TECH BYTE: Self tech repair

(41NBC/WMGT) — Why pay someone else to fix your tech products, when you can do it yourself? Let’s check out one tech company, that’s showing you how.

If you need to repair your phone, computer, or other tech, iFixit can help. Kyle Wiens is the CEO of iFixit and he says that the website is kind of like the Wikipedia for learning how to fix things. “We are the largest online repository of service part information for power tools — anything from a ditch witch to a power drill. We are the largest online resource for repairing hospital equipment.” Wiens said.

If your device breaks, you don’t necessarily have to buy a new one, and you don’t need to pay a retailer to fix it either. This website, iFixit.com, gives you the resources to repair most gadgets yourself. “The way that iFixit works is, you Google ‘How do I fix my iPhone’ or ‘How do I fix my toothbrush.’ iFixit comes up with useful information,” said Wiens “It’s free. There’s no ads. And probably 98 percent of the people who use iFixit never pay us a dime.”

iFixit has more than 70,000 repair manuals, and more than 180,000 solutions, to fix more than 30,000 devices. If you don’t have the tools yourself, you can even buy tool kits like this one on the website too. Another perk of using iFixit? Wiens says choosing to repair a device instead of discarding it is more environmentally sustainable. It’s how the company says it’s fixing the world, one broken gadget at a time.

Samsung is also collaborating with iFixit on its new self-repair program this summer. Apple now has a similar program, as well.