Apple is learning to be less secretive about their operations, this time their screen repairs – in an attempt to reduce long wait times at their retail stores.

According to Reuters, by the end of 2017, Apple will put its proprietary machines for mending cracked iPhone glass in about 400 authorised third-party repair centres in 25 countries.

The initial rollout aims to put machines in 200 of Apple’s 4,800 authorised service providers worldwide over the next few months. The company plans to double that figure by the end of the year.

According to the report, pilot testing started a year ago. A few machines already are operating at third-party repair centers in Miami, the Bay Area, London, Shanghai and Singapore. Shops in some countries where Apple has no retail presence will also be early recipients, including locations in Colombia, Norway and South Korea.

The Cupertino giant had previously restricted use of their Horizon Machine to its nearly 500 retail stores and mail-in repair centre, in an effort to guard its design closely.

This isn’t to say you can’t go to mall kiosks for minor cracks. Apple says its customers can get their devices fixed at non-authorised shops without voiding their warranties as long as the technician caused no damage.

The Horizon Machine is needed for more tricky fixes, such as when the fingerprint sensor attached to the back of the glass gets damaged when a phone is dropped. For security, only Apple’s fix-it machine can tell the iPhone’s processor to recognise a replacement sensor. Without it, the iPhone won’t unlock with the touch of a finger. Banking apps that require a fingerprint won’t work either, including the Apple Pay digital wallet.

This story was sourced from Reuters, all pictures are courtesy of Reuters