Skip to main content

Best Buy stores are now certified to repair Apple devices

Apple is notorious for making it difficult to get its devices repaired, but it looks like it’s making an effort to make the repair process a little easier. The company announced that it is partnering with Best Buy to offer authorized and certified repairs.

With the expansion, Apple is making it more convenient for people to get their devices repaired. It’s not uncommon for Apple customers to not live close to an Apple Store. It’s much more common, however, for customers to live near Best Buy. With the expansion, Apple says that eight out of 10 Apple customers live within 20 minutes of an Apple authorized service provider.

There are plenty of cities where there’s no Apple Store, and those are the cities where the expansion will be most important. Cities like Sioux City, Iowa; Twin Falls, Idaho, and so on.

“If a customer ever needs to repair their products, we want them to feel confident those repairs are done safely and correctly,” Apple said in a statement “We’re always looking at how we can reliably expand our network of trained technicians and we’re excited to partner with every Best Buy store so it’s even easier for our customers to find an authorized repair location near them.”

Best Buy’s Geek Squad now has around 7,600 Apple-certified technicians, and those technicians are capable of making same-day repairs on iPhones, plus they can service many of Apple’s other products.

There are other Apple authorized service providers around the country, too. According to Apple, there are now more than 1,800 third-party authorized service providers in the U.S., which is three times as many locations as three years ago.

This is not the first time Apple and Best Buy have buddied up. In April, Apple announced it was expanding its iPhone recycling program with Best Buy collecting used iPhones for recycling. With the program, iPhones are disassembled and materials are reused in new iPhone models.

If you are looking to get your iPhone repaired, it is beneficial to go to an authorized service provider. Unauthorized providers don’t use genuine Apple parts, which could make for a lower-quality repair.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Apple may stop updating one of its best Apple Watches this year
Apple Watch Series 4 Best Smartwatches

WatchOS 11 — Apple's next big Apple Watch update — is coming soon. Unfortunately, according to one new report, it looks like the update won't be available for one of Apple's best models.

According to iPhoneSoft, the iconic Apple Watch Series 4 will not be updated to watchOS 11 this year. Instead, the list of Apple Watches expected to receive the update is as follows:

Read more
We now know when Apple is adding RCS to the iPhone
The iPhone 14 Plus held in a man's hand.

Last November, Apple made a surprise announcement when it confirmed that RCS was coming to the iPhone in 2024. It's something iPhone and Android phone users alike have been waiting years for, but there was just one small problem: Apple never said when in 2024 RCS was coming. Thanks to Google, of all companies, we now have a better idea of when RCS is heading to the iPhone.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the Android website was recently updated with a new page dedicated to Google Messages. If you click on the "See more features" button for the section talking about RCS, there's a section titled "Better messaging for all" with the following text: "Apple has announced it will be adopting RCS in the fall of 2024. Once that happens, it will mean a better messaging experience for everyone."

Read more
Why you shouldn’t buy these 5 Apple Watch Series 9 alternatives
A person wearing the Apple Watch Series 9, showing the Snoopy watch face

Nike Globe watch face Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Not only are there a lot of smartwatches and fitness bands to choose from these days, but the Apple Watch range itself is surprisingly extensive — especially considering it began life with only a single model available. Simply put, it remains the best smartwatch to get if you own an iPhone.

Read more