Apple to add iPhone 'parts and service history' to iOS 15.2, ahead of DIY repairs
The tweak will help prepare us for the tech giant's self-service repair program that launches next year.
- Carrie has lived on both coasts and can definitively say that Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are the best.
Apple is adding a new "iPhone parts and service history" section to the Settings app to give you more information about your device as the tech giant prepares to launch a new do-it-yourself repair program.
In a support document published Tuesday, spotted earlier by MacRumors, Apple said iPhones running iOS 15.2 or later will show whether some parts of the device have been replaced, such as battery, display and camera. iOS 15.2, the next version of Apple's software for iPhones, is expected to be released this month.
In November, the company said it would launch a new program in 2022, called Self Service Repair, that lets everyday people buy parts from Apple to perform repairs at home. Apple said it will also publish repair manuals online and offer tools at the same prices that authorized repair technicians pay. The program is a major shift for Apple, which has historically restricted access to parts, repair manuals and calibration apps to its "authorized repair programs."
The new parts and service section will offer different information depending on which iPhone model you own. For the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max and later, you can see if the battery has been replaced. For the iPhone 11, 12 and 13, you can see if the battery or display has been replaced. iPhone 13 models will also show if a camera has been replaced.
Apple said you will see "Genuine Apple Part" next to the part if the repair was done using Apple parts and tools, and you will be able to tap on the part to see more information, including the date of service. You will see "Unknown Part" if the repair was done with a non-Apple part, had already been used or installed on another iPhone or isn't functioning as expected, according to the support document.