It's up for debate whether Apple's efforts to expand self-service repair have been of its own volition or are the result of increasing pressure from right-to-repair advocates and regulators. Regardless, one thing is clear: Apple's recent repair offerings are big wins for consumers. Earlier this month, Apple announced that it would expand its Self-Service Repair Program to give end users access to its internal diagnostic tools. This move can potentially be the most impactful right-to-repair feature Apple has shipped to date, but is it as good as it sounds? To find out, we tested it on a 15-inch MacBook Air.

How to use the Apple Diagnostics tool

It's an easy way to figure out what could be wrong with your Mac

First, let's start by going over what diagnostic tools are and how to run them on your Mac. When you bring your great Mac into an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider with an issue, the first thing a technician is going to do is run diagnostics. It's like how the check engine light turns on in your car, and your mechanic will look for error codes that might explain the problem. Macs have similar error codes, and they can be extremely helpful in diagnosing a problem.

Apple's official program for diagnosing system issues is called Apple Diagnostics. Until a few weeks ago, only Apple and AASPs had access to the full version of the diagnostic tools. Now, it's available to everyone, and you can run it on your Mac by following these steps.

What Apple says to do first

Before starting, this is what Apple tells you to do with your Mac:

1. Install the latest version of macOS unless your problems prevent you from doing so.
2. Completely shut down your computer.
3. Disconnect all external devices except the keyboard, mouse, display, Ethernet connection, and power cord.
4. Place your computer on a hard, flat, stable surface with good ventilation.

On an Apple Silicon Mac

1. Press and hold the power button on your Mac until the startup options load.
2. Release the power button when you see the Options icon alongside Macintosh HD.
3. Press and hold Command + D until the diagnostics tool loads.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts to test your Mac.

On an Intel Mac

1. Turn on your Mac and immediately press the D key on your keyboard.
2. Release when you see the diagnostic tool start to load.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to test your Mac.

Why the Apple Diagnostics tool is helpful

Figure out whether a Mac problem can be fixed with your skill set

Apple Diagnostics only takes a few minutes to run, and it can help users decide whether a problem is within their skill set. Something that right-to-repair advocates often forget is that not many users have the skill level, technical know-how, or simple desire to repair their own devices. However, an important part of right-to-repair is empowering users to discover what is wrong with their devices. That way, they can decide whether to repair them independently. For example, I'm more than comfortable replacing components in my Macs, from batteries to displays. However, I'd certainly leave some issues — data loss and recovery come to mind — to professionals.

The problem is that you can't make that decision independently if you don't have the diagnostic tools required to identify an issue. Now that the Apple Diagnostics tool is available to everyone, users can see what's wrong with their system and take the next step accordingly. Previously, contacting Apple Support to run diagnostics was necessary for many users trying to fix an issue with their Mac.

When I tested the Apple Diagnostics tool on my MacBook Air, I was quite shocked to see a real error code pop up. To my knowledge, there was nothing wrong with my computer. But it returned a message that said, "There may be an issue with the power port," and returned the PPP020 reference code. It conveniently gave me a link to the support document that explained the error code my Mac returned.

After clicking the link and finding the PPP020 explainer in the list, it was immediately clear that my Mac was looking for power and didn't detect a power source. That explained the reference code, so I ran the test again with a power cable connected. Unsurprisingly, my Mac returned from the second test with no issues found.

Although my issue was very simple to solve, this situation shows just how crucial a diagnostic tool can be. Apple's software can tell you what your computer thinks is wrong with it and what troubleshooting steps to take. For me, it was as simple as plugging in a power cord. However, the effectiveness of this tool does scale up. Simply having access to Apple Diagnostics could save you a trip to a repair shop, especially since there are ways to revive a Mac at home.

Apple Diagnostics is a huge win for right-to-repair

Users now have access to Apple's diagnostics, manuals, parts, and tools

The release of Apple Diagnostics to the masses is important because it rounds out Apple's self-service repair offerings. Now, users can complete every step in the repair process for their Mac without needing to contact Apple Support at all. They can use Apple Diagnostics to find the problem, order repair parts from Apple, rent the necessary tools to complete the repair, and gain access to official manuals and documentation.

It might sound silly, but Apple's choice to make Apple Diagnostics public could be the biggest right-to-repair move in the company's history. End users who want to repair their devices independently now have a level playing field with Apple's own technicians. It's a massive win for right-to-repair, and Apple deserves some credit for it.