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Apple Flags Unofficial iPhone Displays as Risky

Apple already flags unofficial iPhone batteries as requiring a service, now it's telling iPhone owners their unofficial display can't be verified.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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Apple is really starting to clamp down on iPhone repairs not carried out by an authorized technician. Back in August, unofficial batteries were flagged as requiring a service, now unofficial iPhone displays are being targeted.

Apple iPhone 11 unofficial display message

As Engadget reports, a new Apple support page has appeared entitled "About genuine iPhone displays." It explains how important using a genuine Apple display is on your iPhone and that any repairs should be carried out by a certified technician. Apparently not doing so can lead to a series of problems including multi-touch not working properly, touches registering unexpectedly, the display not turning off during calls, unintentional battery drain, brightness problems, and the list goes on.

Apple clearly doesn't want you opting for an unofficial repair and has gone so far as to display a message on all iPhone 11 models running iOS 13.1 if an unofficial display is detected. If you navigate to Settings > General > About on an iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max with an unofficial display fitted, the message "Important Display Message - Unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine Apple display" will be visible.

It's also made clear on the support page that the message doesn't "affect your ability to use your iPhone or your display." However, the message will be displayed for the first four days on your lock screen and then in the Settings app for 15 days after which point it will only appear on the About page.

Apple is not doing anything wrong here, but clearly it's hoping users who have an unofficial display fitted will see the message and pay (again) to have a genuine display instead. I doubt that's going to happen very often.

The repair options have opened up recently for Apple devices, but they are still tightly controlled by Apple. 1,000 Best Buy stores now offer official repairs and Apple is allowing independent iPhone repairs, but there are a few caveats.

About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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