Apple today announced improvements to its repair processes will allow users and independent repair centers to use used Apple replacement parts in repairs.
Starting this fall, the new process will provide consumers with more options for certain iPhone models, increasing product lifespan and minimizing the environmental impact of a repair.
Used genuine Apple parts benefit from the full functionality and security that the original factory calibration provides, just like new genuine Apple parts.
The process of confirming whether a replacement part is genuine and gathering information about the part is critical to maintaining iPhone privacy and security. Apple teams have been working on enabling reuse of parts like biometric sensors for Face ID or Touch ID for the past two years, and will begin this fall Calibration for genuine Apple parts, whether new or used, is performed on the device after the part is installed.
Aside from that, Future iPhone versions will support used biometric sensors. And to simplify the repair process, customers and service providers are no longer required to provide a device’s serial number when ordering parts from the Self-Service Repair Store for repairs that do not require motherboard replacement.
As the lifespan of devices increases, Apple believes it is important that second or third-party owners of a device have full access to its parts and repair history. Currently with Parts and service historyApple is the only manufacturer to transparently show owners in iOS Settings whether their device has been repaired and provide information about the parts used. This autumn, Apple will expand parts and service history to additionally indicate whether a part is new or a genuine used Apple part.
Over the past five years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations offering access to genuine Apple parts, tools and training to more than 10,000 independent repair providers and Apple Authorized Service Providers.
For those with experience repairing electronic devices, Self Repair Service provides access to manuals, genuine Apple parts, and tools used at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers. Launched in 2022, the Self Repair Service now supports 40 Apple products in 33 countries and regions and in 24 languages.