You might be eligible if you’ve bought an iPhone in the last couple of years.
U.S. Apple customers who purchased some iPhone models should submit claims for compensation for the company’s delayed introduction of Apple Intelligence features it originally announced in June 2024. Payments could be worth $25 to $95 per device. To qualify, you must submit your claim by December 21, 2026.
Apple was hit with a class action lawsuit on the basis that people purchasing iPhones between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, did so believing it would ship Apple Intelligence sooner than it did. While not making an admission of guilt, the company agreed to a $250 million settlement to make up for those delays, which saw features delayed for release until fall 2025 and later.
Eligible customers should receive an estimated $25 for each qualifying device, though the actual amount paid may fall or rise in response to how many customers make successful claims. There is a maximum of $95 per qualifying device if few valid claims are made.
Apple’s $250 million payment must also cover a range of deductions, principally for legal fees, taxes and admin.
What does the settlement cover?
The agreement extends to qualifying devices purchased in the U.S. only. That means customers in the UK, Canada, France and everywhere else are not covered.
Claimants must be able to prove they purchased the iPhone between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, that it was purchased for personal or business use, and that they are the original device purchaser.
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
How to claim your slice of Apple’s $250 million settlement
If you are in the U.S. and eligible to claim, visit the official claims website at SmartphoneAISettlement.com. Don’t forget: To receive payment, you must submit your claim by December 21, 2026.
The claims process works like this:
- Visit the claim website at SmartphoneAISettlement.com.
- Tap File a Claim or Submit Your Claim.
- You’ll be asked if you have an existing Claim ID and PIN code — ongoing claims will have this, otherwise choose “I DO NOThave a Claim ID and PIN, but I would like to file a claim online“.
- You’ll be asked if you are filing for yourself or for a business.
- If it’s a personal claim, you’ll be asked to provide your personal details, iPhone serial number, payment method (PayPal, Venmo, ACH or check), and to sign a declaration to certify the information you have added is true.
- Business claims will also need to fill in a claim form, including business details, payment details (ACH or check in this case) and a declaration of truth. They must also download and fill in a claim template which requests the iPhone serial number, associated Apple Account ID and phone number for the device.
Your iPhone serial number is in Settings > General > About.
What is the history of the Apple settlement?
History shows Apple’s AI team could not meet its originally announced Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2024 promise to introduce Apple Intelligence later that year.
The project was originally delayed into 2025, then delayed again before a subset of Apple Intelligence features shipped in fall 2025. In the end, the full promise remained unrealized until the release of iOS 27 in fall 2026.
During the hiatus, John Giannandrea, who led Apple’s AI efforts, began the process of retiring from Apple and the company went into partnership with Google to use Google Gemini to augment its AI development efforts. The Apple Intelligence features we now have access to were in part promised in 2024, which is what drove the class action.
The argument is that when customers made their purchases, they did so believing the WWDC 2024 promise to introduce Apple Intelligence later that year. The $250 million settlement compensates for failing to meet that commitment and therefore misleading customers, though Apple has not admitted guilt.
