iOS 15.2 Adds 'Parts and Service History' Feature to iPhone

[CyberTech]

With the launch of iOS 15.2, Apple is adding a new "Parts and Service History" section to the Settings app that will let users see the service history of their iPhones and confirm that components used for repairs are genuine.

As outlined in a new support document, iPhone users who have iOS 15.2 or later installed can go to Settings > General > About to access Parts and Service History. The Parts and Service History section will only be available if repairs have been conducted on your ‌iPhone‌.

Apple will provide different information on components depending on ‌iPhone‌ version.

• For ‌iPhone‌ XR, XS, XS Max, and later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation), you can see if the battery has been replaced.
• For iPhone 11 models, iPhone 12 models, and iPhone 13 models, you can see if the battery or display have been replaced.
• For ‌iPhone 12‌ models and ‌iPhone 13‌ models, you can see if the battery, display, or camera have been replaced.

If a fix was done with genuine Apple parts and tools, repairs in this section will have a "Genuine Apple Part" listing next to the repaired component.

An "Unknown Part" message will be displayed if a part installation is incomplete, the part was replaced with a non-genuine component, the part was already used or installed in another ‌iPhone‌, or if the part is not functioning as expected. In prior versions of iOS, customers are only able to see if a replacement part is identified as an Unknown Part.

Apple says that the messages in the Service History section will not affect the ability to use the ‌iPhone‌, its battery, display, or camera. The information is collected and stored on device, with Apple using it for service needs, safety analysis, and to improve future products.

The addition of the "Parts and Service History" to the ‌iPhone‌ comes alongside a change that Apple is making to ‌iPhone 13‌ models. At release, it was discovered that replacing a broken display on an ‌iPhone 13‌ without specialized tools and components from Apple disables Face ID.

After backlash from the repair community, Apple said that it would introduce a software update that would allow for display repairs that do not affect Face ID. iOS 15.2 removes the specific pairing requirement that caused Face ID not to work when a display repair is performed by a repair shop without Apple-certified equipment.

Apple has previously introduced repair restrictions for Touch ID, True Tone functionality, and ‌iPhone 12‌ cameras, but the company always faces blowback when limiting ‌iPhone‌ repair options and disabling ‌iPhone‌ features. Apple has settled for informing customers if components are non-genuine while leaving ‌iPhone‌ functionality intact, and this new section streamlines repair component messaging.

In November, Apple announced plans for a new Self Service Repair program that will allow users to complete their own device repairs using instruction manuals and components provided by Apple. This will join the Apple Authorized Service Program and Apple's Independent Repair Provider Program, which provides Apple parts and tools to independent repair shops that are not AASPs.

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iOS 15.2 Adds 'Parts and Service History' Feature to iPhone

With the launch of iOS 15.2, Apple is adding a new "Parts and Service History" section to the Settings app that will let users see the...

www.macrumors.com

 

[CyberTech]

Apple’s iOS 15.2, which includes a ton of features and fixes, has started to become roll out to iPhones after an extensive beta period. According to Apple’s release notes, posted by 9to5Mac and MacRumors, the update includes:

• The Digital Legacy program, which lets you designate who gets access to your data when you die
• The App Privacy Report, which shows what permissions your apps use, and what websites they connect to
• Apple’s $4.99 voice-only plan for Apple Music
• A fix for the somewhat confusing state of the 13 Pro’s macro mode

The update also brings with it some of Apple’s communication safety features, one of which will blur iMessages sent to children that an on-device scan tags as potentially being explicit. The feature was part of Apple’s controversial suite of changes meant to fight child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which involved on-device scanning of photos uploaded to iCloud, as well as automatically notifying parents if their child chose to view pictures tagged as inappropriate.

Apple has since delayed the photo library scanning feature and has made it so that children get to choose whether to notify their parents. iOS 15.2 also brings changes to Safari and Siri that will redirect users to resources if they search for topics related to CSAM.

The update also includes Apple’s new parts and service history feature, which can show you which parts on your device have been replaced and whether the job was done using genuine Apple parts. Apple says that the iPhone XR, XS, and SE second-gen will show if your battery was replaced and that the iPhone 11 and up will also show if your display has been replaced. The iPhone 12 and 13 models will be able to show info about camera replacements as well.

The repair history will show up in Settings > General > About, under the name and software version section. If you haven’t replaced the battery, screen, or camera on your phone, it won’t show up, according to Apple’s support document for the feature.

Apple releases iOS 15.2 with App Privacy Report, Digital Legacy, and more

We’re also getting a fix to macro mode.

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