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 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...

Top Rated Comments

ProfessionalFan Avatar
40 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
40 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
40 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
40 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
40 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
40 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)