How to Find Apple-Approved Independent Repair Shops for Your Mac
You wouldn’t have caught me at an Apple retail store if there was no smoke coming out of my Mac. And even at the best of pandemic times, waiting at the Genius Bar to get some help without an appointment with your laptop (or worse, your desktop computer) is not a pleasant experience.
Here’s an idea for how to deal with it: don’t wait at the Genius Bar at all. According to numerous reports, Apple now allows independent repair shops to assist you with an expired Mac warranty. This is the same setup that Apple launched late last year when it extended iPhone post-warranty repairs, in the sense that these Apple-blessed stores will use Apple parts to fix any problem you might have.
This is important because you don’t know if any accidental repair shop will create security or compatibility issues on your Mac due to the use of unauthorized parts during repair work – and, yes, this is the very core of why the right to repair is a move is critical.
Let’s deal with this.
If your Mac is under warranty , you will need to have it repaired at an Apple store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider (ASP). You will not be able to refer it to an independent repair service provider to obtain repairs covered by your warranty.
You can find Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers by following the Getupport.apple.com “Getupport.apple.com ” instructions . Eventually, you will be prompted to choose a repair solution:
And from there, you will be able to browse the local options around you:
If your Mac is out of warranty , you can still take it to the Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. However, you can also try checking out any independent repair shops around you that are part of the Apple Independent Repair Provider Program. Apple doesn’t list them on its fancy little searchable map, but you can check if a repair shop is right with this handy search tool .
I cannot give you an idea of which option is best for your particular situation. I guess pricing will influence your decision, but if a verified repair shop uses Apple parts, I suspect the cost of repairs will be much closer to what it would normally cost you from Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Apple’s decision is probably more about convenience than anything else – a way to get you backed up faster, instead of waiting at the Genius Bar, or worse, waiting at the Genius Bar just to be told that you’ll have to ditch your Mac for a week or two while it fixes somewhere else.