Late in 2021, Apple announced that it would be introducing its “Self Service Repair” program. In the announcement, the company stated that you would finally be able to fix your iPhone yourself, using Apple-sourced parts. By introducing this program, Apple is making it possible for you to fix your own iPhone with Apple’s own parts and tools. It’s rather unprecedented considering how frustrating the process used to be. Then, Apple started implementing software that could be recognized when a non-Apple part was being used, and render different features useless.
Before you even go through the process of repairing an iPhone yourself, it’s extremely important to familiarize yourself with the repair process. Thankfully, you don’t need to go into the project completely blind, as Apple has provided a repair manual for all of the devices that can be replaced through this program. Here’s how you can download Apple’s Repair Manuals:
Search for the iPhone model that you need the Repair Manual for.
Click on the model.
Once the iPhone model is selected, this will (or should) load a PDF file right in your browser. In some cases, the PDF might automatically download to your device, but most of the time, it should be available in your browser.
Here’s the full list of the currently available Apple Repair Manuals:
In the event that you need to download the PDF yourself, here’s how you can do so:
Open Safari on your Mac.
Click the link above that matches up with the device you need to repair.
Once the PDF is finished loading, click File in the menu bar.
Alternatively, you can press CMD + S after the PDF is finished loading and save the file from there.
From the drop-down menu, select Save As.
Name the file and change the location of where it will be saved.
Click the Save button in the bottom right corner.
Now, you’ll be able to access Apple’s Repair Manual for whatever device you need it for, without needing to open Safari. You can even move it into iCloud Drive or another cloud storage service so that it can be accessed from other devices with ease.
Why Would You Need Apple’s Repair Manuals?
As we stated previously, you’ll want to make sure that you know the ins and outs of your iPhone before attempting to repair it. In years past, we’ve relied on sites like iFixit, which offer incredibly detailed teardowns of pretty much any device that you can think of. Not only are you provided with step-by-step instructions, but these iFixit teardowns and tutorials give you an idea of what part needs to go where throughout the process.
It’s extremely important that you review the repair manual before beginning the repair. This way, you don’t end up with an iPhone that was even more broken than it was before.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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