Apple Care and Apple Care+: What Is It and Do You Need It?

AppleCare is a year-long limited warranty included with the purchase of most Apple products. AppleCare+ is a paid extension of AppleCare that also expands its coverage to cover accidents and other forms of damage. 

Buying an Apple product, like an iPhone 15 or a MacBook, is a serious investment. It’s important to know how Apple protects that investment and how you can add more protection if you choose. AppleCare can help if your device is damaged or not working properly. 

We’ll go over AppleCare and AppleCare+ and find what each program covers. Plus, we'll look at how much each service costs and help you decide if you need the upgraded protection plan.

What is AppleCare?

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AppleCare is the basic limited warranty that comes with the purchase of many Apple products. There is no charge for AppleCare. Apple includes the following with AppleCare:

• One year of coverage
• 90 days of technical support
• Repair or replacement due to damages caused by defects or manufacturing that occur during normal use 

AppleCare does not cover damages that are:

• Not caused by defects or manufacturing
• Due to:
  • Accidents
  • Misuse
  • Fire
  • Liquid 
  • Earthquake
  • Other external causes
• Caused by third-party repair services

What does AppleCare cover?

AppleCare is a standard hardware warranty for Apple's products. It mainly covers manufacturer defects such as:

• Poorly performing battery
• Non-functional charging port
• Defects in case materials
• Flickering screen

How much does AppleCare cost?

AppleCare is free with most Apple products when you purchase the device. Typically, your iPhone will have AppleCare automatically, no matter where you purchase your device from.This includes carriers, third-party retailers, and Apple itself. 

What is AppleCare+?

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AppleCare+ is an extended warranty for many major Apple products. Unlike the included AppleCare coverage, AppleCare+ does not come with the purchase of an Apple product—you will have to pay an additional fee for the added protection of AppleCare+. 

Each device has a different cost associated with AppleCare+. Cheaper devices like AirPods only cost an annual fee of $14.99 for coverage. On the other hand, a 16-inch MacBook Pro would cost $149.99 to cover for a year. 

What does AppleCare+ cover?

AppleCare+ coverage is more extensive than AppleCare. It includes everything covered by AppleCare, as well as:

• Accidental damage and repair
• Screen damage
• Water damage
• Express Replacement Service
• 24/7 priority access to technical support

If you want protection against possible loss or theft of your iPhone, you can pay a little extra for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss.

How much does AppleCare+ cost?

Prices for AppleCare+ vary by product. Here are some examples to give you an idea of what you might expect to pay for AppleCare+:

Note: Apple may offer multi-year bundles at lower monthly rates depending on your product.

AppleCare+ deductibles and service fees

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Because AppleCare is a limited warranty, covering mostly manufacturing defects and flaws, you do not need to pay a deductible for any repairs or replacements that AppleCare covers. 

If you have AppleCare+ and need to replace or repair your phone due to damage not covered by the AppleCare warranty, you may need to pay a deductible like you would with a cell phone insurance plan. Deductibles or service fees vary depending on the situation. Here are a few examples:

• iPhone screen repair: $29
• Other iPhone accidental damage: $99
• iPhone theft or loss replacement: $149

How to get your Apple device repaired or replaced

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When you need service on your Apple device, the simplest thing to do is to start a service request online or call the AppleCare phone number at (800) 275-2273. You can also start an iMessage chat with AppleCare support through the Support app. 

Apple will advise you on whether or not AppleCare or AppleCare Plus covers your request. Once you have provided all the relevant information, Apple will direct you to the best course of action, which may include sending your device to Apple, visiting an Apple store, or finding an Apple-authorized service provider.

iPhone Express Replacement Service

To request an iPhone replacement (via AppleCare+), visit Apple’s Express Replacement Service page. Be ready to sign in with your Apple ID.

AppleCare+ vs. Carrier insurance

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Each of the major phone carriers (and many of the smaller carriers) offers some form of cell phone insurance. You may be wondering what the difference is between AppleCare+ and carrier-offered insurance like AT&T Protect Advantage. 

First, it’s important to understand that AppleCare+ is an extended warranty and not insurance. What’s the difference? Usually, the biggest difference between a warranty and insurance is that warranties cover damages that might occur from regular use while insurance tends to cover unforeseen events. AppleCare+ is almost a hybrid of warranty and insurance because its coverage extends to accidents, but it is still technically a warranty because it continues the basic coverage of the AppleCare warranty.

So, is AppleCare+ better than carrier insurance from the likes of Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and other carriers? Be sure to check out what the carriers offer. Oftentimes, they add additional features like spam blocking and security that you might find valuable. If these added features are appealing to you, then going with a carrier's insurance might be the right choice. Additionally, you may find the carrier includes AppleCare with its protection service, like the Protection<360> plan on T-Mobile's JUMP! On Demand. 

Is AppleCare+ worth it?

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This question is hard to answer because it depends on you. WhistleOut's Senior Staff Writer Max McCaskill has AppleCare+ on all of his Apple devices. That includes an iPhone 14 Pro, AirPods 4, and a 14-inch MacBook Pro.  

"I was an AppleCare skeptic until I used it the first time," Max said. "Now I've used AppleCare+ to replace the battery in my iPhone for free after its battery health dipped below 80%. AppleCare+ greatly extended the life of my phone and was cheaper than having to buy a new device." Considering other Apple products, Max added: "I've also used AppleCare's regular technical warranty to replace a set of AirPods with a defective battery. While I had to ship them in for testing and talk to customer service on the phone, it was worth it to get a new pair for free."

To determine if AppleCare+ is worth it for you, think about your history with computers and electronics. Have you had multiple accidents in the past that forced costly repairs? Can you afford to pay for a repair out of pocket completely? If you are an iPhone user, does paying $29 for a screen repair sound much better than paying $300+?

You might consider doing some math. If AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss costs $13.99/month for an iPhone 16 Pro, and you keep it for a year before needing repairs or replacement, you’ll already have paid $161.88. Then let’s say you lose the phone and need it replaced. You’ll have to pay $149. That’s kind of like a total of $310.88 you spent to replace that phone. This is much cheaper than buying a new iPhone 15 Pro, which seems worth it. 

On the other hand, consider that you are betting against yourself to lose or break your phone. Imagine paying $161.88 for the extended warranty but never needing it. That’s a lot of money to spend for a little peace of mind. 

AppleCare+ alternatives

If you don't want to pay for AppleCare+, you can still protect your phone with insurance and device safety precautions.

Most carriers offer phone insurance for a low monthly rate. It'll cover things like accidental damage to your phone and other out-of-warranty issues. However, while cheaper than AppleCare+, you're still paying for this service.

You can also protect your device from damage in the first place by purchasing things like screen protectors and phone cases. While no method is completely foolproof, these tools may just save your phone the next time you drop it.

Need a new iPhone?

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If, unfortunately, you damaged your phone before you were able to get AppleCare+ to cover the damages, it could be time for a new iPhone. The good news is, new iPhones have some of the best cameras, batteries, and processors available. The bad news is that they can be expensive.

Verizon often extends great trade-in deals for devices even if they are damaged. If your timing is right, you may be able to take advantage. Otherwise, check out these current iPhone offerings or take a look at our picks for the current best iPhone deals: