AppleCare technicians may soon be able to glean troubleshooting information from your iPhone, saving you a trip to the Apple Store. The company is reportedly set to deploy a Web-based tool to collect various bits of diagnostic information from an iOS device in order to transmit it directly to Apple's servers for analysis.

According to a source speaking to HardMac, Apple has internally announced that it has created a Web-based version of diagnostic tools that AppleCare technicians are already using. The tool allows a technician to send an e-mail (or presumably an SMS) with a specially crafted URL. When a user clicks the URL, it connects to Apple's servers and collects various bits of data about the device's state, the health of the battery, and the version of iOS running.

HardMac's source did not say if the tool will be able to collect any logs, such as app crash logs or the baseband radio log. The site also noted that there so far isn't any indication that jail breaking can be detected, though we note Apple certainly has methods to do so.

Of course, the remote troubleshooting step won't be helpful for a device that simply does not function or has no network access. But if the device is functioning enough to run Mobile Safari, the tool could be a useful first step in getting assistance if an Apple Store or authorized service center isn't conveniently located nearby.