How to choose a phone repair shop and what to record at hand-over

What to take away

This guide is for UK readers choosing between the maker, an authorised partner and an independent shop. It does not rank businesses. For the pros and cons of each route, see the comparison of smartphone repair routes.

What the parts words mean

Shops use "OEM", "genuine", "original", "compatible" and "refurbished" in different ways. Our article on OEM, aftermarket and salvaged parts compared sets out the usual categories. For choosing a shop, only one question matters: can the shop show what it fitted?

On iPhones the phone can tell you. From iOS 15.2, Settings > General > About shows a Parts and Service History section for repaired phones. Apple lists four labels (Apple Support):

Apple says which parts the history covers depends on the model. In April 2024 Apple announced that customers and independent repair providers would be able to use used genuine parts in repairs, starting with select iPhone models, and that a part taken from a device with Activation Lock or Lost Mode enabled would have its calibration capabilities restricted (Apple Newsroom). Editorial suggestion: a used genuine part can be legitimate, but only if the shop discloses it.

Editorial suggestion: for Android phones, ask the shop to name the part supplier and brand, and keep the invoice line. This article cites no maker-run label that works across Android models.

Manufacturer programmes in the UK

Apple. Apple says repairs by Apple and Apple Authorised Service Providers are covered by Apple's warranty. Independent Repair Providers have access to genuine Apple parts, but their repairs are not covered by Apple's warranty or AppleCare, though the provider may give its own warranty (Apple Support). Apple's UK programme page says participating companies must use Apple-certified technicians and that it is accepting applications from businesses in the United Kingdom (Apple Support). Whether a given shop is in the programme is something you can check: Apple's repair provider verification page lets you look up a provider by country and city.

Samsung. Samsung's UK self-repair page says you can book a repair with one of its Authorised Service Partners (Samsung UK). In November 2022 Samsung UK announced it had accredited iSmash as an Authorised Service Partner for selected out-of-warranty Galaxy repairs, using genuine parts sourced directly from Samsung (Samsung Newsroom). That announcement is from 2022, so confirm current status with Samsung before relying on it. For its self-repair programme, Samsung says damage caused by an attempted repair is not covered by the warranty.

Google Pixel. Google says you can buy genuine Pixel parts from iFixit, lists the United Kingdom as supported, and recommends self-repair only for people with relevant technical experience. It states that anyone repairing the phone themselves assumes the risk (Pixel Help). Find the official source for walk-in repair options on Google's own repair pages; the page cited here covers self-repair only.

Questions to ask, and the evidence to request

Editorial suggestion: ask these before you leave the phone, and write down the answers.

Editorial suggestion: useful evidence includes a written quote naming the part type, an invoice or order line for the part, and a dated receipt that states the warranty. After the repair on an iPhone, check Parts and Service History to see whether the label matches what the shop said.

Editorial suggestion: walk away when a shop will not say which part it fits, will not put it in writing, or will not give a price before opening the phone. See the guide to repair quote problems for how estimates and extra charges go wrong.

Your rights when the shop gets it wrong

These apply to services bought from a trader in the UK under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Our guide to the Consumer Rights Act and failed repairs covers the process in depth.

A manufacturer warranty is a separate matter. Ask the maker what a third-party repair does to your cover. Apple and Samsung both state, in the pages cited above, how repairs by others affect their warranties.

The hand-over record

Make this record before the phone leaves your hands. Editorial suggestion: copy it into your notes app, or ask the shop to give you a printed copy.

1. Identify the phone. Write down the make, model, storage size, colour, serial number and IMEI. Photograph the front, back, edges, ports and existing damage in good light. If the phone has a swollen or damaged battery, tell the shop. The Post Office says damaged batteries cannot be sent through UK mail, so do not post such a phone for repair; see our guide to swollen phone battery disposal.

2. Describe the fault. Write what you see, when it began, and what you tried. Keep facts apart from guesses about the cause.

3. Back up first. For an iPhone, Apple's service preparation page says to back up, confirm iCloud has finished syncing, turn off Apple Cash, remove cards and passes from Wallet, and check Parts and Service History for any part marked "Finish Repair" (Apple Support). Assume the phone may come back erased. Open a few files from the backup to prove it works.

4. Handle account locks as the maker instructs. Apple's page says that on iOS 26 or earlier you turn off Find My, and that on iOS 27 or later you use the Repair or Trade In option in the Find My app. It also says Apple and Authorised Service Providers will not ask for your passcode or account password (Apple Support). For other makes, follow the maker's own instructions and do not hand over passwords casually.

5. Agree the money. Write the diagnostic fee, whether it comes off the repair price, and a maximum total including tax and any postage. State that extra work needs your approval in writing.

6. Agree the parts and the warranty. Record the part type and supplier, the warranty on parts and on labour as separate periods, and whether your old part is returned. Agree what the shop may do with your data. If you are worried about personal files, read our note on data recovery and privacy after repair.

7. List what you hand over. Phone, case, SIM or memory card, charger. Photograph them beside the signed receipt.

At collection, check that the serial number matches, test the original fault, and look over the exterior before leaving. Check calls, charging, cameras, display and speakers. Keep the receipt and the written warranty until the warranty period ends.

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