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Apple Now Lets You Repair Your iPhone 14, MacBook Pro and More. Here's What to Know

Should you repair your own device or just take it to the Genius Bar?

Nelson Aguilar
Nelson Aguilar is an LA-based tech how-to writer and graduate of UCLA. With more than a decade of experience, he covers Apple and Google and writes on iPhone and Android features, privacy and security settings and more.
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Nelson Aguilar
5 min read
Four iPhones of different models and colors

You can now repair your own iPhone without voiding your warranty, but should you?

 James Martin/CNET

Apple launched its Self Service Repair program in April last year, a move that was considered a concession to the "Right to Repair" movement, a push for legislation that would force manufacturers to provide consumers with affordable spare parts and repair tools for their electronics. Whatever Apple's motivation, you can now replace broken parts, like your display, battery and camera, in your iPhone and Mac -- all without voiding your warranty. 

But just because you can, does that mean you should?

The program is still relatively new, and so you probably have questions about it all, especially if you're considering fixing your iPhone or Mac yourself. Is it expensive? Is it easy to do? Is your phone or computer covered through the program? Would you even save money doing it? Here's everything you need to know about Apple's new DIY repair program.

For more, check out our top iPhone picks for 2023 and our review of the iPhone 14.

Watch this: Clean Your AirPods and EarPods Without Damaging Them

What is Self Service Repair?

The Self Service Repair program provides repair manuals and hundreds of authentic parts and tools -- such as displays, batteries, speakers, cameras, housing and covers for Apple devices -- all of which you can order through the Self Service Repair Store online for a price. Once you receive the necessary documents and equipment, you can attempt to repair your own device.

Where is Self Service Repair available?

The program is available in the US and eight European countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Which iPhone and Mac models can be repaired?

Right now, the Self Service Repair program provides parts and manuals for the following iPhone models:

As for computers:

What is the cost for repairing your own device?

Depending on what iPhone or Mac model you have and which repair you need to do, the price can range anywhere from 20 cents for a couple of security screws for the iPhone SE all the way up to $527.12 for a 1TB SSD storage module for the 2022 Mac Studio desktop computer.

Apple also offers tool rental kits for $49, but it's possible that you might be required to put down a $1,300 deposit until you return the tools.

What do you need before you can use Self Service Repair?

Aside from having a supported iPhone model, you'll need a product serial number or IMEI to purchase any of the genuine Apple parts through the Self Service Repair Store. On your iPhone, launch the Settings app and go to General > About to find the IMEI, which should be a 15-digit number. On your Mac, you can usually find the serial number on the physical computer itself or you can click the Apple logo in the top-left corner and then go to About This Mac > Overview or More Info > Serial Number.

Is Self Service Repair easy to do?

In short, no. For now, it's not exactly "easy" to repair your own device, because you'll need to read through manuals, analyze what's wrong with your device, purchase parts, rent tools and then wait for them to arrive. Then you must take apart your iPhone or Mac and make the repairs. If you're comfortable with all of that, DIY repair is the way to go. But if you have any hesitancy at all, it might be better to have Apple or a third party repair your device.

How to order parts and tools through the Self Service Repair Store

Go to the Self Service Repair Store online and purchase the parts and rent the tools you need for the repair. You'll need your IMEI or serial number to successfully make any purchases. Once the purchase goes through, you can monitor the status of your order through the Self Service Repair Store.

Repairing your device

Once you receive your Apple parts and tools, use the repair manual to guide you through the repair process. Certain repairs, such as for batteries, displays and cameras on the iPhone, require a System Configuration step, which is a software tool that completes the repair. In the past, this step required you to contact the Self Service Repair Store support team, but now you can simply place your device into Diagnostics mode and follow the steps that appear on the screen -- making the whole repair process simpler and easier.

What do you do with your damaged parts?

Let's say your repair has been successful, but now you have all these extra, damaged parts. What do you do with them? You can return any used or damaged parts replaced during your repair, which Apple then refurbishes or recycles. Customers can also get a credit back on the final cost by returning certain parts to Apple.

Will repairing your own device void your warranty?

As long as you repair your iPhone with parts from the Self Service Repair program, this will not void your warranty. However, any potential hardware damage that occurs during the repair will not be covered.

Do you save money by repairing your own device?

That depends. For example, the cost to replace the display of the third-generation iPhone SE is roughly $191 for the parts and tools needed. If you want Apple to replace that same iPhone SE display, it charges $179 without warranty. If you do have a warranty, the cost could be much less.

If you don't have insurance, but own the tools needed to replace the iPhone SE display, you could potentially save money, because renting out the tools costs about $50, so you could potentially only spend $141 if you do your own repair. However, this all varies depending on your device and the type of repair you're doing.

If you're looking to buy a new computer, check out the best laptops of 2023 and our review of the new, 15-inch MacBook Air.

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