Here's the thing most people don't realize: every Apple product comes with a one-year limited warranty, whether you bought AppleCare or not. If your year-old iPhone speaker dies or your MacBook keyboard gives up, you may be covered — no extra plan required.
This guide covers what Apple's standard warranty actually includes, how it differs from AppleCare+, how to check your coverage in 30 seconds, and the three ways to file a claim — Genius Bar, mail-in, or online. Exact terms vary by product, model, and country, so always confirm against Apple's official warranty terms for your region.
The three flavors of Apple coverage
Apple coverage comes in layers, and knowing which layer you're claiming under changes what you can ask for:
| Coverage | What it covers | Typical length | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-Year Limited Warranty | Defects in materials and workmanship — not accidents | 1 year from purchase | Included with every product |
| 90 days of complimentary support | Phone/chat technical support | 90 days from purchase | Included |
| AppleCare+ | Extends hardware coverage and adds accidental damage protection (with a service fee per incident) | Typically 2–3 years fixed, or monthly/annual until canceled | Paid |
| AppleCare (legacy / Protection Plan) | Extended hardware coverage and support, no accidental damage | Varies by product | Paid (mostly replaced by AppleCare+) |
The key distinction: the standard warranty covers things that break on their own — a battery that swells, a display with dead pixels, a charging port that stops working under normal use. AppleCare+ adds the stuff that's your fault: cracked screens, spilled coffee, drops onto concrete. If you don't have AppleCare+ and the damage is accidental, the limited warranty won't help — but a repair quote from Apple is still usually cheaper than a third-party guess.
Also worth knowing: an Apple battery that holds less than 80% of its original capacity within the coverage period is typically considered defective. Normal gradual battery aging is not.
Check your coverage in 30 seconds
Before you do anything else, find out exactly what you have. Go to checkcoverage.apple.com and enter your serial number. Apple will show your purchase date on file, whether the limited warranty is active, and any AppleCare plan attached to the device.
Where to find your serial number:
- iPhone / iPad: Settings › General › About
- Mac: Apple menu › About This Mac
- Apple Watch: Watch app › General › About
- AirPods: Settings › Bluetooth › tap the info icon next to your AirPods (or check the case lid)
- Won't turn on? The serial is on the original box and on the receipt or order confirmation email.
One gotcha: Apple's coverage clock starts from the estimated purchase date in their system, which is sometimes the date the device shipped from the factory channel, not the day you bought it. If the dates look wrong, your receipt fixes it — Apple will update the purchase date with valid proof of purchase. This is exactly why keeping receipts matters; if yours is long gone, our guide on claiming a warranty without a receipt covers your options.
Before you contact Apple: the 6-point checklist
Apple support is good, but they will walk you through a script. Do these six things first and you'll skip half the call:
- Back up the device. iCloud or computer backup — repairs and replacements often come back factory-fresh.
- Update to the latest software. If the bug survives an update, you've ruled out the most common fix.
- Note your serial number and the coverage status from checkcoverage.apple.com.
- Dig up proof of purchase — receipt, Apple order email, or card statement — especially if the purchase date on file looks off.
- Document the problem. Photos or a short screen recording of the defect, plus when it started.
- Know what you've tried. Restart, reset, restore — listing completed troubleshooting up front moves the conversation straight to a service decision.
One thing not to do: open the device or let an unauthorized shop poke around inside before you file. Unauthorized repairs are one of the fastest ways to complicate a claim — more on that in what voids a warranty.
How to file an Apple warranty claim, step by step
- Verify coverage at checkcoverage.apple.com so you know whether you're claiming under the limited warranty or AppleCare+.
- Back up and update the device (see the checklist above).
- Start the claim at support.apple.com. Pick your device, describe the issue, and Apple will route you to chat, a callback, a Genius Bar reservation, or a mail-in repair — whichever fits the problem.
- Choose your service channel. Genius Bar for hands-on diagnosis, mail-in if there's no store nearby, or remote support for software-flavored issues (next section compares them).
- Describe the defect factually. "The screen flickers on every app, and it persists after a restore" gets approved. "I think I might have bumped it once" gets a repair quote instead.
- Get a case number. Every Apple interaction generates one — save it. It carries your history to the next agent or the store.
