Apple is pursuing more DIY repairs by expanding its own Self Service Repair Store. Customers will be able to obtain the tools and repair parts they may require to save their M1 MacBook Air or MacBook Pro beginning on August 23, 2022. This represents a significant shift for the company, which previously tended to be as conservative and safe as possible in their trust of consumers’ hands fixing their hardware — self-repairs previously resulted in a complete loss of warranty coverage. Apple took its first step toward DIY friendliness in early 2022, allowing self-repairs of some iPhones, but now we’ve moved on to the (still very recent) M1 MacBooks.
The company explained the details in a quick announcement, mentioning future expansion plans right away. The program, which is currently limited to the United States, appears to be expanding as early as this year. The Self Service Repair program will be introduced in Europe as the first step. Apple also intends to add more Mac models in the future, which is expected to happen before the end of 2022.
Apple has a large number of service locations in the United States and elsewhere. Over the last three years, the company claims to have nearly doubled the number of these locations, totaling more than 3,500 Independent Repair Providers and over 5,000 Apple Authorized Service Providers. While you may have an Apple repair store nearby, there’s no reason not to try DIY if you’re normally comfortable repairing electronics — as long as you’re fully aware of the potential consequences, both good and bad.
Over a dozen repair options are about to arrive
Apple has not revealed the full range of repairs that will be available, but it has promised that each model will have over a dozen different repair options. Some of the most common offenders are the display, the top case with the battery, and the trackpad. Previously, these repairs required an Apple technician, but now crafty MacBook owners can do it themselves.
According to the company, the first step in repairing your MacBook is to read the official manual. After that, you’ll need to go to the Apple Repair Store and purchase the necessary parts. Aside from the parts, you’ll also need Apple’s toolkit to complete the repairs. If you anticipate further repairs, you can purchase the kit and keep it, but if not, Apple will rent it to you for $49. These rented kits are free to ship and will be available for a week before you must ship them back.
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When the repairs are finished, you’ll be left with spare old parts, which Apple can take care of — send them in and they’ll be refurbished or recycled. The company teases that this will give you some extra credit in many cases, but it doesn’t go into any further detail. We don’t yet know how much the actual parts will cost, but this should be a less expensive way to get your M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro back up and running.
