic thing due to being tied with the ID. Theoretically, the Apple Geniuses will also then be able to use this integration to make looking up past Genius Bar activities easy and to aid in whatever help is needed in the present.

What do you say? Do you like this move on Apple's part? Let us know in the comments!

SOURCE: TechCrunch and TIME