Apple Now Lets You Repair Your Mac M3 Yourself
Apple announced Thursday that it is expanding its self-repair program to allow users to service their MacBook Pro M3 and iMac. This means that if you have a problem with your M3 iMac or MacBook Pro, M3 Pro MacBook Pro, or M3 Max MacBook Pro, you can repair the device yourself without taking it to the Apple Store or a third-party repair shop.
Apple said it will make Apple Diagnostics available for do-it-yourself repairs for these M3 Macs starting in early March. This tool allows you to run diagnostics on your computer to check the details of your device and find out where the problem might be coming from. Some problems are obvious, of course: a cracked screen is a cracked screen. But if your Mac is causing problems that have no obvious cause, Apple Diagnostics can help you figure it out.
In addition to these changes, Apple announced that Mac users will not need to go to the company’s self-service support system to complete repairs as part of the updated system setup process. Previously, you had to contact this support team to complete the final step of any Mac repair, and this hurdle was a bit antithetical to the concept of “do-it-yourself repair.”
These changes mark Apple’s slow and gradual adaptation to the growing demand for the “Right to Repair” – a movement aimed at allowing users to repair their properties. The company is known for controlling repairs from start to finish: Apple will keep original Apple parts and device schematics away from users or unauthorized third-party repair shops, forcing users to go through Apple itself or one of its authorized third parties. And if you try to repair your device using “non-Apple parts,” the software may block certain features from working .
Although changes over the past couple of years have brought significant improvement, the situation is still not ideal. You’ll still have to buy parts through Apple’s own website (which, by the way, looks nothing like Apple’s website), and the cost of the parts can be quite high. It’s still a very Apple decision, but considering where the Right to Repair movement took off at the company a few years ago, things are moving in a positive direction.