Apple Will Finally Let You Fix Your Own iPhone, But They Don't Recommend It For Everyone

In what is certainly a shift in Apple’s stance on hardware repair, the technology giant announced Wednesday that it will begin a self-service repair program, allowing consumers to purchase individual parts to fix their own iPhones. The program will soon extend to offer parts for Mac computers as well.

The service will be available for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 in the United States, and will later expand to other nations.

This is also significant news for the advocates of the “right to repair" movement, who believe that the ability to mend your own products is a basic right and should not void the warranty.

In 2019, Apple debuted a program where private repair shops can buy its parts and tools. The tech company revealed that there are now 2800 individual shops in its program, as well as 5000 authorized repair providers.

Despite moving forward with the program, Apple still does not suggest the service to everyone.

"Self Service Repair is intended for individual technicians with the knowledge and experience to repair electronic devices," they said in a blog post. "For the vast majority of customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair."

The Apple Self Service Repair Online Store will launch in early 2022, where people will be able to buy individual parts and tools to make common repairs on their products.