If you have a desktop Mac with an obvious hardware problem, you no longer have to lug it over to your local Apple Store or authorized Apple repair shop. If you’re handy enough to do a repair yourself, you can now take advantage of Apple’s Self Repair Program, which has now been expanded to include the iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Apple displays.
The Self Service Repair Store (which doesn’t look at all like an Apple website), requires customers to register, but once you do, you can order parts, buy or rent tools, and download repair manuals. Toolkit rentals cost $49 and you need to return the kit after a week. If Apple finds damage to the tools upon return, the company may charge you an extra fee. Parts are going to be pricey too, especially for newer devices such as the Mac Studio and Studio Display. According to The Verge, the Studio Display’s nano-texture screen replacement costs $967.12 ($879.12 after you return your original broken screen).
However, Apple products are notorious for their complicated construction. It requires a good about of sensibility, dexterity, and patience to perform a hardware repair. Most people will be better off leaving it up to an experienced technician, but for some customers, self-repairs are the best option. Apple’s toolkits may seem excessive, but Apple believes these are the tools needed to do the job properly.
Apple started the program in the U.S. earlier this year with the iPhone and has expanded it over time to include MacBooks. It’s also expanded it to European Apple users, though the desktop Mac repair program is available only in the U.S. for now.
If you rather leave the repairs up to the Apple Store, learn more about Apple repairs in our detailed guide.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.