AppleCare Plus - one off payment or monthly?

[DickP]

Hi,

I am struggling to get a definitive answer as the information I'm finding seems to vary depending on country.

I can get AppleCare plus for my new phone. It is available in either a one off payment for 2 years cover, or monthly (which incurrs slight additional cost).

Does anyone know if the former ends at 2 years and then no further Applecare is available?

If I opted for the monthly option, would that cover continue for as long as I continue making payment e.g. the cover can last beyond 2 years ?

Thanks!

[SteBrown91]

I think you basically just finance the apple cover so it would end at 2 years

[GuyW]

Unless it's changed, if you opt for the pay monthly coverage won't stop until you cease payments. (I suspect subject to the device still being supported. E.g. not running an iPhone 5 etc.)

[Ham_and_Jam]

[mcflurry]

DickP said:

Hi,

I am struggling to get a definitive answer as the information I'm finding seems to vary depending on country.

I can get AppleCare plus for my new phone. It is available in either a one off payment for 2 years cover, or monthly (which incurrs slight additional cost).

Does anyone know if the former ends at 2 years and then no further Applecare is available?

If I opted for the monthly option, would that cover continue for as long as I continue making payment e.g. the cover can last beyond 2 years ?

Thanks!

By the time a phone is 2 years old, is it still worth insuring and paying an excess for?

[colin79666]

mcflurry said:

By the time a phone is 2 years old, is it still worth insuring and paying an excess for?

Being an iPhone it is still worth a fair bit after 2 years and just as likely to lose/have stolen. Plus battery might well be failing and qualify for replacement. That said you will be well on the way to the cost of a new device having paid 24 months worth.

I’m not usually one for extended warranties/insurance for gadgets but did take AppleCare+ for my iPhone. Paying monthly costs more I think but it has the advantage of running as long as you like.

[Durzel]

Just digging this up as there wasn't a definitive reply, but if you sign up for 2 years of AppleCare+ when you buy something, at the end of it you're given 45 days to sign up for the monthly version. It's not "2 years and done" unless you want it to be. Because of that, the 2 years version is marginally more cost-effective, if you can afford it and are inclined to purchase it.

Probably not much use to the OP, but thought I'd mention it.

I have a tangentally related question, hence bumping...

I got my iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023, paid for 2 years of AppleCare+ which ran out in September 2025. I had 45 days to renew it as a monthly payment, but being a tight arse I thought I'd leave it to the last possible day, since I know it runs from the point you take it out (unlike some other policies).

Anyway, for whatever reason, even though I had a day left this morning - when I tried to finish the signup, I just got "Something went wrong, please contact Customer Support", and then it disappeared, telling me simply that my "Coverage expired".

I spoke to Apple support, and realising I was on the last day to sign up, decided to cut me some slack, and have done something to reactivate a limited warranty on my phone.

Problem is - now I have the option to buy another 2 years of AppleCare+, or pay monthly. It also tells me that I have the Limited Warranty until 05 November 2026, even though the lady on the phone said I would have 5 working days to complete the signup.

I'm wondering what others would do in my shoes, take out another 2 years of AppleCare+ and hope it gets honoured? I anticipate selling the phone whenever the foldable iPhone comes out, or whatever one is out next year, and my phone is also on 82% battery health - so will need a replacement before too long.

Thanks in advance

[SV_WDC]

Waiting until the last day to renew indicates you're happy to run for 44 days without cover. So maybe just self-insure instead?

By the way, even if you do buy the coverage during the 45 days, Apple backdate the cover to day 1

[Durzel]

SV_WDC said:

Waiting until the last day to renew indicates you're happy to run for 44 days without cover. So maybe just self-insure instead?

By the way, even if you do buy the coverage during the 45 days, Apple backdate the cover to day 1

Didn't know that about the backdating. Makes sense really, but I'm sure I've taken out AppleCare late and it's started from the day I've taken it out.

In any event, if something catastrophic had happened to my phone in that 45 days, before I had renewed it, I could just as easily have renewed it on any of my other devices - and then subsequently claimed.

Anyway, I thought I'd see what would happen if I took out another 2 years, and it went through, and phone is showing AppleCare+ until 5 November 2027, on a phone I bought in 2023, which is handy I guess some resale time.