Under pressure, Apple allowing self-repairs to iPhones and Macs

Apple is letting some iPhone users fix their own phones, a sharp turnaround for a company that has long prohibited anyone but company-approved technicians from fiddling with its proprietary parts and software.

The company said Wednesday that it will enable users of two of the newest iPhone models and eventually some Mac computers to get access to genuine Apple parts and tools for consumer repairs.

The shift reflects a strengthening “right to repair” movement embraced by President Joe Biden and affecting everything from smartphones to cars and tractors. It’s a reaction to the infusion of software into more everyday products and the practices of manufacturers who have increasingly made those products difficult and expensive to repair.

Apple is launching an online store for self-service repairs early next year that it says will have more than 200 individual parts and tools for making the most common repairs on the iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. It will initially be focused on do-it-yourself fixes to screens, batteries and displays, which Apple previously resisted and cited concerns about safety, such as faulty battery replacements that can damage a device.

Apple’s action is welcome news for consumers, said Maureen Mahoney, a senior policy analyst at Consumer Reports.

“New phones are expensive, and people who buy them should be able to repair them, or have them fixed by the servicer of their choice — and not be forced to throw them away and get a new one,” she said in a statement. “This is an encouraging step in that direction.”

The Federal Trade Commission, the Biden administration and state legislatures have been eyeing regulatory changes that would make it easier for Americans to repair their broken devices.

Regulators have expressed concerns about restrictions that steer consumers into manufacturers’ and sellers’ repair networks, adding costs to consumers and shutting out independent repair shops from business opportunities.