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If your iPhone’s display breaks, or the battery goes bust, your first instinct might be to make an appointment at Apple’s Genius Bar. For the longest time, that’s exactly the way Apple wanted it. Times have changed, however: People want to repair their own devices, and have the resources to do so safely and accurately. Apple finally supports this desire for self-repair, and, in fact, opened an online store to help users to do just that.
What is Apple’s self-repair program?
For those of us following Right to Repair, it’s a bit surreal to see Apple cave on this issue. For years, the company made repairing your own tech a true pain in the ass: Apple forbid users or third-party repairs shops from accessing important schematics that would help them fix devices; they would withhold device parts, as well, occasionally designing features that would break if the OS detected a third-party part. In short, the company wanted you to go through them for all repairs, and to forget about choosing another store, or—God forbid—fix your devices yourself.
That starts to change with Apple’s “Self Service Repair Store,” which launched on Wednesday, April 27. While we didn’t know the site would go live when it did, its existence isn’t necessarily news. The company announced the program back in November, which came as a welcome surprise to those of us following the Right to Repair movement. When the program is fully operational, you’ll be able to order parts for your iPhone or Mac directly from Apple, access manuals for accurate repair information, and rent tools to make sure you have the equipment you need to complete the repair.
At this time, however, the program only covers iPhones, and a limited number at that. While disappointing, it’s not shocking, as Apple announced as much in its briefing in November. In fact, we’re getting support for an extra iPhone at launch: Apple originally said only iPhone 12 and 13 models would be a part of the initial roll out, but now the 3rd generation iPhone SE is also supported.
How to order parts to repair your own iPhone
While I imagine this process will be the same whether you’re looking to repair an iPhone or a Mac, right now we’re limited to the iPhone, so let’s take a look at how it’s done.
To start, go to Apple’s official Self Service Repair store. When the page loads, you might think you clicked on the wrong link, as the site feels very unlike Apple, but you’re in the right place. The first thing you should do, especially if you’re a beginner in the world of tech repairs, is to read your device’s repair manual. Even if you don’t think you need to, you do, since Apple requires a specific manual ID for completing an order. Click “Read the manual,” which will take you to Apple’s manual database, and search for your device here. The iPhone 12 mini manual, for example, is 81 pages long, and features everything you need to know about which tools and parts you’ll need, all of the components of the device, how to take it apart, etc.
Once you have a grasp on how your device is supposed to be repaired, you can move forward with the ordering process. If you head back to the Self Service Repair page, you can choose “Start your order.” Here, you can specify your product (iPhone), the product model (iPhone 12 mini, for example), and repair type. As of now, Apple supports the following repairs:
- Battery
- Bottom speaker
- Camera
- Display
- SIM tray
- Taptic engine
Once you choose your repair type, you’ll see all the different parts available to order. Apple will place its recommended selection at the top of the list, which is usually a bundle of all parts needed for the repair, however, if you only need a specific part or two, you can always choose those separately from the list below. Pricing varies, but is more or less in line with what you can expect to pay to have Apple repair your tech.
Sometimes, it’s a bit cheaper: Apple chargers $329 for an iPhone 12 Pro Max display replacement, while the display bundle costs $311.95. There’s also a rebate for sending in your old or broken part, which negates some of the cost, but you will likely need to rent Apple’s tools to perform the procedure ($49 per week, so don’t delay on fixing your stuff). You’ll need to price the whole situation out to see whether it makes sense to do the repair yourself or to take your device to a professional instead.
When you choose something to order, Apple will require your device’s serial number or IMEI to proceed. This is a requirement to purchase any part through Apple’s Self Service Repair program, and is a step criticized by iFixit for giving the company too much power to block future repairs. Still, it’s the requirement, so you’ll need to provide this information as of now to continue. Apple has instructions for locating either number here should you need it.
You’ll also need to enter the repair manual ID for this device, a precautionary measure designed to ensure you’ve at least opened the repair manual before ordering. Again, Apple has instructions on where to find this ID should you need it.
Once you’re approved, just make sure you have everything you need before placing your order. You don’t want to pay for parts and wait for shipping, only to realize you forgot to include the rental tools. That highlights the importance of reviewing the manual before checking out, so you know exactly what you need to order.
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