Apple adds M1 Mac desktops and Studio Display to the Self Service Repair program

Apple has expanded its self-repair program once again. As noted by Six Colors and The Verge, folks in the US can now try to fix issues with the M1 iMac, M1 Mac mini, Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display themselves with genuine parts, repair manuals and tools.

The self-repair program is designed for those who have the time, patience, skills and confidence to carry out fixes at home, rather than taking their busted device to an Apple Store or third-party repair shop, or shipping it to Apple. You can buy all the parts and rent the tools you need, but at checkout you'll need to enter a code from the relevant manual to show that you've actually read the document.

Apple debuted the Self Service Repair program in April by offering manuals and parts for select iPhone models in the US. Since then, it has expanded the program to Mac laptops and more territories. 

Apple introduced the program ahead of right-to-repair rules likely coming into force in the US and Europe. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed an executive order focused on bolstering competition in the US economy, partly in the tech sector. Among other things, it urged the Federal Trade Commission to ban "anticompetitive restrictions on using independent repair shops or doing DIY repairs of your own devices and equipment." 

The agency has taken a stronger stance on such issues. In July, it announced settlements with three companies (including Weber and Harley-Davidson), which it accused of threatening to unlawfully void warranties if consumers used third-party repair parts or independent repair shops.