Tim Cook Discusses Apple's New Do-It-Yourself Repair Program and More

Apple recently announced a new self-service repair program that will provide customers with access to Apple genuine parts, tools, and manuals for completing their own repairs of select devices, starting with iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. Apple said the program will launch early next year in the U.S. and expand to additional countries throughout 2022.


Apple CEO Tim Cook briefly shared his thoughts about self-service repairs in an interview with KTLA's Rich DeMuro (via 9to5Mac), saying that it "feels good" to offer manuals and parts to customers with the expertise to complete their own repairs. For most customers, however, Cook believes that the Apple Store will remain the best option for repairs.

Cook's full comments on the program, with light editing for clarity:

We realized that there were some people that wanted to this and that are trained to do this. They're the Popular Mechanics crowd if you will, which I love and have been focused on my entire life. It feels good to put the manuals out there, and get the parts out there, that enables people to do this. Still, if you're not comfortable doing that, we encourage you to come in the Apple Store and get it done for you. That's still the best way, perhaps, for most people. But if you're a technician, then have at it, because you're able to do it yourself.

Apple's self-service repair program will include an online store that will offer more than 200 individual parts and tools, the company said. In an internal memo obtained by MacRumors, Apple said the store will be operated by an unspecified third party. Apple plans to share more details about the program as it approaches launch.

Cook, speaking at the grand opening of Apple's new store at The Grove in Los Angeles, also reiterated that Apple is focused on augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and autonomy and said that Apple will use these core technologies in a variety of ways.

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
I only want Tim Cook personally to repair my broken iPhone for me?

These hands only. Otherwise, NO, sorry.



Attachment Image
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
30 months ago
“the popular mechanics crowd”

- suddenly formed after The Right to Repair bill
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
30 months ago
Anyone who’s watched an iFixit iPhone tear down knows that cracking open an iPhone isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s by no means an easy or straightforward process. Very daunting and booby trapped with plenty of “oops I just ruined my iPhone” obstacles.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radeon85 Avatar
30 months ago
Love how Tim tries pitching it as if this was a great idea they came up with for the benefit of the consumer, they are only doing it because of the right to repair bill. Pretty much took tying their hands behind their back with a gun against their head in order to provide parts that should have been available for years.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikethemartian Avatar
30 months ago

What makes an apple tech special other than having access to the parts?
I don’t know, I think many people here think when they take their device in for a new battery or repair that Apple has an EE PhD candidate from MIT or a magic elf on loan from Santa working on it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jozero Avatar
30 months ago
"They're the Popular Mechanics crowd if you will, which I love and have been focused on my entire life."

What?! I am a huge Apple product user, and this statement is so ridiculous its insane. Which hardware company is more opposite than the do it yourself get into the guts than Apple?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...