AppleCare guide: Is AppleCare worth it, what does it cover, how much it costs

You may have heard of AppleCare and AppleCare+ and wondered what these products are, and whether yo should have them.

But what does AppleCare cover, and is it worth your spend? It’s an added cost to any device you purchase from Apple, and it’s not cheap. Deciding whether to spend up to $250 extra for your device is an important decision.

We’ll discuss AppleCare benefits, the AppleCare price for each device, what features are available, and answer the most pressing question: is AppleCare worth it?

What is AppleCare?

AppleCare is added protection and service for each Apple device. It’s an added cost, but offers you unique customer service beyond the normal 90 days Apple provides for each device. It also covers hardware malfunctions for up to three years, and covers some accidental damage at little to no cost when compared to paying for those fixes out of pocket.

Difference Between AppleCare and AppleCare

AppleCare and AppleCare+ sound like the same thing, but they’re slightly different. As the name implies, AppleCare+ is additive to AppleCare.

AppleCare is complimentary for each Apple hardware product you buy. It provides 90 days of phone support for your device, and a one-year warranty on hardware. 

AppleCare+ extends bot phone support and the hardware warranty to three years, and provides a lower-cost option for some routine repairs. 

How to check if I have AppleCare

Discovering the status of AppleCare on your devices is simple. Here’s how:

Mac

1. In your Mac menu bar, click the Apple logo on the top left
2. Select “About this Mac”
3. Select “Service” from the menu in the window that appears
4. Choose “Check my service and support coverage status”
5. Select “Allow” in the popup window
6. In the new website that appears in your default web browser, enter your Mac’s serial number (Note: You can find your Mac’s serial number by following the first two steps here. The “overview” page in the “About this Mac” window has your Mac’s serial number.)
7. Click “continue” in the browser window

The aforementioned webpage is Apple’s service and support verification page. You can enter any serial number there to check your AppleCare coverage status. Below, we’ll tell you how to find the serial number for your devices.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Settings app
2. Select “General”
3. Select “About”

Your Serial number will be displayed near the top of the app’s view.

Apple Watch

1. Open the Watch app on your phone
2. Select “General”
3. Select “About”

You can also perform these steps from your Apple Watch if your phone is not available.

AppleCare+ for Mac

AppleCare+ for Mac is added coverage for what may be your most precious device, but is applecare worth it for MacBook or other Mac devices? 

How much is Applecare+ for Mac

AppleCare+ for Mac devices has a unique pricing scheme:

• MacBook: $249
• MacBook Air: $249
• 13-inch MacBook Pro: $269
• 15-inch MacBook Pro: $379
• 16-inch MacBook Pro: $379
• Mac mini: $99
• iMac: $169
• iMac Pro: $169
• Mac Pro: $299

What does AppleCare for Mac cover?

AppleCare and AppleCare+ cover  your Mac (obviously), the battery when its capacity is at 80 percent or lower, and the accessories included in the box with your Mac.

As we mentioned, AppleCare and AppleCare+ offer repairs at a lower cost than if you weren’t covered. For the Mac, damage to the screen or enclosure will cost $99 per incident. And other damage will cost $299. You’re allowed up to two incidents per 12 month period.

Extra tip: Boost Your Mac

One of the reasons we buy new Macs or seek service and repairs is that the computer ends up feeling sluggish, but CleanMyMac X can keep even older Macs running at peak performance for a lot longer. It focuses on performance; using CleanMyMac X regularly will keep your Mac operating as fast as it’s capable!

CleanMyMac X helps you remove old, unwanted files, and the junk your system accumulates over time. It protects you against malware and viruses, and has incredible features to safeguard your privacy and reset your Mac’s settings to ensure it’s always operating at its best.

Monitoring your Mac is a great way to know if any of your components are in need of repair, and iStat Menus is the perfect app for keeping a close eye on your Mac. The app lives in your Mac’s menu bar, and watches your CPU, GPU, network, battery, memory, disks, and sensors in the background. 

When you need to know what’s going on with your Mac, iStat Menus can give you as much info as you need. Maybe your Mac’s fans are more active lately; iStat Menus can tell you whether your CPU is working overtime, and why. It even tells you which apps are consuming the most resources!

AppleCare+ for iPhone

AppleCare+ is most often purchased alongside iPhone, but is it worth the price? Let’s find out.

AppleCare+ cost for iPhone

Like the Mac, AppleCare+ for iPhone has a unique pricing scheme depending on which model you purchase. It also has the unique option to pay monthly for protection beyond the ‘regular’ two-year protection plan:

• iPhone SE: $79, $149 with theft and protection coverage. Up to five years coverage at $3.99 per month for the standard plan, or $7.99 per month to add theft and loss protection.
• iPhone 11: $149, $249 with theft and protection coverage. Up to five years coverage at $7.99 per month for the standard plan, or $12.99 per month to add theft and loss protection.
• iPhone 11 Pro: $199, $299 with theft and protection coverage. Up to five years coverage at $9.99 per month for the standard plan, or $13.49 per month to add theft and loss protection.
• iPhone 11 Pro Max: $199, $299 with theft and protection coverage. Up to five years coverage at $9.99 per month for the standard plan, or $13.49 per month to add theft and loss protection.
• iPhone XR: $149, $249 with theft and protection coverage. Up to five years coverage at $7.99 per month for the standard plan, or $12.99 per month to add theft and loss protection.

