You'll soon be able to repair iPhones and Macs yourself

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google Play]( | [iHeart Radio]( It's Thursday, November 18, 2021. You’ll soon be able to repair parts of your iPhone yourself, without going to an approved service center. In a major shift in policy for Apple, the company is launching a [Self Service Repair program]( that will let you repair products yourself using official Apple parts and tools. It’ll launch in the US in early 2022 (rolling out later that year for other countries) and will initially give the resources to fix an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. Apple says M1 Macs will follow after that. So why the change? It could well be all this government pressure. The White House, the Federal Trade Commission and multiple states have backed right-to-repair measures that could have forced Apple’s hand. There was even a shareholder resolution deadline [coincidentally timed]( for the same day. Once this program launches, any skilled person will be able to replace parts like the screen, camera and battery on the latest iPhone models. There will reportedly be 200 parts and tools available at the start. Best take another look at those iFixit guides. -Mat Smith [Google finally speeds up its fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 6]( Surprise update! [[The Morning After] Engadget]( Google has [released]( a surprise mid-month update for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones that's specifically designed to improve the performance of the fingerprint scanner. Google [changed the location]( of that sensor on the new model, and it's been a [sore point]( for owners because it’s noticeably slower than other phones. Google initially defended the problem at the time by saying the reduced performance was due to "enhanced security algorithms" that took longer to verify identities. Don’t expect huge improvements, though. According to users who’ve already updated their devices, it's still slower than some models with similar under-screen fingerprint sensors like the Galaxy S21 Ultra. [Continue reading.]( Sponsored by Ledger [Interested in crypto? The best way to get started is with Ledger.]( [TMA - Ledger November Sponsorship ]( ['Star Trek: Discovery' leaves Netflix just ahead of its new season]( International fans will have to wait for Paramount+ to be available in their countries next year. Days before its premiere, the fourth season of Star Trek: Discovery is no longer headed to Netflix, its streaming home outside of the US and Canada. Those fans may have to wait months to be able to see the new episodes — legally, that is — if they ever get the chance at all. According to Deadline, ViacomCBS has ended its deal with Netflix that had been in place since the series launched in 2017. All episodes of the Star Trek series have been pulled. Apparently, it plans to make the series available again to international fans in 2022 when Paramount+ goes global. The UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland will be among the first regions to get access to the streaming service next year. Oh cool, another service to pay for. [Continue reading.]( [Tidal adds a free tier]( It’s also adding HiFi audio to its $10 plan. Tidal is adding a free, ad-supported tier as it seeks to expand its user base. The option, which is only available in the US for now, includes access to Tidal's entire library of 80 million songs as well as playlists. The service noted on Twitter that it's introducing the free tier to "remain competitive" with its rivals. There are some trade-offs beyond occasional ads, naturally. Audio quality will top out at 160 kbps, there's no offline listening option and it doesn't appear that you'll have unlimited skips, either. [Continue reading.]( [Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Evo is a grown-up instant camera]( It has a premium build and double the exposure resolution of past models. [[Fujifilm] Fujifilm]( Fujifilm’s new $200 flagship instant film camera has a higher resolution than previous models and improved smartphone integration. As with other Instax cameras, you can take photos and instantly develop them to Fujifilm's credit card-sized Instax Mini film, but you can also review photos on the LCD monitor and choose the ones you want to print. There’s also a print lever and lens/film filter dials. That lets you take a picture then choose among 100 combinations of effects (including "Soft Focus," "Light Leak," "Monochrome" and "Retro") and print the image afterward by pulling the print lever. [Continue reading.]( The biggest news stories you might have missed [Engadget Deals: Apple's colorful new HomePod mini is on sale for the first time ahead of Black Friday]( [Artists, activists demand concert venues drop Amazon's palm-scanning tech]( [Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming arrives on consoles]( [Amazon says it will stop accepting UK-issued Visa credit cards on January 19th]( [Mercedes' EQS defines luxury EVs]( [Porsche unveils the Taycan GTS and Sport Turismo EVs]( [Streamlabs accused of copying material for its console streaming platform]( ['Alien: Isolation' is coming to iOS and Android on December 16th]( [Nissan starts taking reservations for its $46,000 Ariya crossover EV]( [Tascam's Portacapture X8 is a beefy portable recorder with a smartphone-like interface]( [The best smartwatches, fitness trackers and wearables to gift]( The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't [subscribe](. 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