In the face of discontent, Google is relaxing its Pixel repair policy

Google's repair policy has received a lot of attention in recent days. At the beginning of the week, several media outlets reported on a strict element of the repair terms published by Mountain View, which stipulates that American users will not return Pixels containing… “Parts not authorized by Google”. Otherwise, a Mountain View repairman was called to retain the smartphone. “Unauthorized parts: You should not send a device containing parts that are not authorized by Google – if you do, your device will not be returned to you.”The site indicated.

This signal was actually published by Google on July 19, 2023, but wasn't revealed until almost a year later, thanks to a video created by YouTuber Louis Rossman.

Google's reaction was quickRobot body : “In some situations we will not be able to perform the repair if there are safety issues. In this case we will return the device to the customer or determine the next steps with them.”. This message was accompanied by the announcement of an update to the Pixel repair policy, which was finally published on June 6. “If you send a device containing parts not authorized by Google for repair”We can now read on the brand's website, “In certain situations (such as security), your service provider may not be able to repair your device.
The service provider will return your device to you unless health or safety requirements prevent it. If your service provider can't return your device, Google will work with you to explore next steps.”

It's worth noting that this change only concerns Google US, which is working with subcontractor KMT Wireless for Pixel repairs. In Europe, CTDi is responsible for this, and Politics Much less stringent than across the Atlantic: “You should not send a device that contains parts not authorized by Google. If you send a device that contains such parts, CTDi will return it to you without repair.. Finally, remember that Google has made efforts, since 2023, to encourage self-repair of its products, offering, in partnership with iFixit, official kits that allow its customers to replace certain elements of its devices (screen, battery, charging port). .