California Appeals Court Revives 2022 Lawsuit Accusing Apple of Hindering Independent Repairs

A California appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit originally filed in 2022, in which the plaintiffs accuse Apple of discouraging consumers from using third-party repair services for cracked iPhone screens. In recent years, Apple has gradually relaxed restrictions on hardware repairs outside its ecosystem, allowing more repair work to be done by non-Apple channels. However, the company still faces legal challenges stemming from its earlier policies.

A document filed in August 2026 by the Sixth Appellate District of California shows that a three-judge panel overturned a lower court's dismissal of the case, allowing it to proceed. Plaintiffs Jesse Granato and Janice Zarad said that in 2021, Apple employees told them that using third-party repair services would void their device warranties. The two said this prompted them to pay Apple for screen repairs through official channels. The lawsuit accuses Apple of raising the cost of independent repairs in multiple ways, including withholding parts, repair manuals, and software from third parties, and allegedly tying warranty coverage to the use of authorized repair shops.

The Santa Clara County Superior Court had previously sided with Apple, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing under California's Unfair Competition Law and dismissing the case. The California appeals court reversed that conclusion in 2026. In a unanimous ruling, the appellate court said that, based on the plaintiffs' complaint, Apple's practices at the time "would cause substantial consumer harm by enabling Apple to charge excessive repair fees or by encouraging consumers to replace rather than repair products, thereby boosting demand for new products."

Acting Presiding Justice Cynthia Lee also noted that the plaintiffs could not show that any benefits from Apple's repair policies outweighed the harm they caused. The panel therefore found that the plaintiffs had stated sufficient claims for unfair competition. The plaintiffs also sought to allege violations of California's Right to Repair Act, passed in 2024. However, the appeals court noted that the law was enacted after the original complaint was filed. Notably, Apple actually supported this legislation.

In addition, the plaintiffs brought claims under the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975, alleging that Apple refused warranty service for devices repaired elsewhere and directed authorized repair shops to do the same. Justice Lee said the plaintiffs had not yet sufficiently proven that Apple violated that law, but the court found that the alleged conduct ran contrary to the law's legislative intent. The lawsuit is now reinstated and remanded to the lower court for further proceedings.