Samsung could make DIY repairs easier with a Self Repair Assistant mobile app

Samsung has filed a new trademark application in the US that could indicate the world’s second-largest smartphone maker by market share is looking out for its customers. First spotted by SamMobile, the filing indicates that Samsung is working on a new mobile app called ‘Self Repair Assistant’.

Judging by the name and proposed app icon in the filing, it will likely assist customers that would rather repair their own devices than send them to a repair centre. Because if you paid money for it, then it’s yours and you should have the right to fix it, right? That’s what the Right to Repair movement is all about, at any rate.

Samsung wants users to keep their phones

Samsung’s filing describes the app as a “computer application software for mobile phones for self-installation and self-maintenance of smartwatches, tablets, mobile phones, and earbuds.” It adds that the app would also provide “consultancy and information services relating to self-installation, self-maintenance and self-repair of” smartphones, smart watches, tablets, and earbuds.

Samsung launched its self-repair service in the US earlier this year through a partnership with iFixit which supplies the necessary tools, components, and step-by-step instructions for disassembly and repair.

The service is still relatively new with the Galaxy S20 and S21 series of smartphones being supported. On the tablet front, users can repair the Galaxy Tab S7+. The upcoming app could help Samsung expand the list to more devices and possibly provide customers with a wider range of language options.

That’s only if the app starts to become a reality. The presence of a trademark filing doesn’t necessarily mean the app is a done deal. If the app does make it to development, the next question is: Will South Africa be supported? For now, we can only hope so. But also, let’s let the Americans test this one.