Apple Expands Do-It-Yourself Repair Program to M3 Macs

by

Apple will soon expand its self-service repair program to the M3 iMac, M3 14-inch MacBook Pro, and M3 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to a trio of support documents published today. (Update: Parts and manuals for M3 Macs are now available — see below).

Apple Self Service Repair MacBook
First introduced in the U.S. in 2022, Apple's repair program lets customers purchase genuine Apple parts and tools. Apple also provides manuals so that customers can repair their devices without having to visit an Apple retail location or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Repairs have been available for Apple's notebooks and desktops since 2022, but repair components and instructions for the M3 models were just made available.

The support document covering the M3 MacBook Pro models details replacing the bottom casing of a MacBook, the parts needed to make a repair, and what tools are necessary to complete the repair. For the ‌iMac‌, Apple provides a detailed list of part numbers required for various repairs on the display, logic board, fans, housing, and more.

At the time of writing, some of the part numbers listed in the support documents are not available on Apple's Self Service Repair Store, but we will likely see them added soon. It is not clear when Apple plans to announce the expansion of the repair program to M3 Macs.

(Thanks Nicolás Álvarez!)

Update: Now Live

Following our report, Apple has added parts for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and ‌iMac‌ with M3, M3 Pro, and/or M3 Max chips to its self-service repair store in the U.S. and select European countries. Apple has also published repair manuals for these MacBook Pro and iMac models on its website.

In a press release, Apple announced a few related changes.

First, it is making Apple Diagnostics available for M3 Macs in the U.S. early next month:

Launched late last year for iPhone and Mac, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions give customers the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test devices for optimal part functionality and performance, as well as identify which parts may need repair.

Second, Apple is making the System Configuration process easier for all Mac models in all countries where the self-service repair program is available:

Mac users will no longer need to contact the Self Service Repair support team to run the final step of a repair, but the team will still be available to assist as needed. The updated process will become available early next month in all countries where Self Service Repair is supported.

Tag: Self Service Repair Guide

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 'Slim': Everything We Know So Far

Friday July 5, 2024 5:13 am PDT by
In 2025, Apple is expected to discontinue the iPhone "Plus" device in its iPhone 17 lineup to make way for an iPhone "Slim" – although it may not actually be called this when it debuts in the fall of next year. Even though the iPhone 16 series launch is still over two months away, when you consider that we learned about larger displays on the iPhone 16 Pro models way back in May 2023, rumors...
Read Full Article • 187 comments
HomePod G4 Feature

Leak Confirms Apple's Work On 'Home Accessory'

Thursday July 4, 2024 9:15 am PDT by
Code discovered on Apple's backend by MacRumors confirms Apple is indeed working on a long-rumored home accessory in addition to the HomePod and Apple TV. The code references a device with the identifier "HomeAccessory17,1," which is a new identifier category. The name is similar to the HomePod's "AudioAccessory" identifier. Interestingly, the 17,1 in the identifier name suggests that...
Read Full Article • 222 comments
iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2

Apple Leak Confirms Four iPhone 16 Models With Same A18 Chip

Tuesday July 2, 2024 9:48 am PDT by
Code discovered in Apple's backend by Nicolás Alvarez and shared with MacRumors confirms Apple's plans to release four iPhone 16 models this year, and it indicates that the devices will all have the same A-series chip. There are mentions of new model numbers that are not associated with existing iPhones, and that have the numbering scheme Apple uses for its flagship devices. The code...
Read Full Article • 145 comments

Top Rated Comments

D-a-a-n Avatar
D-a-a-n
19 weeks ago

Quietly waiting for the complainers to come out saying how this is not enough
It's not enough.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
Fuzzball84
19 weeks ago
I feel this is well intentioned but mostly unpractical and actually counterproductive for the environment. Delivering and posting back all those support materials has a carbon footprint too.

And its all because the products are not made with repair in mind in the first instance.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eicca Avatar
eicca
19 weeks ago

Quietly waiting for the complainers to come out saying how this is not enough
Allow me to enlighten you.

When a "self repair" program costs more than taking it to the "authorized repair center," that's just Apple monetizing the fact that you're smart and industrious.

The whole point of acquiring and developing skills is to solve problems for yourself, save money, make economic gain, etc. This is Apple's most ingeniously-malicious compliance yet. Not to mention filthy hypocrisy. They try to make it as enticing as possible to just buy a whole new computer, loading our landfills with otherwise-salvageable machines.

I got lucky with my mom's M1 Macbook Air and was able to replace it with an eBay salvage screen for $200, and only lost True Tone. Otherwise she would have had to replace the entire thing.

Oh, and in case you somehow believe the lies that "authorized technicians" are the only way to get quality work done, let me tell you the number of times I've had an "authorized technician" do the job correctly, whether on my Apple products, car, bike, or anything else I own: ZERO.

Let me tell you the number of times everyone I know has had something come back from an "authorized technician" properly fixed: ZERO.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
allenvanhellen Avatar
allenvanhellen
19 weeks ago

They actually are made with repair in mind, and increasingly so, but Apple doesn't want customers doing repairs themselves. They clearly only made self-service repair available so they could say it's an option.
Can you explain to me how an M3 MacBook is MORE reparable than my 2012 MacBook Pro, whose battery, HD/SSD, RAM, and screen I've easily replaced without desoldering or melting glues?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
btrach144 Avatar
btrach144
19 weeks ago

I feel this is well intentioned but mostly unpractical and actually counterproductive for the environment. Delivering and posting back all those support materials has a carbon footprint too.

And its all because the products are not made with repair in mind in the first instance.
This is not well intentioned. Apple is knowingly doing the bare minimum to avoid legal troubles with right to repair laws. This allows them to say, “we allow customers the ability to repair their own products, even if it takes mailing 100 pounds of equipment to their home.”

It’s an insane program that thumbs the nose at governmental consumer protection agencies.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joelypolly Avatar
joelypolly
19 weeks ago
Quietly waiting for the complainers to come out saying how this is not enough.

Edit: I feel like I need to clarify this statement since iFixit has done a wonderful job of making it seem like the repair program is crazy (because of money obviously since iFixit estimate revenue has been between 20 to 40 million a year). Lets list out how they have done this

* Apple provides extremely detail repair manual that outlines ever step and what you need to be careful of when disassembling has turned in to complains of woe is me because how can I possibly read a 170 page manual when I want to repair something. (see the jokes about it being like a quantum machanics book but in practices its just a lot of images showing you where and how)
* Apple provides parts at relatively reasonable costs compared to the second hand market and other non OEM parts. The M1 Air screen replacement is 307 from Apple, and 399.99 from iFixit (not OEM in a used housing). Like WFT why isn't people complaining about that?
* Apple rents me hardware that they use to repair the same hardware has become its not environmentally friendly to ship this, why can't I just wing it and use what I have? The cost to the environment from a CO2 perspective to ship the tools too you and back is about the same as you going on a typicaly grocery trip or less than if you were more than 4 miles away from an Apple Store. And we all know that having the right tools means you can do a better job.
* Apple makes hardware with one of the lowerest failure rates in the industry but has some how turned in to a simple repairability score by iFixit. While I agree easier to repair hardware is better the otherside is also true that hardware that doesn't fail in the first place is better no? If you reduce iPhone failure by 50 basis points (0.5%) that is 1.2 million less repairs a year but the cost might be you need to use stronger glue to ensure better water sealing leading to more difficult repairs but consumers and the environment still comes out ahead.

/endrant
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments