Although Apple last year launched a program to allow independent repair shops to officially service iPhone and iPad devices, they did not allow them to repair Macs. Apple has now remedied that.
Apple in August 2019 launched its program to allow independent repair shops in the US to gain access to genuine Apple iPhone parts and to receive the same training as Authorized Service Providers. Then in July of this year, Apple expanded the program to Canada and 32 European countries.
Apple says that in the first year of the program 140 businesses have joined to offer over 700 new locations for out-of-warranty iPhone repair in the US.
As reported by Reuters (via MacRumors), Apple has announced that it is now allowing independent repair shops involved in the program to service out-of-warranty Macs.
The move will make it easier for many Mac owners who do not live near an Apple Store or an authorized repair center to get their Macs repaired.
“When a device needs repairs, we want people to have access to a safe and reliable solution — this latest expansion joins the thousands of repair locations we’ve added over the past year,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to bringing that convenient and trustworthy repair experience to our Mac users.”
However, Nathan Proctor, head of the U.S. Public Research Interest Group right-to-repair campaign, said that while the addition of Mac’s program was a “welcome” step, the agreement for independent shops reported by publication Vice here showed “onerous” terms.
“At the end of the day, we either have a free market to fix the devices we own, or we don’t,” Proctor said in a statement.
Shops that are interested in joining the independent repair program can learn more and apply here.