Apple Expands Repair Options with Environmentally Friendly Used Genuine Parts Program

Apple announced a significant expansion to its repair program, allowing customers and independent repair shops to utilize genuine, pre-owned parts in iPhone repairs starting this fall. This initiative prioritizes user privacy, security, and device longevity while minimizing environmental impact.

Offering More Choices and Reducing Environmental Footprint

"At Apple, we constantly strive to enhance customer experience while minimizing our environmental impact," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "Designing durable products is a key part of this strategy. Over the past two years, our teams have focused on innovative product design and manufacturing processes to enable repairs using genuine Apple parts without compromising user safety, security, or privacy. This program expansion provides more repair choices and convenience for customers while extending the lifespan of our devices and their components."

New Calibration Process Ensures Functionality and Security

Traditionally, "pairing" - a process that verifies part authenticity and gathers part information - has been crucial for iPhone security and privacy. Apple's engineering teams have been working diligently for the past two years to enable the reuse of parts like biometric sensors used for Face ID and Touch ID. This fall, iPhones will undergo on-device calibration for genuine Apple parts, both new and used, after installation. Additionally, future iPhone models will be compatible with used biometric sensors. To streamline repairs, customers and service providers will no longer need to provide a device's serial number when ordering parts from the Self Service Repair Store, except for logic board replacements.

Combating iPhone Theft with Extended Activation Lock

To deter the theft of iPhones for parts disassembly, Apple will be extending its popular Activation Lock feature to iPhone parts. Initially requested by customers and law enforcement, Activation Lock was designed to limit iPhone theft by preventing reactivation of lost or stolen devices. If a device undergoing repair detects a supported part sourced from another device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled, the part's calibration capabilities will be restricted.

Transparency in Repair History

As device lifespans increase, Apple recognizes the importance of providing second and third owners with access to a device's complete repair and parts history. Apple is the only smartphone manufacturer offering transparent access to a device's repair history and information about parts used, displayed in the Parts and Service section of iOS Settings. This fall, Apple will expand Parts and Service History to show whether a part is a new or used genuine Apple part.

Continued Commitment to Accessible and Affordable Repairs

This program enhancement reflects Apple's ongoing commitment to providing safe and affordable repair options. Over the past five years, Apple has nearly doubled the number of service locations offering genuine Apple parts, tools, and training to more than 10,000 Independent Repair Providers and Apple Authorized Service Providers. For those with experience in electronic device repair, the Self Service Repair program offers access to manuals, genuine Apple parts, and the same tools used by Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers. Launched in 2022, Self Service Repair currently supports 40 Apple products across 33 countries and regions in 24 languages.

This initiative signifies a significant step forward in Apple's commitment to sustainable practices and providing customers with more control over their iPhone repairs.