Apple has introduced a change that will make it easier and more affordable to repair your iPhone. As part of an expansion of the self-repair program for iPhones, Apple will allow you to use genuine second-hand parts to complete repairs starting this fall. Previously, the company only allowed people to use new spare parts for self-repair.
Although this move comes in the wake of Oregon passing right-to-repair legislation, Apple has been making its devices more repairable for some time now. TechCrunch reports that this particular repair feature has been in the works for two years. The bigger implication of this move is that you will no longer need to procure spare parts only from Apple. If you’re a repair expert or a DIY enthusiast, you could theoretically swap iPhone parts on your own, as long as you have the tools and spares required for the job.
Although Apple didn’t specify which iPhones will qualify for repairs with used parts, TechCrunch reports that it’ll be restricted to the iPhone 15 series at launch. Once the parts are installed on the iPhone, they’ll calibrate with the device through a process called “parts pairing.” If the spares calibrate successfully, there’s nothing to worry about. If not, you’ll see notifications about your iPhone not having genuine parts and may face issues with functionality.
As part of this update, another big change is that you won’t need to provide your iPhone’s serial number to order parts from Apple. This means that your neighborhood repair store could stock up on spares based on demand, rather than providing iPhone serial numbers for each order. The only exception is for logic board repairs—for that, repairers will still have to send Apple the iPhone’s serial number when ordering spare parts.
As far as security is concerned, Apple will apply the Activation Lock on stolen devices to the iPhone’s individual parts, too. This means that parts from stolen or lost iPhones won’t be of any use, which discourages thieves from stripping iPhones for parts. If your iPhone has been repaired, you’ll be able to check its parts and service history in Settings. Starting this fall, according to Apple, you’ll also be able to see if your iPhone has been repaired with new or used parts.
