Didn't Get AppleCare+? Getting Your iPhone Repaired May Extend Your Eligibility Up to Two Years

Apple in recent months began providing customers in the U.S. with an extended opportunity to purchase AppleCare+ coverage for their iPhone after a qualifying out-of-warranty repair at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, according to internal Apple documentation reviewed by MacRumors.

applecare apple care banner
The so-called "AppleCare+ Enrollment Exceptions" policy began in late 2021, but it was originally limited to one year after an iPhone's original purchase date. Now, the eligibility window has been extended to two years after purchase for iPhones in the U.S. only. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers can only inform customers that this policy exists after an iPhone has been serviced, and customers have 10 days to act on it.

Normally, a customer has only 60 days after purchasing an iPhone to add AppleCare+ to the device in the U.S., but this policy gives customers who experienced a costly out-of-pocket repair a chance to reconsider AppleCare+ coverage for future repairs. The repaired iPhone must pass a visual and mechanical inspection in order to qualify.

MacRumors confirmed this policy with multiple sources, but given it is not publicly announced by Apple, we cannot guarantee that it will always be honored.

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
Liquid Glass App Store Feature

App Store and Apple TV Experiencing Outage

Tuesday January 20, 2026 4:36 pm PST by
Apple's App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple TV service are experiencing an outage at the current time, according to Apple's System Status page. Apple says that some users may be experiencing issues with the App Store and iTunes Store. Apple also says some users may be seeing intermittent issues with Apple TV. The Apple TV Channels feature is down too, and users may be unable to access some...

Top Rated Comments

erikkfi Avatar
31 months ago
It makes sense. Your repair is a chance for them to look at your iPhone, assess its condition personally, and then offer you an option to make a purchase that nets them a 60+% profit margin.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
31 months ago
Apple Care is a huge cash cow for .
That’s why they push it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
31 months ago
Good to have that option but the problem is I upgrade my iPhone every single year since 2008.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
31 months ago
The battery replacement under AppleCare+ seems almost like a fraud. My Apple Watch has been conveniently sitting at 80% health for MONTHS and my iPhone also hasn’t dropped from 88% in like forever either. In fact, one Apple Watch update actually had it go up from 81% to 83% again at some point ?‍?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anshuvorty Avatar
31 months ago
Services, services, services....ARPU baby!! ARPU (average revenue per user)!!!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Momof2.1107 Avatar
31 months ago

As someone who has had to use AppleCare+ - nothing beats the ability to walk into the Apple Store, show then your borked device (either by your doing or their doing) and walk out with a new device in 5 mins. IMO that's worth all the $ I throw at AppleCare+. Can't get this with a Credit Card warranty.

My wife's MBP battery failed 2 years 10 months into our 3 year AppleCare+ and we got a free battery replacement (and top end case).

AppleCare+ has been good to me as has our local Apple Store. Works for me - I get it on all our devices. I understand why some people would prefer not to spend the $.
I get it for all of my devices as well, and also for my kids 9th generation iPads I purchased last year. It feel good going into an Apple Store and know that Apple will either or replace the device free of charge. I rather have the sense of peace by having AppleCare+.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)