Starting today, iOS and Android users can download the iFixit app and chat directly with the new Fixbot to get expert advice on fixing everything from cracked phone screens to broken dishwashers.
The team at iFixit says it spent two years building the chatbot, which uses a combination of AI models for its language, voice, and vision capabilities. What makes Fixbot different from typical chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini is its laser focus on repairs. Fixbot won’t answer questions that aren’t about fixing things, and it’s trained on iFixit’s vast repository of 125,000 repair guides, community forums, and PDF manuals.
To use the bot, users can type or speak to explain their problem to the bot, or they can even take a photo of what needs fixing. Fixbot will attempt to identify the device and model, then ask follow-up questions until the problem is found. The bot will then take users through a step-by-step repair, pulling answers from the iFixIt library, even if it means uncovering something buried on page 500 of a PDF manual. It will also provide links for you to purchase the required spare parts. Along the way, users can ask Fixbot questions. Its voice command features are designed to help anyone who is too busy with repairs and can’t access their phone.
iFixit admits there are limitations. Sometimes, like any AI chatbot, Fixbot may get things wrong. And iFixit doesn’t have a guide for every tool, appliance, or car on earth. In those cases, Fixbot will do what it can with manufacturer documents, targeted web searches, and guides for similar models.
It’s probably best to think of the app as something someone you know finds particularly useful at a household chore, not as a complete expert.
Other new app features
The app also comes with other new tools, including iFixIt’s full library of guides optimized for mobile, a workspace to track your repair projects, and a toolkit to help users maintain their smartphones. This smartphone toolkit is equipped with a battery lifetime predictor that alerts users when they should replace their phone’s battery.
This isn’t iFixIt’s first mobile app. It originally launched an app in 2011, but Apple withdrew it in 2015 after iFixit found the Apple TV and Siri remote were disassembled, which was apparently a violation of Apple’s developer rules.
The new app and all of its features are currently available for free for a limited time, but a paid tier is in the works.
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