Cell phone thieves have been a problem, regardless of whether you happen to like iPhone or android. If you happen to fall on the side of the iPhone, however, you may just have reason to be happy.

MacRumors is reporting the new program that will make it more difficult for those who steal iPhones. Apple has instructed all of its stores not to repair any iPhones that have been reported as stolen or missing.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Users are able to register their devices as being stolen or lost through the global GSM registry. Thanks to the memo, staff will have to check the registry before they accept an iPhone to repair it.

If they do discover that the device is missing and has now been turned in to fix, they will turn down the service. This same instruction was also sent out to other stores that fix Apple products as well.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

One thing that was not included in the memo was a suggestion that anyone on the staff would keep the phone that was reported stolen or that they should report it to the police.

In the past, iPhones that were in Lost Mode, which was turned on in the iCloud were not able to be repaired fully. Locking your device in this way also limits your ability to lose your personal information.

Photo: PXHERE

Without proof of purchase, Apple technicians will also be limited in the type of services they can provide. This will help to limit how many stolen iPhones are brought in for repair.

A new self-repair scheme will also be up and running before long in 2022. It will allow some parts of the phone to be repaired by the user, including the battery, camera, and iPhone display.