Apple makes it easy to see the warranty status of all of your devices signed into the same Apple Account. Since most of our modern Macs do not have upgradable storage, yet may have longer lifespans than their predecessors, it’s important to consider whether an extended warranty such as AppleCare might be worthwhile.
In the last several years, I’ve flip-flopped about whether AppleCare is a good investment. I was even a little unsure when I wrote Is AppleCare Worth It?
However, I’ve recently come to believe that it’s definitely appropriate for Macs and have started renewing the warranty on my iMac annually.
Meanwhile, I think an iPhone or iPad may have a shorter useful life for many owners. So, after the first couple years of an AppleCare plan, I would probably prioritize the out-of-pocket expense to repair it over a subscription fee.
However, I might except this if I expect to replace an iPhone battery within a year and the cost of the warranty is less than the cost of this repair.
Client Notes
Last week, I resolved a weird Preview glitch for Julie, explored a number of security opportunities together, and showed her the HIPS way to expand save dialogs. I also reconnected Nancy’s email accounts to Mail and started to explore Diana’s TV subscription costs.
AppleCare & Warranty Settings
Starting in iOS 17.3 and macOS 14.3, the General pane of Settings includes an AppleCare & Warranty section. On Mac, iPhone, and iPad, this pane shows the current device at the top.
Other devices signed into the same Apple Account appear below in alphabetical order. Notably, my AirPods Pro are listed on iPhone and iPad but not on Mac.
P.S. Did you know you can rename your devices?
Specific Device Warranty
When you select a device from the list, a panel shows its full warranty status and what services are included. On Mac, this includes a brief description of each offering. On iPhone and iPad, tap Learn more about benefits for details.
For any device with an active coverage subscription plan, tap Manage Plan to pull up the subscription details. On iPhone and iPad, this appears inline, whereas on Mac it opens a window as part of the Music app. (Music and App Store are the Mac apps capable of displaying Apple Account details.)
Get Support
Additionally, macOS provides a button to Get Support, which opens Apple’s Get Support webpage for the selected device. On mobile devices, Apple links to the Apple Support app, which asks which of your devices you need help with.
This includes devices whose coverage has expired, as you can still pay out of pocket for repairs. Plus, Apple provides free support by chat and phone, validating my supposition that phone support is no longer offered exclusively to AppleCare subscribers.
Yet, there may still be a significant tradeoff between the efficiency and cost of getting help from Apple versus calling me. What do you think?
Do you benefit from being able to look up the consolidated warranty status of your various Apple devices in one place? Would it be nice if this was combined with the device information shown in your Apple Account? If you think so, that’s worthwhile feedback for Apple.
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