iFixitʼs Work to Reclaim the Right to Repair

Abstract

iFixit has been pushing for more-repairable electronics for over 20 years, since its founding at a university in California. The company started as a website with step-by-step instructions for how to repair Apple products; it has evolved into a global repair advocacy powerhouse, supporting repair-friendly legislation around the world and working with manufacturers including Google and Lenovo to make their products more repairable. This article summarizes iFixitʼs history, describes the growth of the global Right to Repair movement (including legislative victories in the US, EU, and Asia), and charts some of the remaining frontiers of repair advocacy.