Skip to main content

Apple is now showing third-party repair stores on its online support website

Apple wants to make it easy for you to get your phone or computer repaired. Its online support system, which allows you to book appointments, goes a long way in doing that. Now, however, Apple is going a step further — by including third-party repair stores in that online system.

The change is small, but it is welcome. If you ever had to get an Apple device repaired, you know the wait time can run for weeks, not to mention the fact that it’s expensive to have Apple repair devices.

Recommended Videos

Of course, it’s only authorized repair locations that will show up in the database — authorized service providers are the stores that have been assessed by Apple and are able to do both AppleCare repairs and fixes that are out of warranty.

On top of showing all authorized repair stores, the new support site will also show availability — meaning you can compare all the locations near you to find where you will get the quickest repair. You will also be able to book a repair from the website.

The new site features will be welcome for both customers and third-party repair stores, many of which will be able to provide some relief for the Apple Stores that are unable to keep up with repair demands. As MacRumors notes, for example, San Francisco Apple Stores aren’t able to provide appointments until next week, but stores like Best Buy can offer repairs on the same day or the following one.

Sure, third-party repair stores may not offer the same fancy interior as the Apple Store, but when your iPhone is broken, it doesn’t really matter what the store looks like.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Have a broken Apple Watch Series 10? Good luck trying to repair it
Smart Stack and Live Activity on the Apple Watch Series 10.

We recently wrote about potential improvements to iPhone repairability, and it stirred hope that the Apple Watch Series 10 might also see some of those improvements. Traditionally, the Apple Watch has been a bit problematic when it comes to repair. Sadly, the Series 10 is no different.

Apple has been in a multiyear-long hokey pokey session concerning the right to repair. It will throw its hat in the ring for a little bit, then withdraw it with the following product iteration. So on and so forth. Now that iFixit has released its Apple Watch Series 10 teardown, we finally get a good look at its inner components.

Read more
Another U.S. state now supports Apple Wallet driver’s licenses
Apple Wallet on iPhone showing Apple Cash and other payment cards.

Apple Wallet is about to become much more useful for people who live in a certain Midwest state. Residents of this state can now add a virtual copy of their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app.

As of Wednesday, July 31, Ohio residents can now use virtual IDs in Apple Wallet. This makes Ohio the fifth state to support Apple Wallet's virtual IDs, following  inthe footsteps of Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland.

Read more
A PC emulator is now on the iPhone app store after previous rejection
A photo of an Apple screen and a close-up of the App Store icon with three notifications on it.

A new game emulator for iOS has joined the party. UTM, an open-source PC operating system emulator, has released UTM SE after a lengthy review process and a previous rejection.

You can download UTM SE for free on App Store for iOS and visionOS, and it'll be added to AltStore Pal, an alternative app marketplace in the EU. "Shoutouts to AltStore team for their help and to Apple for reconsidering their policy," UTM posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Read more