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Apple quietly rolled out an at-home repairs option for select iPhone markets

Portrait of Dalvin Brown Dalvin Brown
USA TODAY

Typically, if you need your iPhone fixed, you have to make a Genius Bar appointment first.

You go to the Apple Store, wait – perhaps keep waiting – and a staffer will eventually ask you if you've backed up your device before they try to fix it or give you a fresh unit.

The experience can take time and test your patience, but Apple is running a small-scale solution to that issue for iPhone users in select markets. 

The tech giant silently rolled out an at-home repair option in some cities, which means you don't have to wait in line to have your smartphone looked at.

People with cracked front screens in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston and Dallas can request to have an agent drop by wherever they are, but there may be an added "onsite visit fee" MacRumors reports.

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A smartphone with a cracked screen.

If you go to Apple's "Get Support" website and report a cracked iPhone screen, you'll get a window option that lets you schedule a repair. The option is not currently available for other Apple devices, at least not through the company's website. You also can't have someone drop by to fix issues with your smartphone battery. 

USA TODAY reached out to Apple for details about the service. 

"In select locations, onsite service may be available," Apple's website says. The service is being offered by Go Tech Service, an authorized Apple Service provider. Apple's website will guide you through setting up a date and time for the remote repair.

MacRumors notes that appointments aren't immediate, and some may not be available until the next business day. 

Apple's Genius Bar is open 7 days a week. 

Follow Dalvin Brown on Twitter: @Dalvin Brown. 

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