You Can Finally Fix Your Own Apple Devices (With the Help of Apple)
If your iPhone’s display breaks or your battery dies, the first thing you might think is that you should make an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar. For a long time, this is exactly what Apple wanted. However, times have changed: people want to repair their devices themselves and have the resources to repair safely and accurately. Apple is finally embracing this self-repair drive and has actually launched an online store to help users do just that.
What is the Apple Self-Repair Program?
It’s a little surreal for those of us who keep an eye on repair eligibility to see Apple drop this issue. For years, the company has made repairing its own devices a pain in the ass: Apple has denied users or third-party repair shops access to critical circuits that could help them fix their devices; they also discarded parts of the device, sometimes developing features that would break if the OS detected the third party part. In short, the company wanted you to go through their entire repair and forget about choosing another store or, God forbid, repair your devices yourself.
This is starting to change with Apple’s Self-Service Store, which launched on Wednesday, April 27th. While we didn’t know the site would be live when it did, its existence isn’t necessarily news. The company announced the program back in November , which was a welcome surprise for those of us who follow the Right to Repair movement. Once the program is fully operational, you’ll be able to order parts for your iPhone or Mac directly from Apple, get accurate repair information from manuals, and rent tools to make sure you have the hardware you need to complete repairs.
However, the program is currently limited to iPhones only. This is disappointing but not shocking as Apple announced it at a briefing in November. In fact, we’re getting support for an additional iPhone at launch: Apple originally said that only the iPhone 12 and 13 models would be part of the initial rollout, but now the 3rd generation iPhone SE is also supported.
How to order spare parts to repair your own iPhone
While I assume the process will be the same whether you want to repair an iPhone or a Mac, we’re limited to the iPhone right now, so let’s see how it’s done.
To get started , go to the official Apple self-service store . When the page loads, you may think you have clicked on the wrong link, as the site is very different from Apple, but you are in the right place. The first thing you should do, especially if you are new to the world of technical repair, is to read your device’s repair manual. Even if you think you don’t need it, you do because Apple requires a specific manual ID to complete an order. Click “Read Manual” to go to Apple’s manual database and search for your device here. For example, the iPhone 12 mini manual is 81 pages long and contains everything you need to know about what tools and parts you will need, all the components of the device, how to take it apart, and more.
Once you understand how your device needs to be repaired, you can move on to the ordering process. If you return to the self-repair page, you can select “Start Your Order”. Here you can enter your product (iPhone), product model (for example, iPhone 12 mini) and type of repair. Apple currently supports the following types of repairs:
- Battery
- bottom speaker
- Camera
- Display
- SIM tray
- Taptic engine
By selecting the type of repair, you will see all the parts available for ordering. Apple will place its recommended selection at the top of the list, which is usually a collection of all the parts needed for a repair, however if you only need one or two specific parts, you can always select them individually from the list below. Prices vary, but are more or less what you might expect Apple to fix your tech.
Sometimes it’s a little cheaper: Apple chargers cost $329 to replace the iPhone 12 Pro Max display, while the display kit costs $311.95. There’s also a discount on shipping your old or broken part, which cuts some of the cost, but you’ll probably need to rent Apple tools to complete the procedure ($49 a week, so don’t delay fixing your stuff). You will need to evaluate the whole situation to see if it makes sense to do the repair yourself or take your device to a professional instead.
When you select something to order, Apple will require your device’s serial number or IMEI to proceed. It’s a requirement to buy any part under Apple’s self-repair program, and iFixit has criticized the move for giving the company too much power to block future repairs. However, this is a requirement, so you will need to provide this information for now in order to proceed. Apple has instructions for looking up any number here if you need one.
You will also be required to enter the repair manual ID for this device, a precaution designed to make sure you at least open the repair manual before ordering. Again, Apple has instructions on where to find this ID if you need it.
Once you are approved, just make sure you have everything you need before placing an order. You don’t want to pay for parts and wait for delivery only to realize you forgot to bring your rental tools. This highlights the importance of looking at the manual before buying so you know exactly what you need to order.