Apple Cancels Free iPhone Screen Repairs In New Warranty Rule

iPhone 16 Pro Max buyers will have to take extra care of the handset’s bigger screen because Apple won’t repair it for free. According to a new report, the company will no longer offer free screen repairs for minor cracks on Apple Watches and iPhones going forward.

Up until now, Apple had offered free screen fixes for devices with a cracked screen and no clear point of impact. But 9To5Mac reports that new warranty rules have been distributed to Apple Stores and authorized repair shops this week, which say that Apple is no longer covering “single hairline cracks” under the standard warranty.

Instead, Apple (or whoever is repairing devices with Apple’s authorization) will process these claims as accidental damage. That, unfortunately, means iPhone and Apple Watch owners will have to pay to fix cracked displays.

9to5Mac says that free display repairs under the standard warranty still applies to iPads and Macs. Although, as ever, it’s highly dependent on other factors like how serious the damage is, and what caused it.

It’s not clear why Apple has changed its policy, but the company will almost certainly want to push people into paying for its in-house insurance subscription plan, Apple Care Plus. This also isn’t the only repair policy Apple has tinkered with recently. The company reversed its approach to paired parts in April, after criticism from consumers, repair shops and legislators.

ForbesApple ‘Punishing’ iPhone 15 Users By Disabling New iOS Battery FeatureBy Janhoi McGregor

For the uninitiated, Apple has some restrictions on how its devices are repaired, otherwise known as parts pairing. Currently, it is not possible to take—for example—a genuine iPhone 15 battery from one phone and place it into another without losing some features because the part hasn’t been authenticated by Apple. This means more expensive repairs, fewer options for consumers and a less environmentally friendly repair process.

But, after heavy criticism and a growing chorus of complaints from consumers and repair specialists, Apple suddenly reversed its policy. The company said that future iPhone owners (the iPhone 16, most likely) won’t be punished with warning signs or non-fully functioning devices if a repair is carried out without Apple’s authorization. The company said it did this to increase “product longevity” and minimize “the environmental impact of a repair.”

That change is yet to come into effect, but it may be costly for the company to no longer have full control over the repair process. Removing free warranty screen fixes might be the price consumers pay for easier, DIY, repairs.

ForbesApple To Release Bigger iPhone 16 Pro Max With New DesignBy Janhoi McGregor