Apple will no longer cover hairline cracks on iPhone or Apple Watch under its Repair and Standard Warranty policy.That is, the user will have to pay to replace the screen with this kind of damage.

Until recently, Apple's policy was only damage to the screen and covered hairline cracks under warranty, unless clearly caused by user errors, but according to a report from 9to5Mac, this is no longer the case. We will contact Apple to confirm and update this piece with comments from the company.

The Apple Store and Apple authorized service providers are apparently told this week that the hairline crack is no longer repaired under warranty. Now, the damage will be processed as accidental damage request, which means the customer will pay for the repair. 

The changes are only for the iPhone and Apple Watch, so cracks in the hairline on MacBook or iPad displays will continue to be covered by the warranty.  

This change makes sense from a specific point of view because it defines where the hairline crack starts and makes it hard to figure out whether Apple will make repairs or charge users. But it's not very good for customers because the screen is some of the most expensive parts of the phone to repair.

While getting Apple to fix your device can be expensive (unless you have already paid for AppleCare), for Apple recently announced an extension of its self-repair program that will support genuine used parts for owners of "selected" iPhone models. However, I don't know the exact date when this happens, nor do I know which model will be covered.

Hairline cracks very easily become large cracks, so the best thing is to avoid them completely. We have 5 tips to help you protect your phone which can help you prevent damage to your most important technology