Earlier this year, Apple settled a class-action lawsuit by agreeing to pay $250 million divided among American iPhone owners. Here’s how to claim your share. SEE ALSO: Apple reaches $250M settlement for hyping Apple Intelligence capabilities Apple launched its iPhone 16 series in 2024, touting it as featuring an improved next-generation Siri as well as the Apple Intelligence suite of artificial intelligence tools. The tech giant further stated at the time that such features would come to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. However, a class action lawsuit claimed not only that these features failed to materialize when promised, but also that Apple knew it was unable to deliver them on the advertised schedule. An updated Siri was recently released in beta, two years after customers were told to expect it. As such, the class action lawsuit alleged that Apple’s marketing violated consumer protection laws, enticing people to buy new iPhones based on features that did not exist. Apple has not admitted any fault, but has agreed to pay a $250 million settlement to affected parties. If you bought an iPhone in the last few years, it may be one of them. Are you eligible to receive the $250 million payment from the Apple class action lawsuit? However, not all iPhone owners in the US will be entitled to a piece of the pie. To get a piece of the $250 million deal, you must first meet a few requirements: Mashable Light Speed You must live in and have purchased an iPhone in the US (and not just to resell it); You must have purchased the iPhone between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025; yThe iPhone must be one of the eligible devices, i.e. iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. i.e. iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, or iPhone 16 Pro Max. You also cannot be a representative or employee of Apple, although that is not a criterion that the vast majority of iPhone owners should worry about. If you meet these requirements, you may be entitled to a payment of approximately $25. This payment can change depending on how much is deducted for legal fees, as well as how many people file claims. (The class action lawsuit claims that there were approximately 37 million pre-orders for iPhone 16 series devices during the first weekend they opened, and that number continued to grow thereafter.) However, while your individual payment could decrease, it could also increase up to a maximum of $95. How to Claim a Payment from Apple’s $250 Million Class Action Settlement To claim your settlement from Apple, you can file a claim through the dedicated Smartphone AI Settlement website. Simply click the “Submit Claim” button and complete the form, including selecting the method by which you prefer to be paid. You will also need to have your iPhone’s serial number on hand so it can be verified as part of the applicable class. To find it, simply open your iPhone’s settings, tap “General,” tap “About,” and then find your serial number. You can also long-press the number to copy it, so you don’t have to try to type it manually. The deadline to file a claim is December 21, 2026, although it’s best to do so sooner if you’re interested so you don’t forget. Filing a claim binds you to the settlement, which means you will not be able to bring any future cases against Apple regarding the specific issues in this case. The 21st is also the deadline to opt out of the agreement. Doing so means you won’t receive any money, but you’ll retain the right to file your own lawsuit against Apple over the delivery of Siri and Apple Intelligence features to affected iPhones. If you do nothing, you won’t get paid, but you’ll still be bound by the agreement, so it’s best to decide which route you prefer now. When will you receive payment from the Apple settlement? Once all claims have been received, the Court will have a final hearing on February 24, 2027 to determine whether Apple’s settlement is fair, and payments are expected to be made sometime after that. Unfortunately, you may have to wait a while, as these payments typically take several months. As such, while you won’t have cash for Christmas, you may have better luck for Memorial Day.