What does AppleCare for iPhone cover?

AppleCare and AppleCare+ cover  your iPhone, the battery if its capacity is at 80 percent or lower, and the accessories included in the box.

AppleCare and AppleCare+ for iPhone offer screen repair damage for $29 per incident, and $99 per incident for all other damage. Theft or loss replacement devices cost $149 with AppleCare+.

Extra tip: How to take care of your iPhone

If there’s one thing that annoys iPhone owners most, it’s limited storage. Often, you can free up valuable storage space on your iPhone by discovering duplicate images on your phone using CleanMy®Phone.

CleanMy®Phone is dedicated to finding duplicate files and images, then discarding them at your discretion. This is especially handy for images, which typically have larger file sizes than other types of files. A few duplicates in your Photos app may be causing you serious storage issues, and CleanMy®Phone will discover them so you can drop them straight in the trash.

You can use Gemini for Mac and sync your devices if you like, or simply use CleanMy®Phone and take care of your duplicates right on your iPhone! Both apps find similar images, and even offers to get rid of blurry images or screenshots that may be taking up room. 

To save even more room on iPhone, AnyTrans may be your new favorite app. It uses a hardwired connection between your Mac and iPhone to sync files quickly and easily, sidestepping the often slow cloud-based systems like iCloud. 

AnyTrans keeps all of the files, folders, images, and other data on your iPhone tucked safely away on your Mac or external drive so you can freely delete things from your iPhone without concern they will be lost forever. You’re able to create full backups of your iPhone, and each of those backups can be used to restore your iPhone at any time.

AppleCare+ for iPad

You can get AppleCare+ for iPad, too – but should you?

Cost of AppleCare+ for iPad

Apple’s pricing scheme for AppleCare+ on iPad is a bit simpler:

• iPad Pro: $129 or $5.99 per month
• iPad: $69 or $3.49 per month
• iPad Air: $69 or $3.49 per month
• iPad mini: $69 or $3.49 per month

What does AppleCare for iPad cover?

AppleCare+ for iPad is a bit more restrictive than with Mac or iPhone. You’re only allowed two incidents every 24 months, so one per year on average. It covers the iPad, accessory included in the box, and the Apple Pencil (if you purchase one). You also get phone support for up to two years.

Any service for iPad is $49, while Apple Pencil repairs cost $29 per incident. Keep in mind this doesn’t cover loss, so consider that before purchasing.

AppleCare+ for Apple Watch

You can get AppleCare+ for Apple’s wearable, but it’s not cheap.

Cost of AppleCare+ for Apple Watch

AppleCare+ for Apple Watch pricing depends on which model you have:

• Apple Watch Series 6: $79, or $3.99 per month
• Apple Watch SE: $79, or $3.99 per month
• Apple Watch Series 3: $49, or $2.49 per month
• Apple Watch Nike: $79, or $3.99 per month
• Apple Watch Hermes: $149, or $4.99 per month
• Apple Watch Edition: $149, or $4.99 per month

What does AppleCare for Apple Watch cover?

AppleCare+ for Apple Watch allows two incidents of accidental damage every 24 months, and covers the watch, battery, and charging cable. Incidents have a $69 service fee.

Apple Watch Edition and Hermes come with a two-year warranty, so AppleCare+ extends that coverage to 36 months total. Each service will cost $79 for these two models of Apple Watch.

Conclusion

AppleCare+ can be quite costly, but it’s often worth the spend. A damaged MacBook screen can be far more costly than the $99 fee Apple charges you when covered under AppleCare, so those who have anxiety about breakage should consider it.

Similarly, AppleCare+ for iPhone can be had with theft and loss protection, which is highly attractive. Apple Watch is the most limited of the bunch, as “accidental” damage is subjective.

Whatever you decide to do, keeping your devices running their best is something every Apple device owner should be doing. Happily, the apps mentioned in this article – CleanMyMac X, iStat Menus, and CleanMy®Phone – are available for free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp, an incredible suite of nearly 200 apps available for your Mac.

During your trial, you will have unlimited access to the entire Setapp suite of apps, and you’re free to try as many as you like. When your trial period ends, Setapp is only $9.99 per month.

Best of all, you can add an iPhone to your Setapp subscription for only $2.49 per month after a seven day trial and take full advantage of Mac apps with iOS counterparts, like CleanMy®Phone. Instead of spending on iOS apps, you can subscribe and save, so why wait? Give Setapp a try today!