Apple revamps its AppleCare contact page, adds chat options

Apple has updated its online support site to now include chat among other options for communicating with Apple technicians and support personnel.

Apple's support options for its customers have been enhanced over the years. While it has always had telephone support and maintained a community support forum, it has added alternatives as well.

With the introduction of its Apple Retail Store program, its Genius bar and support staff have provided an in-person experience for solving problems with Apple products, and more recently it changed its online support options to include a service called "Express Lane," where you can quickly narrow down your support needs based on the product, functional area, and specific symptoms.

Recently, Apple revamped this service to provide a more streamlined approach and offer additional ways to interact with Apple's official support teams.

Now when you visit the Apple Support site, the "Contact Apple Support" section will guide you through the options to find solutions, using a simple and straightforward interface. After clicking the Get Started button, you will see a menu of all the major Apple product categories. Clicking one will show relevant subcategories of products, and when you eventually choose the one you have, you will be met with categories of problem areas, such as "Startup or Power," "Keyboard & Trackpad," and "Printing, Faxing & Scanning."

When you select your category, a menu of common problems will show up, along with an option for problems that are not listed. Clicking any of these categories will result five options to contact Apple, starting with having Apple call you immediately, scheduling a call, calling at a later point, scheduling an in-person visit, or chatting with an Apple employee. Note that your computer's serial number will be required to validate your AppleCare status before you can proceed. Apple currently provides complementary 90-day phone support with new products, though this will likely change as it revamps its AppleCare offerings with subscriptions and other enhancements.

In addition to the contact options, Apple provides links on this page to its support communities and relevant knowledge base articles.

This change should help folks experiencing problems get in contact with relevant support teams, so if you are experiencing problems with your Mac, iPhone, or Apple software, consider visiting the Contact Apple Support site to narrow down the problem and get in contact with someone who can help.

Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!
Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.