iPhone Lawsuit and Class Action: Which iPhones Get Paid, and the December 21 Deadline
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As of September 30, 2026, the iPhone lawsuit in the news is one you can act on: Apple's $250 million Siri “Apple Intelligence” settlement. If you bought an iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max in the U.S. between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025, you can claim until December 21, 2026: $25 per phone to start, which can rise to $95 or fall depending on how many people claim. The claim period opened on September 21, 2026. The older iPhone cases — the Siri recordings settlement and the battery-throttling settlement — have already paid and are closed. The antitrust cases over the iPhone pay consumers nothing today.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What Each iPhone Lawsuit Is About
Apple Intelligence Siri advertising ($250 million settlement). Buyers allege they purchased an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 expecting certain Siri Apple Intelligence features that they did not receive. ABC News summarized the accusation as marketing Apple Intelligence technologies that “did not exist” yet. Apple denies all of the allegations and settled without admitting wrongdoing. Of the cases on this page, it is the only one with an open claim form.
Siri recordings ($95 million, paid). Lopez v. Apple, filed in 2019, claimed that Siri recorded conversations without a “Hey, Siri” command or a button press. It is a different case with different class members, and it is finished.
Battery throttling (“Batterygate”, paid). Filed in December 2017, shortly after Apple revealed that it slowed the maximum performance of some iPhone models with “chemically aged” batteries to prevent unexpected shutdowns. Apple denied all allegations and in 2020 agreed to pay up to $500 million.
Antitrust. The Justice Department and a group of state attorneys general claim Apple used its power over app distribution and the iPhone's features to make it harder for consumers to switch phones. Private buyers have filed their own smartphone antitrust suits. A proposed class action claims Apple keeps “full-service” cloud storage limited to its own iCloud service, and the older App Store consumer case accused Apple of monopolizing the market for iPhone apps by banning purchases outside its App Store.
A patent verdict. In late September 2026 a federal jury found that Apple owes Taction more than $5.7 billion over the vibration technology in the iPhone and Apple Watch. iPhone owners are not part of that case.
Case Details
The $250 million settlement is Landsheft, et al. v. Apple Inc., No. 5:25-cv-02668, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, before Judge Noel Wise; the first complaint was filed on March 19, 2025. The Siri recordings case is Lopez v. Apple Inc., No. 4:19-cv-04577-JSW, in the same district, before Judge Jeffrey S. White. The Justice Department's case is United States v. Apple Inc., No. 2:24-cv-04055, filed on March 21, 2024 in the District of New Jersey before Judge Julien Xavier Neals, who also presides over the private suits consolidated as In re Apple Inc. Smartphone Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 3113. The iCloud case is Gamboa v. Apple Inc., No. 5:24-cv-01270 (N.D. Cal.), before Judge Eumi K. Lee. The App Store consumer case was before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland.
Status on September 30, 2026, Case by Case
$95 million Siri recordings settlement: paid and closed. Final approval came in October 2025, and payments labeled “Lopez Voice Assistant” arrived in late January 2026. No new claims.
Batterygate: paid and closed. The claim deadline was in October 2020; payments of $92.17 per claim went out in January 2024.
Justice Department case and MDL 3113: pending. The judge denied Apple's motion to dismiss the government's case on June 30, 2025. On September 28, 2026, Apple opened a court proceeding to force Meta to comply with a subpoena in that case. No settlement or claim form has been announced in either.
iCloud case: in discovery. A discovery status conference was held on September 8, 2026. No settlement.
App Store consumer case: class decertified in October 2025, so there is no class-wide payout in sight.
Taction patent verdict: not a final judgment; Apple says it will appeal.
Don't miss the claim deadline
Claims are due by December 21, 2026. We'll email you 7 days and 1 day before the deadline.
Which iPhones Qualify, and How to Claim
You are in the $250 million settlement class if you live in the U.S. and bought an iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max in the U.S., not for resale, between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025. The base iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are not on the list, and neither is any older model. The official site says you must be the original purchaser; businesses that bought phones for business use have their own claim path.
How to file: at the official site, SmartphoneAISettlement.com, online by December 21, 2026, or by mail postmarked by that date. You file one claim for each eligible iPhone. The form asks for your contact details, confirmation that you expected Siri Apple Intelligence features you did not get, when and where you bought the phone, and information that confirms your purchase or ownership. Doing nothing means no payment.
Finding the serial number: on the phone, open Settings, tap General, then About. If you can't use the phone, Apple lists other places to check, including the original packaging and the Devices section at account.apple.com. Keep your receipt or order confirmation.
Everyone else: nothing to file. The Siri recordings and Batterygate settlements are closed, and the antitrust cases have no claim form. For every Apple case in one place, see our Apple lawsuit guide; for claims you can still file in other cases, our list of open class action settlements.
