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Google makes some of my favorite hardware. I love the Pixel line of phones. I use Nest Hubs and speakers as my smart home controllers. Nest cameras earned recommendations in our security camera and video doorbell guides. Hell, we even like the Pixel Watch 2. There is an appealing elegance to Google’s accessible devices, with real smarts beneath the surface. But Google lags woefully behind the competition in one major area, as you’ll find out if any of your Google gadgets ever break: repairs.
Google devices all come with limited warranties that cover certain defects, but a successful claim can prove tricky and often results in a replacement rather than a repair. You are out of luck if your device suffers wear and tear or accidental damage. The only official “same-unit repairs” Google currently offers are for Pixel phones and tablets, according to Steven Nickel, director of hardware repair at Google.
Broken Model
My wife and I bought our daughter a Pixelbook Go for schoolwork when the pandemic began. It was expensive, but we reasoned she would use it for the next few years. She loved the funky design, and it worked great for a while, but the hinge broke when it was less than a year old and the screen began to detach. Duct tape kept it going for a few more weeks, but the screen eventually stopped working completely.
I tried putting in a warranty claim, but Google rejected it. There’s no way I could prove it wasn’t misused. Fair enough, I thought, maybe it was accidental damage. I told customer support I was happy to pay for a repair. They told me they don’t offer repairs and I should sell the broken laptop for parts.
I was shocked that a $1,000 laptop had been reduced to e-waste by a broken hinge, and Google was washing its hands of any responsibility. Not only was there no official Google repair service, but there were no approved third-party repair shops in the UK, and Google did not supply parts for folks to attempt fixes themselves. I tried several local repair shops and a nonprofit that helps people fix their broken electronics, but no one could help.
A few years later, I dropped a Nest Hub and the screen cracked. My fault, so I knew the warranty would not cover it, but once again, customer support told me there was no official repair option. The same is true for Nest cameras and doorbells, the Pixel Watch, and every other Google gadget that isn’t a Pixel phone or tablet. If it breaks, you can try to find reliable repair shops or source parts online and attempt a fix yourself. Either route may be tricky, depending on what's broken. Any unofficial repair will certainly invalidate your warranty (assuming you still have one).
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Pixel Imperfect
What is particularly egregious about this lack of repair options is Google knows how to handle this properly. If your Pixel breaks, you can very likely get it fixed.
“Repair options include mail-in service, walk-in repairs at authorized locations, and even DIY repairs with official parts and guides provided by our partner iFixit,” Nickel told WIRED in an email. “Our repair support site, located here, is the best entry point for support.”
You can get genuine parts for the Pixel 2 through the new Pixel 8A from iFixit. If you’re unfamiliar, the iFixit website is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to repair their gadgets. It provides parts, repair kits, and video tutorials, and the company consults with many major manufacturers, including Microsoft, Fairphone, Logitech, HP, and Lenovo, to make their devices more repairable.
Currently, iFixit provides official parts for Google, HTC, Fairphone, Motorola, Teenage Engineering, Vaude, and Valve devices, among others. However, the repair company recently ended its partnership with Samsung due to a lack of follow-through from the electronics giant, though iFixit still offers repair kits for Samsung devices.
Apple maintains rigid control over its repairs, fiercely resisting proper support for unapproved third-party repair shops or amateur home repairs, though it conceded a little ground on iPhone parts recently. Regardless, iFixit does offer kits for many Apple devices too. Still, Apple will at least fix your broken devices, even if it charges a premium.
Nickel says Google does offer replacement parts to DIY support partners, like iFixit, where possible, and it hopes to improve repairability for its gadgets, though this seems to be driven by legislation. While the right-to-repair movement has gained some ground, the impact of federal legislation in the US and the UK remains to be seen, and tech companies continue to resist, making what many campaigners feel are minimal efforts.
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If Google is committed to making its devices more repairable, there’s little stopping it from doing so. The folks at iFixit say they are willing and ready to help it step up its efforts.
“We're really pleased with the strides we've been able to make with the Pixel team toward building a robust repair ecosystem. But of course, all of Google's customers deserve repair options,” Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit, tells WIRED. “We're open to helping Google expand its direct-to-consumer parts sales program to other devices whenever they want.”
With the ball in Google’s court, what can you do in the meantime? The reason any repair shop can attempt fixes is because folks sell their broken gadgets, which supplies them with the right parts. There’s a brisk trade in broken gadgets on eBay. You can always try to source the parts and hire someone to fix your device or try it yourself. There are guides for many devices, including the Pixelbook Go and the Nest Hub, at iFixit. The complexity, necessary tools, and required parts vary wildly depending on what’s broken.
If you’re not up for the challenge, we have a guide on how to responsibly dispose of electronics. Please don’t throw them in the trash. For all Google gadgets (and many other devices), you can always request a free shipping label and follow the process here to send them to Google’s third-party recycling partners for proper recycling. With that done, ensure you don’t make the same mistake again. My daughter now has an easily repairable Windows desktop, and I won’t buy any more Google gadgets that can’t be fixed.
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