Apple has announced a forthcoming improvement to its existing repair procedures, allowing customers and independent repair providers to utilize pre-owned Apple parts in repairs. This initiative, set to commence this fall with select iPhone models, aims to uphold user privacy, security, and safety while expanding repair options, prolonging product lifespan, and reducing environmental impact. Used genuine Apple parts will now undergo full functionality and security calibration, akin to new genuine Apple parts.
John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, expressed Apple’s commitment to delivering superior customer experiences while minimizing environmental impact. Over the past two years, Apple has focused on product design and manufacturing innovations to support repairs with used Apple parts without compromising safety, security, or privacy. This expansion to the repair program aims to offer more choices and convenience to customers while extending product life and part longevity.
The process of confirming the authenticity of repair parts, often known as “pairing,” is crucial for safeguarding iPhone privacy, security, and safety. Apple’s teams have been diligently working to enable the reuse of parts such as biometric sensors for Face ID or Touch ID. Starting this fall, calibration for genuine Apple parts, whether new or used, will occur on-device post-installation. Additionally, future iPhone releases will support used biometric sensors. To streamline the repair process, customers and service providers will no longer need to provide a device’s serial number when ordering parts from the Self Service Repair Store for non-logic board replacement repairs.
Apple will extend its Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts to deter theft-related disassembly. This feature, requested by customers and law enforcement, aims to prevent stolen iPhones from being reactivated. If a device undergoing repair detects that a supported part was sourced from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, calibration capabilities for that part will be restricted.
As device longevity increases, Apple believes it’s crucial for second or third owners to access full part and repair histories. The Parts and Service history feature within iOS Settings transparently displays whether a device has undergone repairs and provides information about the parts used. This fall, Apple will expand Parts and Service History to indicate whether a part is new or used genuine Apple.
This upcoming enhancement to Apple’s repair processes demonstrates the company’s commitment to improving access to safe and affordable repairs. Over the past five years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations with access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and training, reaching over 10,000 Independent Repair Providers and Apple Authorized Service Providers. For individuals with relevant electronic device repair experience, Self Service Repair grants access to manuals, genuine Apple parts, and tools used at Apple Store and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations. Launched in 2022, Self Service Repair currently supports 40 Apple products in 33 countries and regions, across 24 languages.