What the $250 Million Pays Per iPhone
Money comes only after the court approves the deal at the February 24, 2027 hearing, and appeals can push it later. You can choose a physical or a digital check. For scale: the Siri recordings settlement paid about $8 per device on average, according to reports, and Batterygate paid $92.17 per claim. We work through the arithmetic in our breakdown of the court filings. Anyone promising a fixed amount per iPhone today is guessing.
iPhone Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
January 2024 — Batterygate Pays Out
Payments of $92.17 per claim reach people who filed in the iPhone throttling settlement. The claim deadline had been in October 2020.
- 2
March 19, 2025 — The Apple Intelligence Suit Is Filed
The first complaint in Landsheft v. Apple is filed in San Jose, on behalf of iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 buyers who say they paid for Siri features that did not arrive.
- 3
June–October 2025 — Antitrust Cases Survive, App Store Class Undone
On June 16, 2025 the iCloud case survives Apple's renewed motion to dismiss; on June 30, 2025 the Justice Department's smartphone case does too. In October 2025 the App Store consumer class is decertified and the $95 million Siri recordings settlement gets final approval.
- 4
Late January 2026 — Siri Recordings Money Arrives
Deposits labeled “Lopez Voice Assistant” reach people who filed. Reported average: about $8 per device.
- 5
May 5 – July 17, 2026 — $250 Million Settlement Filed and Preliminarily Approved
Plaintiffs ask the court to approve the $250 million deal on May 5, 2026. Judge Noel Wise grants preliminary approval on July 17, 2026 and, on August 28, 2026, approves a later start for notice and claims.
- 6
September 21 – December 21, 2026 — Claim Window
The notice campaign and claim period begin on September 21, 2026. December 21, 2026 is the last day to file, opt out or object. The final approval hearing follows on February 24, 2027.
Three iPhone-Settlement Traps
A settlement notice sent to millions of iPhone buyers is exactly what scammers copy:
“Verify your Apple Account” messages
The claim form asks for contact details and information that proves you bought or own the phone, such as its serial number. Nothing in the official claim requirements calls for your Apple Account password or a verification code. A message asking for either is after your account. Look up the serial number yourself in Settings, and type the settlement address in by hand.
Lookalike claim sites and paid “filing services”
The official site is SmartphoneAISettlement.com, run by the administrator, Verita. Its “File A Claim” button opens the administrator's claim portal at aplsconnect.com — that one is legitimate. Filing is free, and you can file for each of your eligible iPhones yourself. A site that charges a fee per device or asks for your bank login is not the settlement.
“Unclaimed” Batterygate or Siri money
Both older iPhone settlements are closed: Batterygate paid in January 2024 and the Siri recordings settlement in late January 2026. A message offering to “release” leftover money from either, or to sign you up for the Justice Department's iPhone case for a fee, is fraud.
iPhone Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there an iPhone class action I can claim money from right now?
As of September 30, 2026, yes, one: the $250 million Siri Apple Intelligence settlement, Landsheft v. Apple. It covers U.S. buyers of an iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max purchased between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025. The claim deadline is December 21, 2026, at SmartphoneAISettlement.com. Every other iPhone case on this page is closed or has no settlement.
I have an iPhone 15. Am I included?
Only if it is an iPhone 15 Pro or 15 Pro Max. The base iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are not eligible devices, and neither is any earlier iPhone. Every iPhone 16 model counts, including the 16e, as long as it was bought in the U.S. between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025. The serial number the claim may need is under Settings, then General, then About.
How much will I get per iPhone?
The starting point is $25 per eligible iPhone. It is adjusted pro rata — up to a maximum of $95, or down below $25 — depending on how many valid claims are filed. Fees and costs come out of the $250 million first. Payment follows final approval (the hearing is February 24, 2027) and any appeals.
The iPhone was a gift, or I bought two. Who files?
The official site says you must be the original purchaser of the device, so by that wording the claim belongs to whoever bought the phone. You submit one claim per eligible iPhone, and each needs information that confirms the purchase or ownership. If your situation does not fit neatly, ask the administrator: 1-888-988-8945 or admin@SmartphoneAISettlement.com.
Is this the Siri settlement that paid in January?
No. The January 2026 deposits came from Lopez v. Apple, the $95 million settlement over Siri recording conversations, and that case is closed. The $250 million case is about Apple Intelligence Siri features on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16. Being paid in one does not enter you in the other. Our Siri settlement tracker compares the two.
Did the iPhone battery slowdown lawsuit pay?
Yes, and it is over. The Batterygate class covered U.S. owners of an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later, or an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later, before December 21, 2017. Claims were due in October 2020, and payments of $92.17 per claim went out in January 2024. There is nothing left to file.
Can I get money from the DOJ iPhone lawsuit or the App Store case?
Not today. United States v. Apple is a government enforcement case with no consumer claim form. The private smartphone antitrust suits in MDL 3113 and the iCloud case have no settlement. The App Store consumer class — Apple account holders who spent $10 or more on apps or in-app content — was decertified in October 2025, so there is no class-wide payout from it.
What if I do nothing, or want to opt out?
If you are in the class and do nothing, you get no payment but are still bound by the settlement and its release. To opt out, you must mail an individual written request to the administrator by December 21, 2026; objections have the same deadline.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.