iFixit Confirms Third-Party iPhone 13 Screen Repairs Will Break Face ID

If your iPhone 13 display ever gets damaged and you need to get it repaired, you might need to fork out more money to get it fixed by Apple. This is because according to a report from iFixit, they have confirmed that fixing the iPhone 13’s display through third-party services will essentially break Face ID.

According to the website, they claim that this is because of a Tic-Tac sized microcontroller found on the bottom of the display. “The iPhone 13 is paired to its screen using this small microcontroller, in a condition repair techs often call ‘serialization.’ Apple has not provided a way for owners or independent shops to pair a new screen.”

They note that because only official repair stores and technicians have access to proprietary software which allows them to sync up the serial numbers. “Authorized technicians with access to proprietary software, Apple Services Toolkit 2, can make new screens work by logging the repair to Apple’s cloud servers and syncing the serial numbers of the phone and screen.”

What this means is that while you could get a new display from a third-party store, it will come at the expense of Face ID no longer working. Given that first-party repairs are a lot more expensive, this is bad news for customers who are hoping they won’t have to go down that route, but unfortunately it looks like customers will have no choice now.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: face id, iPhone, iphone 13, Security, Social Hit