Apple urged members of the California legislature to pass the "right to repair bill" or "Senate Bill 244" as currently drafted, in a letter on Tuesday, which requires manufacturers to allow customers to fix damaged devices.

The iPhone maker's move is a reversal from its years-long opposition towards access to repairs as the act would require electronic device makers to provide tools for repairing damaged appliances.

"We support "SB 244" because it includes requirements that protect individual users' safety and security as well as product manufacturers' intellectual property," Apple said in the letter.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)