Get an Extra Year to Repair Your Old MacBook Display
Apple is expanding free repair eligibility for several older MacBooks with known screen issues.
First, Apple has extended its 13-inch MacBook Pro backlight maintenance programs for a year . The program offers free repairs to select 2016, 2017, and 2018 MacBook Pros with faulty backlighting. The program began in May 2019 and Apple extended the free repair entitlement period to either five years from the first retail sale or three years from the start of the repair program, whichever is greater. This means customers now have until at least May 2022 to replace the backlights on their older MacBook Pros.
Another extension is Anti-Glare Repair for 12-inch MacBooks and MacBook Pros with Retina displays (12-inch variants introduced in 2016 and 2017). This issue has been around for almost nine years, but Apple started offering free repairs to affected customers back in 2015 and then expanded coverage in 2017. Apple plans to continue offering free repairs to US customers as per an internal memo received and reviewed by MacRumors , but it will not publicly announce the expansion.
If your old 13-inch MacBook Pro has a faulty backlight or damaged anti-glare coating on your 12-inch MacBook or MacBook Pro, you can file a claim through Apple’s support website to begin the repair process. From there, you can take your broken MacBook to your local Apple store or authorized service provider, or mail it to Apple.
Please note that all 12-inch MacBooks and MacBook Pros must be mailed to Apple Support, even if you take them to the store in person, so these models will take longer to repair. MacRumors estimates it can take up to a week to return a MacBook after shipment.
You can also request a refund for repair costs if you have already paid to fix any of these issues. To do this, your MacBook must meet the requirements of the applicable repair program and you will need a repair receipt.