Self Service Repair: Expanding to Europe in 2024, Canada in 2025

After several years of availability in the United States, Apple's Self Service Repair program for Mac and iPhone is expanding to a total of 32 European countries — and Canada will be added in 2025.

In a very short press release on Wednesday morning, Apple announced the expansion of its Self Service Repair program. Countries specifically listed by Apple include U.K., France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Self Service Repair supports 42 Apple products. Service documentation is now available in 24 languages.

The program's procedures remain essentially the same, regardless of location. Following a user's self-diagnosis, the customer places an order for the parts and tools using a special online store.

Consumers will have to return "core" parts the same as repair shops do now, to receive a credit towards the initial part purchase price.

The complexity of repair work, and the high cost of the parts, means that Apple's Self Service Repair program remains not practical for individuals who just scratched their display. As expensive as going to an authorized Apple repairer can be, that will remain the most economic route in terms of cost, time, and the risk of damaging devices further.

After an announcement in November 2021, The Self Service Repair program started in April 2022 with just iPhone.

It extended to iPhone 14 and some Macs in June 2023. M3 Macs were added in February 2024.

3 Comments

beowulfschmidt 12 Years · 2361 comments

About 5 months ago

No doubt the EU will find, or manufacture, something about this that violates some vague law. Or perhaps they'll just pass new laws requiring release of products in all EU countries at the same time, and disallowing release in just a few. Or one requiring that every single solitary part in the phone be replaceable by an untrained user with simple tools and without compromising the quality or hardiness of the phone.

avon b7 20 Years · 8046 comments

beowulfschmidt said:

No doubt the EU will find, or manufacture, something about this that violates some vague law. Or perhaps they'll just pass new laws requiring release of products in all EU countries at the same time, and disallowing release in just a few. Or one requiring that every single solitary part in the phone be replaceable by an untrained user with simple tools and without compromising the quality or hardiness of the phone.

The programme won't be a problem for the EU unless it in some way limits users to an 'Apple' repair. In that case, Apple needs to tread carefully.

avon b7 said:

beowulfschmidt said:

No doubt the EU will find, or manufacture, something about this that violates some vague law. Or perhaps they'll just pass new laws requiring release of products in all EU countries at the same time, and disallowing release in just a few. Or one requiring that every single solitary part in the phone be replaceable by an untrained user with simple tools and without compromising the quality or hardiness of the phone.

The programme won't be a problem for the EU unless it in some way limits users to an 'Apple' repair. In that case, Apple needs to tread carefully.

Let's just say that I'm skeptical that the EU won't make it a problem for the purpose of squeezing more graft, in the form of fees and fines, out of Apple.

Yeah, I'm that guy. I didn't used to be, but given the actions of both the EU and the US lately, I'm headed that way.