Skip to main content

Apple’s new program gives you more ways to repair an old iPhone or iPad

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following a successful pilot period, Apple has today announced the Independent Repair Provider program, a new repair scheme that offers independent businesses the chance to officially perform common out-of-warranty iPhone repairs.

Similar to the way the Apple Authorized Service Providers scheme (AASP) works, businesses in the IRP program will have access to genuine parts, tools, manuals, and diagnostics, as well as official training from Apple’s own technicians. Any business, large or small, can apply to enter the IRP program and earn Apple-certified technician status. Parts sellers and distributors are not able to apply for this program though, and companies wanting to be a part of the scheme must also be situated in a commercial area and cannot be a residential address. Of course, Apple also requires that the services and products it supplies be kept confidential.

Apple has long been criticized for its attitude toward third-party repairs, and introduced the AASP program and partnership with Best Buy in an attempt to combat this reputation. Though this announcement may go some way to mollifying those with negative perceptions of Apple’s after-sale repair service, it may not be far enough for some. “Right to repair” campaigns are still pushing for tech companies to be forced to share their parts and expertise with any third-party repair shop. Apple has always opposed this idea, saying repairs should be performed by only the best engineers — and by limiting the field to only its authorized technicians, Apple is protecting that quality.

“To better meet our customers’ needs, we’re making it easier for independent providers across the US to tap into the same resources as our Apple Authorized Service Provider network,”“When a repair is needed, a customer should have confidence the repair is done right”, said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We believe the safest and most reliable repair is one handled by a trained technician using genuine parts that have been properly engineered and rigorously tested.”

The Independent Repair Provider program is currently only available in the U.S., but Apple intends to launch it in other countries. To apply, head over to the Apple Independent Repair Provider program webpage and email the provided email address with your business’s details. For the rest of us, expect Apple to provide an IRP finder tool once the program is properly up and running.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Apple totally wasted the iPhone 15’s biggest design change
Colors of iPhone 15 Pro.

The Apple iPhone 15, regardless of which model you buy, has a USB-C connector and not the old Lightning cable connector on the bottom.

This huge design change could have brought with it a truly new and exciting feature to the latest iPhone. But it’s as dreary and uninteresting as you’d expect a new cable and port to be, and that makes it a truly wasted opportunity.
What did we want?
The OnePlus 11 fast charging using USB C. Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
The 6 biggest announcements from Apple’s iPhone 15 event
Invite for Apple's September 2023 event.

Apple Event - September 12

Every year brings something new, and that's doubly true for smartphones. Summer is on the way out, and while the retreat of the sun is bad news for many, there's a bright silver lining on this cloud: The release of the Apple iPhone 15. Apple has brought the basic iPhones into line with the Pro models, giving even the cheapest flagship models access to the Dynamic Island and the design refresh that we loved in last year's Pro iPhones. But that isn't all, as the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were also revealed, with improvements of their own.

Read more
This one thing Apple didn’t fix with the iPhone 15 Pro has me struggling to upgrade
List of iPhone 15 Pro features at the September 2023 Apple Event.

Apple laid out its pitch for the new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro in its usual slick, perfectly manicured fashion. It's easy to get to the end and think, "wow, they thought of everything this year!" ... but with just a couple minutes of reflection you start to realize what they tactfully chose to omit. This year, disappointingly, that was battery life.

In its full 85-minute presentation, Apple didn't boast about the battery life on any of the four iPhones it introduced, even the big-screened iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Just to double-check, I went over to Apple's comparison tool to look at the numbers:

Read more