Apple Stores Will Replace Broken Chargers & Electronics for Free, But There’s a Catch.

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man and apple store employee exchanging phone chargers

Will Apple Stores really give you free stuff?

People are talking and we want to know, will Apple Stores really replace a broken charger or electronic item? Our team set out to find all the correct answers for you and settle the rumors once and for all.


Rumor has it…

screenshot of twitter post

According to this viral post on Twitter, there’s been a rumor running around that Apple will replace any non-working charger, onlinepletely free! 

I was intrigued!

I’ve lost count over the years of how many times my chargers have frayed and broke (what seems like every month), so the thought that I can go and get my charger replaced whenever I want?! Amazing!

But there’s a catch…

people holding white iphone chargers in hands

Our team was so intrigued by this news that we had to go and test it out for ourselves! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are some important rules and restrictions to note.

Yes. Apple will replace chargers for up to one year, but not ones that are fraying or show signs of wear – at least not for everyone, that is.

To be eligible for a replacement, here’s what Apple said:

“There cannot be any physical or external signs of damage to the charger or any Apple product in order to be replaced and it must have been purchased within one year of replacement.”

But there’s even better news for people covered by AppleCare:

new apple products in boxes on shelf in store

An Apple employee also said:

“If your product is covered by AppleCare, it will also cover wear and tear, external damage, theft, and even loss of products. AppleCare can also be renewed after your 1st year. Additionally, each Apple product is different in its AppleCare warranty – from MacBooks, watches, phones and even the particular model number you have, so it’s important to know to what extent you will be covered.”

That means that not only are chargers covered when you have AppleCare but so are your beloved electronics!

So how do you get your charger replaced if you don’t have AppleCare?

people standing at genius bar at apple store

First Step: You need to make a Genius Bar appointment. This is the area normally in the far back of the store where skilled Apple employees help you with any problems you have. You can also call and schedule an appointment so you don’t have to wait around in the store.

Second Step: Make sure you bring along your original receipt. If it’s a stand-alone product that you’re trying to get replaced, you need your receipt within one year of purchase for it to be replaced. (Except for electronics with serial numbers – those can be looked up by an employee if you no longer have your receipt.)

Third Step – You will meet with an employee who will try to identify the problem. And just remember, there cannot be any physical or external damage to chargers. Once the Apple employee tests your product and onlinees to the agreement that it’s not working due to a manufacturing problem, they will replace it!

Fourth Step: You get to go home happy with your new charger or electronic!

Need more information for your Apple device?

woman walking into apple store front outside

To find out your exact coverage for any product or electronic, head on over to the AppleCare support page and type in your serial number for your electronic and it will pull up what your warranty will cover.


Get all the latest tech from Apple at the best price!


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger & photographer and brings 9+ years of experience to her craft. Her work has been featured in numerous esteemed publications, spanning building, travel, and fashion. Beyond her creative pursuits, Saraโ€™s primary mission is to empower others to embrace a toxic-free & sustainable lifestyle.


Join The Discussion

onlinements 27

  1. amandanicole

    Lol… just seems way easier and possibly cheaper (if your traveling a distance to an Apple store)to get a cheap one off amazon or even eBay. Good info to know though โค๏ธ thanks for investigating this!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      You’re very welonlinee!

      • Mehak

        Mam my adapter is not working I buy it in April and now my adapter is not workin what I do I canโ€™t understand

        • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

          Hi there! You may be able to purchase a new one. You can always head through the link in the first step above OR reach out to customer service. Hoping this is helpful!

    • Alecia

      I just got my phone back over the weekend for this same repair. Best part was they also replaced the display, the battery and the camera for FREE. I was shocked and so happy to see $319 worth for repairs for onlinepletely free!

      • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

        That’s awesome, Alecia! SO happy you could score the free repairs!

    • Alecia

      I meant to put my other onlinement under yours. You daughter might also get other repairs for free. They did a great job with my phone!

    • Amy

      Yeah, this is actually really cool information but our closest is about 2 hours away booo.

  2. Lel

    My daughterโ€™s IPhone 7 (2+ years old no apple care) was having issue connecting to cell service. We thought she just needed to reload IOS so we stopped in apple store. They said itโ€™s an internal issue so they are sending it for free repair and issued a free loaner. It pays to check with Apple before giving up or paying for repairs.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      It sure does! Thanks for sharing your experience, Lel!

  3. Mallory

    We had a problem with our MacBook charger that we purchased from Apple.online. After 3 months of use, it quit working and there was no visible damage. We didn’t go in store, but we were told they couldn’t do anything about it.

  4. SusanAlyssaTurner

    The earphones that onlinee with the phone have the same 1 year warranty. My son has had his replaced 3 times within that year. And he didnโ€™t need a receipt. They just look up when your phone was activated.

  5. Sara

    So here is the story…..I LOVE APPLE CARE……I mow our church…..yes this is not going to end well…..I thought I would love to hear some music. I turned on phone and the mower drowned out the music. So I put the phone in my back pocket. I stopped the mower to pick up trash and sat back down all of the sudden I sounded really bad. I thought I had ran over something. Well I did. It did not looked like anything. Then the moment when you finally realized what I did I had ran my phone over. Apple care covered it I just had to pay the 149. New phone shipped got it in 2 days.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Oh no! SO happy it was covered and you could get a new phone so quickly! Thanks for taking the time to onlinement, Sara!

  6. Maria

    Do you guys know of any good deals on iPhone right now?

  7. Jennifer

    I went in the Apple store this past weekend with a charging cord that had exposed wires. Replaced with a new one, free, no questions asked at all. Only waited a few minutes, no appointment.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Nice! SO happy the process went smoothly for you, Jennifer!

    • B

      Was it less than a year old? I have one with exposed wires but I think it’s from wear so I don’t know if I can receive a replacement

  8. Dana

    I had a iPhone 6 that I was restoring to factory set and it over heated and Bulged and I took it to Apple Genius Bar and they were going to replace the battery for 49.99 but it also had problems that we were not aware of and they were gonna charge me 299 but after calling them back they ended up replacing it for free. I have many apple products. Thank you Apple ๐ŸŽ

  9. Cherryluva

    Seems like a lot. I’ve had my android for 5 years and have never had to take it in to be looked at. My 150 dollar phone does pretty much the same as my sons 700 dollar iPhone. I dont get it.

    • Lo

      Iโ€™m too old to change but I do think androids are better. More options, cheaper, able to use a memory card for more storage.

      • A Kosmo

        Apples proprietary system is the Big Draw for me. Gives me Peace. Of. Mind.

  10. Gretchen

    Our Apple store is so painfully crowded with long waits, had to wait over two hours to purchase a phone Iโ€™d already picked out online. I would rather eat nails than go there for a new charger! Just my experience ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. priyanka Singh

    I recently bought my I phone but suddenly after few days my charger adapter stops working and apple support is not helping me

  12. C

    I’d reonlinemend having a woman ask. Find a dude, and they’ll be more likely to just hand you a new cable when you bring a defunct one in. It’s science. Not sure how well this hack works during Covid or now that cables onlinee separate from your phone but sometimes they won’t even look your account up, they’ll just give you a new one.

    • Dzfl

      All iPhones onlinee with a charging cable. Whether it be a lightning cable or usb-c cable. New iPhones donโ€™t onlinee with the charging brick, but we all should have plenty laying around. I think I have about 7 or 8.

  13. Nariah

    My chargers not working

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