- Approve the repair and track it. You'll get email updates; mail-in repairs typically take about a week door to door.
If you end up needing to put the claim in writing — say, for an escalation — our warranty claim email templates work for Apple too.
Genius Bar vs. mail-in vs. online support: which to pick
Genius Bar (in-store): Best when the problem is physical or intermittent — a technician can verify it on the spot, and same-day fixes (screens, batteries) are common at stores with parts in stock. Book through support.apple.com; walk-ins are a gamble.
Mail-in repair: Best when there's no Apple Store nearby or the repair needs a depot anyway (many Mac logic board issues do). Apple sends a box, you ship it free, and the device usually comes back within 5–8 business days. Downside: you're without the device the whole time.
Online / phone support: Best first stop when you're not sure it's hardware. Advisors can run remote diagnostics, and for some products (AirPods, Apple TV, accessories) they can ship a replacement without you ever visiting a store.
Pro tip: an Apple Authorized Service Provider (many Best Buy locations, for example) counts as authorized service and keeps your warranty intact — useful if the nearest Apple Store is hours away. Whatever channel you pick, the diagnosis is what matters: if Apple's tech confirms a manufacturing defect within the warranty window, the repair or replacement is free.
Your rights beyond the 1-year warranty
Apple's limited warranty isn't the ceiling on your protection — it's the floor. A few rights worth knowing:
- Consumer law can outlast the warranty. In many places, statutory consumer protection runs longer than one year — EU consumers typically have at least two years of legal guarantee, and several other countries have similar rules. Apple's own warranty documents acknowledge these rights sit alongside (not instead of) the warranty.
- In the US, implied warranties apply. The implied warranty of merchantability means a product has to work as a reasonable person expects — and a defect that shows up just outside the written warranty can sometimes still be covered. Our guide to implied warranty rights explains how to invoke this.
- Credit card purchase protection often extends the manufacturer's warranty by up to a year automatically. Check your card's benefits before paying for an out-of-warranty repair.
- Quality programs and recalls. Apple occasionally runs free service programs for known defects (keyboards, displays, batteries) that apply even after the warranty ends. It's worth a search before accepting a repair bill — and a habit of checking for product recalls in general.
If a claim is denied and you believe the defect is genuine, ask the advisor to document the denial reason in your case, then escalate politely — Apple reverses borderline calls more often than you'd think, especially when consumer law is mentioned accurately and calmly.
Never miss an Apple warranty deadline again
CoverKeep tracks your AppleCare and limited warranty dates, alerts you before they expire, and drafts your claim with AI. Free on the App Store.
Download CoverKeep FreeFrequently asked questions
Do I need AppleCare to make a warranty claim?
No. Every Apple product includes a one-year limited warranty covering manufacturing defects, with no purchase of AppleCare required. AppleCare+ matters when the damage is accidental (drops, spills) or when the defect appears after the first year.
Does the Apple warranty cover a cracked screen?
Not under the standard limited warranty — cracks are treated as accidental damage. AppleCare+ covers them for a per-incident service fee. Without AppleCare+, Apple will quote you an out-of-warranty repair price, which is often still cheaper than buying a new device.
Do I need a receipt for an Apple warranty claim?
Usually not — Apple ties coverage to your serial number and the purchase date in their system. You only need proof of purchase if their recorded date is wrong (common with gifts or retail-channel stock) or to register AppleCare after the fact. A receipt, order email, or card statement all work.
Is my battery covered by the Apple warranty?
A defective battery is covered — typically meaning it holds less than 80% of original capacity within your coverage period. Normal gradual wear is not a defect, so a two-year-old battery at 84% health is aging as designed, not failing.
Does buying a used or refurbished Apple product come with a warranty?
Apple Certified Refurbished products come with the same one-year limited warranty as new ones. A used device bought from a private seller keeps whatever time remains on its original coverage — check the serial at checkcoverage.apple.com before you buy.
What happens if my product fails just after the one-year warranty ends?
You still have options: AppleCare+ if you bought it, credit card warranty extensions, Apple quality programs for known defects, and in some cases implied warranty or consumer law claims. Just-out-of-warranty failures are exactly where a polite, well-documented escalation pays off.