Apple's DIY Home Repairs Are Coming To Your M1 MacBook Next
Apple continues its quest toward more DIY repairs by expanding its own Self Service Repair Store. Starting on August 23, 2022, customers will be able to get the tools and repair parts they might need to save their M1 MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. This marks a noticeable shift for the company that previously had a tendency to keep things 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 got a giant leap ahead straight to the (still very recent) M1 MacBooks.
The company explained the details in a quick announcement, right away mentioning future expansion plans. It seems that the program, which is currently limited to the United States, will be growing as soon as this year. The first step will be to introduce the Self Service Repair program in Europe. Apple also plans to add more Mac models as time goes on, and that is also supposed to take place before the end of 2022.
Apple has a broad range of service locations, both in the United States and elsewhere. The company boasts that it has nearly doubled the number of these locations over the past three years, now adding up to 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 give DIY a try if you're normally comfortable with repairing electronics — assuming you're fully aware of the potential ramifications, both good and bad.
Over a dozen repair options are about to arrive
Apple hasn't divulged the full range of repairs that will be available, but it promises over a dozen different repair options for each model. This includes some of the most common culprits, such as the display, the top case with the battery, and the trackpad. These repairs previously required an Apple technician, but now, crafty MacBook owners will be able to indulge in some DIY instead.
The company explains that the first step to repairing your MacBook will involve reading the official manual. Next, you'll have to head over to the Apple Repair Store itself and purchase the parts that you'll need. Parts aside, you'll also need Apple's toolkit to carry out the repairs. If you foresee further repairs in your future, you can buy the kit to own it yourself, but if not, Apple will offer rentals for $49. These rented kits are shipped free of charge and will be available for a week before you'll need to ship them back.
Once the repairs are complete, you'll be left with spare old parts, but Apple can take care of those — send them in and they will be refurbished or recycled. The company teases that in many cases, this will give you some extra credit, but it doesn't go into any further detail on that matter. We don't yet know the pricing of the actual parts, but all in all, this should prove to be a cheaper alternative to get your M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro up to speed again.