Right to Repair: What It Means for Your Electronics in 2026

The Right to Repair movement has achieved significant legislative victories, with multiple states passing laws requiring manufacturers to provide parts, tools, and repair documentation to consumers and independent repair shops. These laws are reshaping how electronics are designed, sold, and maintained.

What Right to Repair Means

Right to Repair legislation typically requires manufacturers to:

1. Make parts available: Sell replacement parts to consumers and independent repair shops at fair prices. This includes batteries, screens, charging ports, and other commonly failing components.

2. Provide repair documentation: Release service manuals, diagnostic tools, and repair procedures that were previously restricted to authorized service centers.

3. Allow independent repair: Stop practices that prevent independent repair, such as software locks that disable functions after unauthorized part replacement (parts pairing).

Current State of Legislation

As of 2026, multiple states have enacted Right to Repair laws, with variations in scope. Some cover only smartphones and computers, while others extend to appliances, farm equipment, and medical devices. A federal Right to Repair bill is under consideration but has not yet passed.

The most significant impact has been on Apple, which launched its Self Service Repair program partially in response to legislative pressure. Apple now sells genuine parts, provides repair manuals, and rents diagnostic tools for many iPhone and Mac repairs.

What You Can Repair Yourself

Phone battery replacement: The most common phone repair. A degraded battery causes the top complaint about aging phones. Apple and Samsung now sell battery replacement kits with instructions.

Phone screen replacement: The second most common repair. OEM and third-party screens are widely available for popular phone models. A screen replacement that costs $50-80 in parts versus $200-300 at an authorized service center.

Laptop battery and SSD: Most laptops allow battery and storage replacement. A new SSD can breathe new life into a slow laptop for $50-100.

Appliance repairs: Washing machine pumps, dryer heating elements, dishwasher racks, and refrigerator water filters are all commonly repairable with parts available from manufacturers.

Tools You Need

A basic electronics repair kit covers most common repairs. The iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit includes precision screwdrivers, spudgers, suction cups, tweezers, and other tools needed for phone, tablet, and laptop repair. At around $70, it is a one-time investment that enables hundreds of dollars in repair savings.

iFixit: The Repair Resource

iFixit (ifixit.com) provides free, step-by-step repair guides for thousands of devices. Each guide includes photos of every step, difficulty ratings, and comments from community members with tips and troubleshooting. Before attempting any repair, check iFixit for a guide specific to your device model.

iFixit also rates device repairability on a 1-10 scale. When purchasing new electronics, checking the iFixit repairability score helps you choose devices designed for longevity rather than planned obsolescence.

The Sustainability Connection

Extending the useful life of electronics through repair is one of the most impactful sustainability actions an individual can take. Manufacturing a new smartphone generates approximately 70 kg of CO2. Replacing a $50 battery instead of buying a new $800 phone saves 70 kg of carbon emissions and $750.

Right to Repair is fundamentally a sustainability issue — making repair practical and affordable directly reduces electronic waste and the environmental impact of manufacturing replacement devices.

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