**The Repair App Launches on International Repair Day to Connect Users with Trusted Repair Services**
A new app with a straightforward name aims to make it easier for people to fix their belongings by helping them find trustworthy repair services nearby. The Repair App officially launched today, coinciding with International Repair Day.
Currently available in beta form in the US and France—reflecting the locations of cofounders Robert Lise and Caleb Faruki—the app plans to expand to more countries if early feedback is positive.
### Supporting the Right to Repair Movement
The app arrives during a resurgence of interest in the right to repair movement. Advocates argue that when consumers buy technology, they should have the legal right to repair, replace broken parts, or upgrade their devices using services, tools, and parts available on the open market.
“You don’t actually own something if you don’t have the ability to repair it,” says Lise, the app’s cofounder.
While this position might seem obvious, large companies such as Apple, Samsung, and John Deere have often resisted allowing customers to tinker with their products.
### A Platform for Diverse Repair Needs
The Repair App’s goal is to create a platform that features businesses and service providers covering a wide range of repair categories—from phones and computers to bicycles, clothing, and potentially, vehicles in the future.
To ensure quality, the team has reached out to verified repair businesses that they vet before including them in the app.
Matt Zieminski, Vice President of Repair.org and VP of Partnerships at repair marketplace iFixit, has collaborated with the Repair App team and supports the project. He highlights the app’s potential to simplify the process of finding local repair options.
“When searching on Google, your local repair shops may not appear among the top results,” Zieminski explains. “Instead, big franchises or generic service providers dominate. The Repair App will show you nearby shops vetted by tech repair experts.”
He adds, “I think this is really cool. It will level the playing field and help people find the services they need while giving shops more visibility—many people don’t know these businesses exist.”
### Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace
Connecting customers with service providers is hardly a new concept. Traditional phone books once served a similar purpose, and today, platforms like Thumbtack and Angi (formerly Angie’s List) list handypeople for various jobs. Gig economy sites like Upwork and Fiverr offer yet another approach.
There are also niche resources such as RepairPal, focused on car repairs, which was acquired by Yelp last year.
Yelp remains the dominant player in business listings, but according to Zieminski, it prioritizes businesses that pay for better placement—a “pay to play” system that disadvantages small, local repair shops with limited budgets.
“The problem with Yelp is that it’s really a pay to play system,” Zieminski says. “Otherwise, you’re not really given visibility.”
### Commitment to a Fair and Transparent Service
The Repair App is launching as a free service. Lise emphasizes that core features—business listings and communication between fixers and customers—will always remain free.
While there may be premium services offered in the future, the founders are determined to avoid the pitfalls that often lead to “enshittification” of platforms through aggressive monetization.
“We do not want to fall down that rabbit hole or do anything that’s kind of sleazy in that way,” Lise says. “We’re bootstrapped, everything is funded by ourselves. We’re not taking venture capital money, and we’re not looking to raise funds. We want to build this on our own terms.”
### Building Trust and Community
One of the app’s biggest challenges will be fostering community engagement. The Repair App hopes to attract both passionate repair enthusiasts and everyday consumers eager to get their items fixed.
Building trust will be crucial, and the app plans to achieve this by carefully vetting businesses to ensure they are legitimate.
“People go to the trustful person, because it’s personal stuff,” says Hamza, owner of Fixsmart LLC, a device repair shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. “You have to be sure about who you trust to fix your device.”
### A Timely Solution Amid Economic Uncertainty
In an era marked by economic uncertainty, rising prices, and widening economic divides, The Repair App aims to leverage the momentum of the right to repair movement. This could be a pivotal moment for advocating for repairability, consumer rights, and sustainable consumption.
By providing a reliable, user-friendly platform for finding vetted repair services, The Repair App hopes to empower users to extend the life of their belongings and support local businesses.
https://www.wired.com/story/the-repair-app/