Following backlash from users and third-party repair providers, Apple is changing the policies of its Self Service Repair program to allow the use of genuine used parts in iPhone repairs. Here’s what you need to know.
After lobbying against it for years, Apple, in 2022, introduced the Self Service Repair program, giving users with the know-how access to genuine parts, tools, and manuals required to fix their devices. However, users could only use fresh parts for repairs at the time.
This restriction wasn’t received well among customers and independent repair providers, as it gave users fewer choices, which led to higher repair costs, and inadvertently generated more electronic waste, which is against the objective of the Self Service Repair program.
Now, Apple has acknowledged the problem with this restriction and amended its policies for the Self Service Repair program. With this policy change, the company will allow users to fix their iPhones with genuine second-hand parts. Here’s what you need to know about the new change.Why Didn’t Apple Allow the Use of Used Parts in Repair Until Now?
Until now, if a user tried to replace a broken component on their iPhone with a used one, the part would simply fail to function. For example, replacing the front camera module would break Face ID.
This would happen because the part would fail Apple’s pairing check. For the unversed, Apple has a parts pairing system in place to authenticate iPhone repairs, whose job is to verify if the serial number of the replacement part matches the iPhone’s logic board. If it’s a genuine part ordered from Apple, it’d pass the test, and the iPhone would resume normal functioning. On the other hand, if it’s a used or aftermarket part, the system would flag it, and it would simply not work, leaving the user with a non-functioning iPhone.
Now, this idea of not allowing aftermarket or used parts in repair seems absurd, but Apple has a genuine reason for not allowing users to do so.
