iOS 15.2 will tell you if your iPhone repair used the right parts or not

A picture of someone conducting a Self Service Repair
(Image credit: Apple)

The upcoming iOS 15.2 update may give you a new feature to tell you whether the repairs your iPhone has undergone used official parts or not.

According to MacRumors, the next iPhone update will include a new section called "Parts and Service History" within the Settings app.

In here, you'll be able to see what has been replaced on your iPhone and the phone's service history as a whole. It'll also tell you whether it's an authenticated part or if it's unknown to Apple.

The section will appear in the About page on the Settings screen (you'll find that under General) but it'll only be there if you've had repairs undertaken on your iPhone. It won't be there by default.

If your part was installed by an Apple authenticated repairer, it'll appear as "Genuine Apple Part" in this section.

If not, it'll read "Unknown Part". It's not just about whether this is an Apple authenticated part though, as this message also appears for other reasons ranging from the part being installed previously on another iPhone or that it may be not working properly.

Your iPhone model will differentiate what you'll see here, with older iPhones only able to display battery replacements. The iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series and iPhone 13 series will all be capable of showing battery and display replacements, while those most recent two families of iPhones will also show camera repairs.


Analysis: This is likely inspired by Self Service Repair

Why is this now a feature coming to iPhone? It's likely because the company has just introduced its new Self Service Repair features, which allows you to take your smartphone and repair elements yourself.

You'll still need to use official parts supplied by Apple, but if you've got the technical know-how it'll allow you to repair your handset yourself rather than relying on an official service.

With that becoming an option in 2022, it's likely Apple has introduced these features to ensure people can keep on top of the repairs that have been made to smartphones.

This will be particularly useful if you're planning to buy a handset second hand, as it'll allow you to have the handset's full service history in one place to ensure you're buying the right thing.

Via Phone Arena

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.