Apple loosens restrictions on water-damaged iPhones for Apple Store trade-in program

Starting this week the trade-in value for iPhones will no longer be impacted by the phone’s liquid damage indicator, according to Apple retail employees. Previously, if a device’s “liquid contact indicator” was tripped, the phone would be completely worthless as a trade-in under the company’s “Reuse and Recycle” program.

This week’s changes to the program, however, will allow more customers to trade in their devices. However, the company isn’t going to start allowing seriously water-damaged phones for trade-in anytime soon. If there is evidence of liquid under the phone’s display or corrosion in the ports, the phone will still be ineligible for any trade-in value regardless of what the liquid contact indicator looks like.

These changes are only valid in physical Apple Stores, so the new policy won’t affect online trade-in values.

The Reuse and Recycle program launched in the U.S. in August and later expanded to include stores in the United Kingdom. Today’s changes will take effect in both markets. The changes should help move even sell even more iPhones, which Tim Cook has been pushing as a major company goal this year.