iPhone 13 disables Face ID if you get a third-party screen repair

Apple has made reparability worse on iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 disables the Face ID if the screen is replaced by a third-party repair shop, an investigation into the security measures put in place by the tech giant for its latest line of phones has found.

The investigation, conducted by popular DIY and repair YouTube channel iFixit, found that if the repair is done without the tools authorised by Apple, the Face ID function won’t work.

"This unprecedented lockdown is unique to Apple. It’s totally new in the iPhone 13, and hard to understand as a security measure, given that the Face ID illuminator is entirely separate from the screen," writes iFixit's Kevin Purdy.

Apple already faces the ire of third-party repair shops that accuse the Cupertino-headquartered company of deliberately making it difficult to repair their devices.

"It is likely the strongest case yet for right to repair laws. And it’s all because of a chip about the size of a Tic-Tac, tucked into the bottom of a screen," Purdy said.

The "Right to Repair" movement by third-party repair shops puts at the centre customers’ right to get their devices repaired where they want.

Apple does not want to loosen its grip on the repair market possibly for security reasons but also as an added source of revenue.

What's worrying for consumers is the copy-cat effect. Samsung has already making its devices harder to repair.

If repair shops want to continue to deal with Apple devices, they need to sign up to the company’s network that has been criticised for imposing mandates on shops in exchange for Apple certified tools.