iFixit has returned to the App Store with a free repair app built around an AI system designed to diagnose issues and guide users through common fixes on iPhones, MacBooks, and a wide range of other devices. The launch comes a decade after Apple removed the company’s previous app following the teardown of a developer-only Apple TV unit, a move that resulted in iFixit losing its developer account. The new release arrives in a period when right-to-repair legislation and shifting industry attitudes have made do-it-yourself servicing more visible than it was in 2015.
At the center of the app is FixBot, an AI assistant trained on roughly twenty years of iFixit’s repair documentation. Rather than position the tool as a shortcut or a novelty, the company frames it as a way to surface practical, vetted repair steps from its extensive archive of guides. Users can present a problem via photos, text, or voice, and FixBot attempts to match it with known issues and walk the user through a step-by-step process. The assistant also supports voice guidance, which is intended to make hands-free repairs more manageable. iFixit suggests that FixBot adjusts explanations depending on the user’s experience level, though how effectively it can gauge expertise in practice remains to be seen.
The app incorporates more than 100,000 repair guides covering everything from mobile devices to cars, and adds a workbench for tracking ongoing repairs. A real-time battery health monitor is included as well, offering prompts when an iPhone battery reaches a point where replacement may be necessary. As with most of iFixit’s ecosystem, the app funnels users toward its own parts and tools, but it also functions as a consolidated reference for those who already rely on the company’s online manuals.
In a series of posts discussing the project, CEO Kyle Wiens emphasized the scale of the documentation behind FixBot, describing a backend capable of searching millions of pages of technical material to surface relevant diagrams, part numbers, or service notes. The company says it built a testing framework to measure the assistant against thousands of real repair questions to reduce incorrect responses. While these claims aim to reassure users who may be wary of AI-generated advice, accuracy will ultimately depend on how well the system performs across the wide variety of device configurations and failure modes represented in iFixit’s library.
The app’s release underscores a larger shift in how repair information is distributed. Manufacturers that once guarded their documentation—Apple included—now provide at least some level of official support for DIY repairs, though often with caveats. iFixit’s approach differs by collecting unofficial and community-verified data into a single tool. For users attempting repairs at home, the app may offer a more approachable entry point, provided they remain cautious about the inherent risks of hardware troubleshooting.
