Apple says it will no longer repair stolen iPhones at Apple Stores

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Apple is cracking down on people who possess stolen or lost iPhones. The company has now begun to decline repairs at its Apple Stores and other authorized service providers on any devices that show up as missing in the GSMA database.

Apple recently sent a memo out to its stores and authorized service providers that MacRumors obtained. The memo explained that if an Apple technician receives a message on their systems saying the device is reported missing, then they must decline the repair.

The company will use the GSMA global device registry to determine whether or not a device is missing. Users can register the IEMI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) with the GSMA. They can then report their device as stolen or lost.

READ MORE: Apple will now let you buy parts to repair your iPhone

When entering an iPhone’s IMEI, an Apple system will send a message to the technician. The message notifies them if someone has reported the device as missing.

Apple’s previous repair policy declined repairs for any device that could not deactivate the Find My feature.

With this latest policy, the company has expanded its efforts to try and stop users from stealing and using stolen iPhones that didn’t have Find My activated.

This definitely sounds like a good move from Apple, although it could potentially disrupt the legitimate second-hand market for iPhones. And users will still be able to go to third-party repair shops that don’t care where they got the phone.

READ MORE: Apple’s new self-repair service sounds like an absolute nightmare

Still, it’s nice to see that Apple is putting forth the effort to try and slow down iPhone thieves with its new repair policy.

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