Apple customers who bought certain iPhones can officially start filing claims for cash, with some owners potentially receiving as much as $95 for every qualifying device they purchased.
According to the official Smartphone AI Settlement website, the claim period opened September 21, 2026, for a $250 million settlement involving allegations that consumers bought certain iPhones expecting advertised Siri Apple Intelligence capabilities that were not available as expected. Apple denies wrongdoing.
Eligible customers who submit valid claims are initially allocated $25 per qualifying device. However, the Apple Siri settlement payment can rise as high as $95 per device or fall below $25 depending on the total number of approved claims, administrative expenses, attorneys’ fees, service awards, and other deductions from the settlement fund, according to the official settlement administrator.
That means people with more than one eligible iPhone may be able to submit a separate claim for each device. The settlement administrator says claimants must personally complete a valid form for each qualifying device by December 21, 2026.
The easiest place to start is the official settlement website, where consumers can choose whether they are filing as an individual or as a business or other entity. People who received a settlement notice can use the Claim ID and PIN included with that notice. Those who believe they qualify but did not receive those details can still begin the claims process, according to information about the filing procedure.
Claimants must provide contact information and confirm that they bought an eligible device while expecting certain Siri Apple Intelligence features that they did not receive. The claim also requires enough information to verify the purchase or ownership of the phone. A device serial number may be requested during the process.
The settlement covers original purchasers of the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. According to the official settlement site, buyers must have lived in the United States and purchased the qualifying device in the United States between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025. The phone must have been purchased for personal or business use rather than resale.
Court filings cited by ABC News estimated that roughly 37 million devices fall within the settlement class. The lawsuit centered on claims that Apple marketed advanced Apple Intelligence and Siri capabilities that consumers expected to receive when buying their devices, but certain promoted features were not delivered on the anticipated timeline.
Apple has maintained that it did nothing unlawful and agreed to resolve the litigation without admitting wrongdoing.
“Since the launch of Apple Intelligence, we have introduced dozens of features across many languages that are integrated across Apple’s platforms, relevant to what users do every day, and built with privacy protections at every step,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement shared with ABC News. “These include Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Genmoji, Clean Up and many more.”
The spokesperson continued, “Apple has reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features. We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.”
The settlement comes as Apple continues expanding the technology that helped spark the dispute. According to Apple, its newest software generation began rolling out in September with Siri AI and additional Apple Intelligence capabilities. Apple describes its upgraded Siri as “an even more capable AI assistant with expanded intelligence to be more helpful every day.”
Apple is also promoting “Call Context,” which the company says can surface “relevant information from across your apps” while someone is calling a business. For example, Apple says the feature can pull a flight confirmation code from Mail when a customer calls an airline.
Consumers should not expect Apple Siri settlement payments immediately after submitting a claim. A final approval hearing is scheduled for February 24, 2027, in federal court in San Jose, California. The court must decide whether to grant final approval, and any appeals could push payments further out.
“If there is no appeal, your settlement benefit will be processed promptly,” settlement administrators state.
For qualifying iPhone owners, the most important date right now is December 21, 2026. That is the deadline to submit a claim, request exclusion from the settlement, or file an objection. Consumers who qualify but do nothing will not receive settlement money, even though they may still be bound by the settlement’s terms.
