Apple watches can be expensive to both purchase and fix. You can’t take one of these smart watches to a watch repair shop. Instead you need to go to an Apple store, computer repair, or cell phone store. There are a variety of common issues with the Apple watch related to battery life, broken screens, lost data and Bluetooth sync. Below I will discuss where to get an Apple watch fixed, the most reported problems, warranty information, and how the Apple watch repair near me operates.
Apple Watch Repair Near Me – Find a Repair Shop
If you are looking for “Apple Watch Repair Near Me”, use the map below…
For an Apple watch you will need to visit an Apple store, cell phone store, or computer shop. There are places like Best Buy who are authorized Apple service centers who can handle your repair. You can’t take these into your standard watch repair. You may find a few one of watch shops that do some minor work like screen repair, but those are not common.
How to Select The Best Apple Watch Repair Shop
When choosing a Apple watch repair service you need to be selective. The place you choose should be certified by Apple and familiar with which ever series of Apple watch you own. Depending on who you choose may impact your warranty and if you pay for Apple Care you might not be covered. Before you have any old shop perform work, you should ask about their credentials and the risks.
Ideally you want to find an authorized Apple service center. That doesn’t mean it has to be an Apple store. Any authorized business can honor your warranty and your Apple Care if you pay for it.
Below is how to find an authorized Apple watch repair near me…
Option 1: Check Locally for an Authorized Apple Repair Shop
The Google map above focuses on places authorized to work on Apple products. If you can go to an Apple store that should always be your top choice. That isn’t practical for everyone, so outside of that choose an authorized repair service.
If you still aren’t clear on who is authorized, you can check with your cell phone carriers store. For example if you have AT&T your cell phone store may be authorized to perform repairs on your watch.
Now my local cell phone store won’t fix my Series 6, but they will send it away on my behalf for repairs. They will handle everything from shipping to receiving it back and call me when it’s complete. They are also good at working through some basic issues such as data loss and Bluetooth sync issues. In my experience they will also ask you to bring your cell phone as well as it is part of the troubleshooting.
Option 2: Contact Apple Support
Apple support is your next best option if you can’t get to a local authorized repair shop. They will do some troubleshooting online, but for bigger issues you will need to mail in your watch to them. If you have Apple Care this is typically covered. Also if you warranty is still good, if the issue turns out to be a manufacturer’s defect a craftsmanship issue you are covered.
Things that go wrong with the watch that you may have caused will not be covered like a cracked screen or broken crown. Coverage may depend on the level of Apple Care you pay for. If you want to look at the warranty, check out the Apple Watch warranty here.
Mailing in Your Watch
If you need to send away your watch, you will need to:
- Remove the band before you send it in.
- If the devices is still paired to your cell, unpair it.
- Check that your watch has the latest firmware installed.
- Backup your Cellphone, which will also back up your watch data.
- Include the original receipt with date of purchase (if you are looking for warranty coverage).
- Set up a repair request on Apple Support.
The process to mail in your Apple watch is all managed online. You will fill out a form, go through some basic troubleshooting, and document the issues you are having. They will give you detailed instructions if it needs to be sent in or brought to an Apple store. If you have to ship it, make sure to insure the package for the value of your Apple Watch.
Once they receive it, you will e notified. A technician will look at your watch and determine the problem. They will let you know if the issue is covered by warranty or falls under your Apple Care if you pay for that service. For issues not covered by Apple Care or the warranty they will estimate the cost of the repair. They will not do any work until you say you want the work done. If you think the repair is too much money they will return it back to you at no cost.
Option 3: General Cell Phone Store
If the other options are not viable solutions, you could try a cell phone store. Places that advertise we fix broken phone screens often also fix Apple watches to a certain degree. Since the tech inside is generally the same as a phone, these business can fix common issues. Just bear in mind your local cell phone store may not be an authorized service center. This means they can’t honor your warranty, they can’t honor your Apple Care, and they may in fact void your warranty by working on it.
Option 4: DIY
This is always my least favorite option. I do not advise you to open your Apple Watch on your own. Your best bet is to find a pro technician. With that being said some of you are going to open up the watch anyway. You may do more damage then you started with and you will certainly void your warranty. If you are comfortable though with cell phones and tech…then have at it.
The only two simple fixes I recommend doing on your own are:
- Restart the device
- Unpair the Bluetooth from your iPhone and then re-sync it.
Apple Authorized Service Center Repairs
If you have to send in your watch it likely will take between 3 to 5 weeks for the work to be completed. It’s a little bit faster if you actually go in person to an Apple store. Sending your watch is mostly done through online communication. If you go to a store it’s a much better experience talking to an Apple Genius.
The Most Reported Issues With Apple Watches
Every smart device has issues. So the same can be said for the watches since the internal tech is the same According to the Apple Watch repair near me, here are the 2 issues they deal with the most.
Battery Issues
Being the battery is significantly smaller then your cell phones battery it doesn’t last as long. Much of this is related to the fact that the Bluetooth causes a battery drain and the more you access the screen display the faster the power drains. While battery life has gotten better since the Series 1, it continues to be a sore spot for consumers.
Cracked or Scratched Screens
Similar to a cell phone screen an Apple watch screen will shatter or get severely scratched up. While replacing a screen isn’t that difficult and only takes about 15 minutes to do it is one of the most repairs requested. A lot more people are beginning to fix cracked screen on their own.
Additional Resources
Here are some other resources to consider to trouble shoot your watch…
Apple Watch Repair Near Me – Wrap Up
Ideally you want to make sure anyone who operates on your Apple watch is an authorized technician. This is especially true if your warranty is still active and you pay for Apple Care. Outside of an Apple store there are other places that are authorized to fix Apple watches. If you consider those options you should ask them if they are an Apple authorized service center. If they are not it will void your warranty. This is what I have learned from the Apple Watch repair near me.
