Frequently asked questions

No. You can come to i-Restore at any time without an appointment during opening hours.

We accept repairs directly and carry them out on site straight away, provided we have the right spare part in stock.

Most faults are fixed on site within 30 to 60 minutes.

All our stores keep a large stock of the most common spare parts. If we need to order a part, this usually takes 1–3 working days. In this case, you will always be informed in advance.

You can find the exact repair times in our price list.

Yes, in principle you are welcome to.

However, please be considerate of other customers in the shop and let our technicians work without distraction.

We operate three stores in German-speaking Switzerland:

St. Gallen · St. Leonhard-Strasse 35, Neumarkt 1, 9000 St. Gallen
Aarau · Bahnhofstrasse 41, 5000 Aarau
Wettingen · Landstrasse 37, 5430 Wettingen

Our honest rule of thumb: if your device is less than 3–4 years old and has only a single fault (screen, battery, charging port), a repair is almost always worth it, as it costs a fraction of a new device.

If there are several faults at once or the device no longer receives software updates, buying a new one may make more sense. We will tell you so directly: honest advice matters more to us than an extra order.

By the way: repairing is also the more sustainable choice, as producing a new smartphone causes 50–80 kg of CO₂.

Prices depend on the model. In our price list you can see the exact price for every device, including labour, materials and VAT.

An iPhone screen repair, for example, starts at around CHF 99.– (older models); for current models it is higher. Battery replacements start at CHF 40.–.

Yes, we offer a combo price: 30 % discount on every additional repair on the same device.

Useful, for example, when the screen and battery are replaced at the same time: the second job is then much cheaper.

If the damage is obvious, such as a broken screen, the diagnosis is free.

For a detailed fault diagnosis, e.g. if the device no longer starts or the cause is unclear, we charge CHF 50.– to 100.– depending on the device (phones CHF 50.–, tablets CHF 80.–, laptops CHF 100.–). If you decide to go ahead with the repair, this amount is fully credited, so the diagnosis is effectively free.

After the diagnosis, you receive a quote. We only start the repair once you have approved it.

In all stores we accept cash, debit and credit cards (American Express also in St. Gallen), TWINT and PostFinance Card.

For repairs by post, you pay before the repair via the payment link in the invoice: TWINT, credit or debit card, PostFinance Card, PostFinance Pay, PayPal or prepayment.

Payment by invoice is only available to business customers from their fourth order.

In many cases, yes, for example with phone or device insurance or through your household contents insurance.

We are happy to prepare a diagnostic report or quote for your insurer. You handle the claim with the insurer and we handle the repair, usually on the same day.

Yes, we offer a 12-month warranty on every repair.

The warranty covers both our work and the spare part fitted. If a problem with the repair occurs within one year, we will fix it free of charge. You can find more details on the warranty page.

Yes. We fit original parts from the respective manufacturer whenever available.

For some iPhone models, we also offer high-quality aftermarket screens when the price difference to the original is significant. However, these are only fitted on explicit request. You can see which option is available in which quality directly in the price list.

Having your phone repaired is a matter of trust. At i-Restore, your device is not repaired by an anonymous service employee: you speak directly to the technician who works on your smartphone.

All repairs are carried out exclusively by experienced smartphone technicians with 8 to 13 years of full-time professional experience.

This many years of experience ensures that every repair is carried out cleanly, carefully and to a high quality standard.

Yes. With a few exceptions, we repair every smartphone and tablet model, even if it is not listed in our price list.

For rare models, we often have to order the spare part. Simply contact us and we will prepare an individual quote for you.

On waterproof devices (IP67, IP68), the original seal is inevitably damaged when the device is opened.

We replace the seals with new ones wherever possible. However, water resistance is no longer guaranteed after the repair.

In most cases, the fault, such as drop or water damage, is not covered by the manufacturer's warranty anyway. In that case, you lose nothing by having us repair it.

Regardless of this, you always receive a 12-month warranty from us on the repair carried out. Find out more on our warranty page.

Yes. With a standard repair (screen, battery, housing, etc.), no data is lost.

In rare exceptional cases, such as severe logic board damage or software faults, the device may need to be restored. In these cases, you will always be informed in advance and asked for your confirmation.

On certain iPhone models (iPhone X / 11 series, iPhone SE 2/3), the screen and battery are linked to the device via software.

After the replacement, a message appears in Settings saying that the spare part cannot be verified as genuine. This message has no effect on how the device works: it simply means that the originally fitted microchip is no longer detected.

From the iPhone 12 onwards, original spare parts can be paired with the device via software calibration and are then correctly recognised as original again.

When the screen is replaced with an original spare part, all biometric functions and payment services are retained on both iPhone and Android devices:

iPhone: Face ID, Touch ID and Apple Pay continue to work without restriction.
Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, Huawei, etc.): The fingerprint sensor (including under-display sensors), face recognition and Google Pay keep working.

No. For the vast majority of repairs, we do not need your passcode. The only exceptions are data recovery and data transfer, as we absolutely need access to the device for these.

If necessary, the function test is carried out together with you right after the repair, or via a diagnostic menu that we can access without the passcode. So your code stays with you.

For a repair by post, you can choose to enter the code in your order. As you are not present for the test, this allows us to check your device thoroughly. We delete the code once the order is completed.

A backup is not strictly necessary for standard repairs, as no data is lost. However, an up-to-date backup is always a good idea.

Yes, we are happy to take devices with water damage.

The success rate is 30–40 %, depending on the damage. In the other cases, we can often still recover the data, or unfortunately the device can no longer be saved.

Important: switch the device off immediately after water damage and bring it to us as quickly as possible. Do not try to switch it on or charge it.

Unfortunately not, in most cases.

To prevent dust getting trapped, the display panel (LCD or OLED), touchscreen and glass are bonded together industrially by the manufacturer. We therefore receive the spare part as a complete unit; with a few exceptions, replacing the glass separately is not technically possible.

There are usually three possible causes: a dirty or faulty charging port, a worn battery, or simply a faulty cable or power adapter.

Just drop by and we will check it on the spot. Often a professional cleaning of the charging port is enough, which is much cheaper than a replacement.

First try a forced restart (iPhone: briefly press volume up, briefly press volume down, then press and hold the side button; Android: hold the power button for 20–30 seconds) and charge the device for at least 30 minutes with a working cable.

If the screen stays black, simply bring the device in. Common causes are a deeply discharged battery or screen damage, both usually fixed quickly.

Good news: even if the device no longer turns on, in many cases we can still recover your data.

Yes. Simply create your repair order online and sign directly on screen. Once we have confirmed the order, send us your device.

Shipping both ways is free for you.

Please do not include any accessories (original packaging, protective case, charging cable, etc.) in the parcel. Exception: for laptops, please include the charging cable.

Shipping address:
i-Restore GmbH
St. Leonhard-Strasse 35
9000 St. Gallen

As soon as your parcel arrives, you will receive a quote or an invoice by email. Once payment has been received, the device is repaired and sent back to you.

It mainly depends on how quickly payment is made.

After receiving and checking your device, we will promptly send you a quote or an invoice by email. As soon as payment has been received, and provided the spare part is in stock, we usually carry out the repair on the same day and send the device back by A-Post.