Apple’s hardware warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship on Apple-branded hardware and accessories for one year from the original purchase date, entitling the owner to a free repair, replacement, or refund at Apple’s choice.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US It does not cover accidental damage, software problems, cosmetic wear, or anything that goes wrong because of unauthorized service. Everything else about the coverage flows from those two sentences.
What Counts as a Covered Defect
The warranty applies to Apple-branded hardware and the Apple-branded accessories that came in the original product box. The covered problems are manufacturing defects: issues with how the product was built, not how it was used.2Apple. Apple Limited Warranty – EMEA A display that fails on its own, a speaker that stops working, a logic board that gives out, a camera that quits without being dropped — these are the kinds of problems the warranty is designed for.
Batteries are covered when they are genuinely defective. Apple designs its batteries to retain up to 80 percent of their original capacity within a set number of charge cycles: 500 for iPhone 14 and earlier, and 1,000 for iPhone 15 and later, as well as for iPads, MacBooks, and Apple Watches.3Apple. Battery Service and Recycling A battery that degrades through ordinary use is treated as a consumable part and falls outside the warranty, but a battery that fails because of a manufacturing flaw is covered.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US
The one-year term is the same across every product category in the United States.4Apple Support. Check Your Apple Warranty Status A Mac Pro and a pair of AirPods carry the same standard coverage. Two places get longer terms built in: the United Kingdom and Ireland, where Apple provides a two-year warranty,5Apple. Apple Two-Year Limited Warranty – UK and Ireland and Türkiye, where the standard is also two years. Apple Certified Refurbished products carry the same one-year coverage as new hardware.6Apple. About Apple Certified Refurbished
What the Warranty Will Not Pay For
The exclusions are where most denied claims come from. Apple’s warranty does not cover:
- Accidental damage, including drops, spills, cracked screens, and liquid contact. Apple places Liquid Contact Indicators inside its devices that change color when exposed to water, and a triggered indicator can be used to deny warranty service.7Apple Support. Liquid Contact Indicators in iPhone and iPod
- Cosmetic damage such as scratches, dents, and broken port plastic, unless it resulted from a manufacturing defect.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US
- Software of any kind, including macOS, iOS, and preinstalled Apple apps. Apple disclaims any guarantee that the device will operate without interruption or error.2Apple. Apple Limited Warranty – EMEA
- Damage caused by service or modifications performed by anyone other than Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US
- Damage caused by third-party components that do not meet Apple’s specifications.
- Normal wear and tear from ordinary use.
- Products with missing or altered serial numbers.
On the liquid indicator question specifically, if you believe your device was never exposed to water, Apple’s guidance is to ask for an inspection at an Apple Store or authorized provider rather than accept a denial over the phone.7Apple Support. Liquid Contact Indicators in iPhone and iPod
One important point on third-party repairs: the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents manufacturers from voiding a warranty just because a consumer used an independent shop or aftermarket parts. Apple can deny coverage only if it can show that the third-party repair itself caused the specific problem you are claiming.8Consumer Action. Smartphone Warranties
What You Get When a Claim Is Approved
Apple’s remedies under the warranty are three, and the choice among them belongs to Apple, not to the owner: repair the device with new or previously used genuine Apple parts, replace it with a new or equivalent unit, or refund the purchase price.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US
To open a claim, confirm the device is still in its warranty window using Apple’s online coverage checker,9Apple Support. Apple Repair contact Apple Support with the problem, and then choose a service route: the Genius Bar at an Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or mail-in with a prepaid shipping kit.10Apple Support. iPhone Repair and Service
Back up first. Apple states that the contents of the device’s storage will be erased and reformatted during warranty service, and it is not responsible for lost data, software, or passwords.2Apple. Apple Limited Warranty – EMEA
A replacement part or device is covered for whichever is longer: the remainder of the original warranty, or 90 days from the date of the replacement.10Apple Support. iPhone Repair and Service
International Limits on Warranty Service
The warranty is not fully portable. For iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, HomePods, and Apple Vision Pro, Apple may restrict service to the country where the device was originally sold.1Apple. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – US When international service is available, parts availability can vary and the owner pays any import duties, taxes, or shipping costs.
How the Standard Warranty Differs From AppleCare
The included one-year warranty handles manufacturing defects and comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support. AppleCare+ and the newer AppleCare One are paid plans that do more: ongoing hardware coverage on a subscription basis, accidental damage protection with service fees, battery replacement once capacity falls below 80 percent, and 24/7 priority support.11Apple. AppleCare AppleCare plans are optional add-ons; the standard warranty is what every buyer gets by default.
Apple’s Self Service Repair program is a separate matter from the warranty. Its parts and tools carry their own limited warranties — 60 days for parts and one year for tools — but that coverage does not extend to the device being repaired, and Apple does not provide technical support for the repair itself.12Apple Self Service Repair. Warranty Policy
Rights That Go Beyond Apple’s Written Warranty
The warranty document is a floor, not a ceiling. Several laws add protections Apple cannot override.
Under Magnuson-Moss, a company that offers a written warranty cannot disclaim implied warranties entirely. Because Apple’s warranty is “limited,” it can tie the duration of implied warranties to the one-year express term, but it cannot eliminate them.13FTC. Businesspersons Guide to Federal Warranty Law The implied warranty of merchantability, carried through state law under the Uniform Commercial Code, means the product must be free of significant defects and work the way a reasonable buyer would expect.8Consumer Action. Smartphone Warranties
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act adds specific manufacturer duties: repair facilities reasonably close to where products are sold, automatic extension of the warranty period by any time the device spends in repair, and a refund or replacement if a reasonable number of repair attempts fail.8Consumer Action. Smartphone Warranties Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Washington are among the states that prohibit “as is” sales stripped of implied warranty protection.
In the European Union, consumers get a legal guarantee of at least two years that exists independently of any manufacturer warranty and cannot be overridden by one. A commercial warranty must be disclosed as additional to, not a replacement for, the statutory guarantee.14European Commission. Consumer Guarantees Apple’s own warranty page states that its one-year warranty operates “in addition to” these statutory rights.15Apple. Statutory Rights
Free Repairs Outside the One-Year Window
Apple sometimes runs service programs for specific defects discovered after a product launch, and these programs cover eligible devices even if the original warranty has expired. As of mid-2026, active programs include a Mac mini service program for a no-power issue announced in June 2025 and an iPhone 14 Plus service program for a rear camera issue announced in November 2024, alongside several older programs for batteries and power adapters.16Apple Support. Service Programs Each has its own eligibility window, so a device with a symptom that matches a known defect is worth checking against Apple’s current list before paying for a repair.