The outer silicone layer on my Apple iPhone case started coming apart at the corners where silicone was separating from the inner plastic shell case. This initially started on the right lower corner, but later spread to other parts of the case, eventually reaching all corners. As you can imagine, this was frustrating because official Apple iPhone X silicone cases are very expensive ($20-30) and should last a long time. I bought my case on Amazon less than a year ago, so I wondered…does Apple offer a manufacturer warranty on iPhone silicone cases? Apple warranties their electronic products like iPhones, iPads, MacBooks for one year after purchase, so I wondered if iPhone cases were also covered under warranty, and if so, can I get my case replaced for free?
Is The iPhone Silicone Case Covered Under Warranty?
Yes! The Apple iPhone Silicone Case is indeed covered under a 1-year manufacturer warranty. The warranty protects against defects in materials and/or workmanship. However, it does not cover accidental damage.
To qualify for the warranty you must purchase the iPhone case from an authorized retailer (3rd party or affiliate sites like eBay, Mercari, etc. are not covered). If you bought the case from an Apple store, Amazon, Best Buy, or Target you are fine.
How Do I Get My Defective Silicone Case Replaced?
There are a few ways to contact Apple to get your phone case serviced or replaced under warranty. I contacted Apple Support through Twitter. I sent them a direct message and they replied within 15 minutes asking for details including description of the defect, when I purchased the case, where I purchased it, etc. After providing the necessary information they said I either needed to talk to support over the phone to complete the replacement process, or I could go to an Apple Store.
I elected to talk to them by phone and provided them with my phone number. To my surprise someone from Apple called me within 30 minutes and arranged for a mail-in replacement. The replacement iPhone silicone case arrived within four days, and I mailed my defective case back. Super easy and I didn’t even have to drive to an Apple Store or provide a credit card!
Tips for iPhone Silicone Case Warranty Replacement
- Contact Apple immediately after you start seeing the outer silicone layer pealing away from the plastic case. Remember that the warranty is only one year, so you want to make sure you qualify under the manufacturer warranty.
- Make sure you purchase your cased directly from Apple, or from an authorized retailer. I’ve seen cheap cases on eBay, but many are likely fake, and eBay is not an authorized retailer anyway.
- Keep your receipt! When I submitted my warranty claim, Apple asked me to send them my receipt. Fortunately, I purchased my iPhone case on Amazon, so it was easy to find the invoice in my order history.
- Keep your broken/defective case. Apple asked me to mail back my old case after I received the replacement.
Sounds simple, in reality it’s not, at least in my experience. I phoned Apple Support, after being put on hold for over an hour no Apple rep could give me a straight answer. I asked for a call back once they figured it out, no one called me back. Horrible customer service from an increasingly horrible company, and I’m a share holder also!
Same with me, about an hour on the phone talking to 2 different people with the first consulted manger but no use. My case was purchased from Apple and less than 3 months old, the corner chipped away. Haven’t dropped the phone yet and not sure how silicon case would react to a drop, wouldn’t the non silicone bit crack ?
Terrible customer support on my silicone case. Less than 2 months old and the thin area near the power button has torn. 2 days now trying to get satisfaction. Apple care says “I have to pay full retail price for a new one”. Then they say “try to call the apple store where you bought it”. I called the Danbury store and they say “make an appointment to see someone and we’ll then decide if we can help”. Really??? A 45 minute (one way ride) to have them decide if this $50, less than 2 month old defective case is covered. NEVER AGAIN!
It’s unfortunate they don’t care in this example. All other interactions with my macbook pro(s) have been wonderful. To stiff me on a $50 cover is just bad.