You’ll Soon Be Able to Repair Your IPhone With Used Parts
Apple has introduced a change that will make repairing your iPhone easier and more affordable. As part of its expansion of its iPhone self-repair program , Apple will let you use original used parts to complete your repairs starting this fall. Previously, the company only allowed people to use new parts for DIY repairs .
While this move comes after Oregon’s Right to Repair law was passed , Apple has been making its devices more repairable for some time now. TechCrunch reports that this particular repair feature has been in development for two years. The big consequence of this move is that you will no longer need to purchase replacement parts only from Apple. Whether you’re a repair expert or a DIY enthusiast, you can theoretically replace iPhone parts yourself as long as you have the tools and spare parts needed for the job.
While Apple hasn’t specified which iPhones will be eligible for repair using used parts, TechCrunch reports that at launch, repairs will be limited to the iPhone 15 series. Once the parts are installed on the iPhone, they will be calibrated on the device through a process called “part pairing.” If the spare parts are calibrated successfully, there is nothing to worry about. Otherwise, you will see notifications that your iPhone does not have original parts and may experience functionality issues.
As part of this update, another big change is that you won’t need to provide your iPhone’s serial number to order parts from Apple. This means your neighborhood repair store can stock parts based on demand, rather than having to provide iPhone serial numbers for every order. The only exception is for motherboard repairs: for this, repairers will still have to send Apple the iPhone serial number when ordering replacement parts.
On the security front, Apple will also applyActivation Lock on stolen devices to specific parts of the iPhone. This means that parts from stolen or lost iPhones will not be useful, preventing thieves from dismantling iPhones for parts. If your iPhone has been repaired, you can check its parts and service history in Settings. Starting this fall, you’ll also be able to find out whether your iPhone was repaired using new or used parts, Apple says.