Parts Pairing
Apple's Parts-Pairing Practices Flagged as Leading Industry Barrier to Independent Repair, Panel Finds
A webinar hosted by repair.eu brought together repair and refurbishment industry voices who identified Apple as the manufacturer most aggressively using serialized, software-paired parts to restrict independent repair of smartphones and tablets.
Oct 8, 2026
Apple's Parts-Pairing Software Faces Pushback as States Weigh Bans
Apple requires replacement iPhone parts to be authenticated through its System Configuration software or lose functionality, and advocates say the company has worked through trade groups to keep explicit parts-pairing bans out of state right-to-repair laws.
Oct 8, 2026
Apple Announces Limited Parts-Pairing Changes on Day of Colorado Right-to-Repair Hearing
Apple unveiled plans to ease some restrictions on using Apple-made parts across its own devices, but the changes leave aftermarket parts blocked and were announced the same day a Colorado Senate committee advanced a bill to ban parts pairing outright.
Sep 21, 2026
Parts Pairing: How Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and John Deere Lock Out Independent Repair
A wide-ranging iFixit investigation documents how manufacturers across industries use serialized components and software locks to disable functionality when genuine parts are swapped between devices, blocking independent and DIY repair.
Aug 12, 2026