You can get even quicker AppleCare+ replacements in the new Apple Support app

AppleCare (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

The Apple Support app has been updated to include new support for Express Replacement Service.
People can have a replacement device sent out before returning their damaged one.
Other changes include improvements to Apple Watch and AirPods coverage purchase.

Apple has updated its Apple Support app for iPhone and iPad with the added support for its Express Replacement Service the star of the show. Changes to support for iPad mini as well as an improved AppleCare+ coverage purchase flow are also included.

Express Replacement Service is an option that allows people to have a new iPhone sent out to them before returning their faulty or broken device. That ensures that they won't be without a device for longer than necessary, with a new one arriving ASAP. That process was only available via Apple's other support methods before this update landed in the App Store. Express Replacement Service works by putting a holding charge onto your credit card and then removing it once the broken or faulty iPhone has been verified.

The full rundown of changes in this update includes:

Get Express Replacement Service for devices covered by AppleCare+ (US only, certain restrictions apply)
Using iOS 15, it's easier than ever to buy additional coverage for your Apple Watch or AirPods
Updated compatibility for iPad mini (6th generation)
Performance enhancements and bug fixes

AppleCare+ was already the best iPhone service around — now it's better than ever.

The Apple Support app can be downloaded from the App Store right now. You can lern more about the Express Replacement Service on Apple's website, too.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.