If you’ve got a problem and no one else can help, maybe you can call the Apple team. Apple is now listing an on-site repair service for its devices, meaning a “Genius” will come to your home or place of work to fix your broken Apple product. For example, if your iPhone 11 Pro has a cracked screen and you schedule a repair with Apple directly, the option for an onsite service may be available depending on where you live.
Where do you need to live for Apple to grace you with its presence? In the United States, for a start, and then in any one of six different cities: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, or Dallas. This is according to MacRumors, which discovered the service. Don’t expect the repair to be free either, as Apple’s support pages do mention an additional fee for on-site service, which is in addition to the normal cost of the repair.
There’s a further caveat, in that not every product and not every repair is covered by the on-site repair team. While selecting a screen repair for an iPhone shows the on-site repair service may be an option, depending on your location, requesting a battery replacement does not, and none of the software or related problems seem to be covered either. It’s the same situation when you look to get a MacBook repaired, with no mention initially of an on-site option.
Apple has apparently enlisted the help of Go Tech Services for its on-site repair service, which is an authorized Apple service provider, meaning the work will be carried out by trained and approved engineers, but not Apple itself. This shouldn’t make any difference to the work, or for ongoing warranties either.
While Apple provides onsite support to some of its large corporate accounts, it’s an unusual option for regular people who have purchased an iPhone for their own use. This small launch may be the precursor to a larger scale launch later on, with more repair services available in more places in the U.S., and internationally. It may prove particularly helpful for those who don’t live near an Apple Store or authorized repair specialist.
