Apple Will Soon Offer Face ID Repairs Without Replacing the Entire iPhone

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will soon be able to repair Face ID on the iPhone XS and newer without having to replace the whole device, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors from a reliable source.

iphone 13 face id
Apple said authorized technicians will soon have access to a new TrueDepth Camera service part containing all Face ID and front camera modules, allowing for same-unit repairs. Apple said the move will help to reduce the number of whole-unit repairs completed, as part of the company's commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.

For customers, same-unit Face ID repairs could be more affordable than a whole-unit replacement, but the memo did not include pricing details.

Apple introduced Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017, but that device appears to be excluded from the new same-unit repair process for the TrueDepth system. The new service part will be available for the iPhone XS and newer.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will be able to use the Apple Service Toolkit diagnostic tool to determine when to perform a same-unit Face ID repair instead of a whole-unit replacement or an "iPhone Rear System" repair. Apple said related documentation and training will be made available at a later date.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...

Top Rated Comments

ProfessionalFan Avatar
32 months ago

Every person charged for a full phone replacement should be credited the difference -- they were told this isn't possible.
This will likely result in a class action lawsuit where some lawyer will make millions off it and each person will get 15 cents.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adithya007 Avatar
32 months ago
Wowe thank you! My personal driver has been a Xs with the FaceID disabled ever since a water damage. Where I’m from, the whole phone replacement costs ~800$ so I’ve lived with this for about a year damn. High time.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stunning_Sense4712 Avatar
31 months ago

But but I’d opened it up and cleaned everything, the Face ID sensor was the only place that had taken water, there was zero water everywhere else. The phone’s been running perfectly fine too I wish I could just change the FaceID module for a fair price.
No manufacturer is going to replace components on a water damaged device since their is a high probability that other components will fail and the customer will blame the manufacturer. It would be a device replacement if you have accidental coverage.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smoochy84 Avatar
32 months ago

Wowe thank you! My personal driver has been a Xs with the FaceID disabled ever since a water damage. Where I’m from, the whole phone replacement costs ~800$ so I’ve lived with this for about a year damn. High time.
Internal liquid damages still require a whole unit replacement, no modular repair.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sideshowuniqueuser Avatar
31 months ago

Wowe thank you! My personal driver has been a Xs with the FaceID disabled ever since a water damage. Where I’m from, the whole phone replacement costs ~800$ so I’ve lived with this for about a year damn. High time.
For a minute there, I was wondering, who has a personal driver, but still uses an XS, and can't afford to fix it?!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xenitassos Avatar
32 months ago

Wowe thank you! My personal driver has been a Xs with the FaceID disabled ever since a water damage. Where I’m from, the whole phone replacement costs ~800$ so I’ve lived with this for about a year damn. High time.
I've got the exact same issue. My water resistant XS got water damaged in its first year of life. Luckily, only Face ID was affected. I was quoted a 700 euro fee to replace the device. I wonder if apple is still going to find a way out of repairing it now because Face ID failed due to water damage...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)