A text says Apple owes you money. A cousin swears she filed in two minutes. Searches for "iPhone settlement" are up about 85-fold on last year, according to RisingTrends. Before you type your serial number into anything, here is what the settlement is, who it covers, and how to spot the copycat sites.
The short answer: this is the $250 million Siri settlement, Landsheft v. Apple. If you bought an iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16 in the United States between 10 June 2024 and 29 March 2025, you can claim about $25 per phone, possibly up to $95. File at smartphoneaisettlement.com by 21 December 2026. It is free, and nobody legitimate will ask you to pay.
What the settlement is about
In June 2024 Apple announced a smarter, more personal Siri alongside the iPhone 16, then in March 2025 pushed those features back. Buyers sued, saying they paid for AI that never arrived on their phone. On 5 May 2026 Apple agreed to pay $250 million to end the case, AP reported, while admitting no wrongdoing. About 36 million iPhones are covered.
The case sits in the Northern District of California before Judge Noël Wise. The court-filed settlement agreement names Verita Global as the administrator and says none of the money goes back to Apple. Lawyers' fees, notice costs and administration come out of the $250 million first, which is why your share is smaller than the headline suggests.
Am I eligible?
The agreement defines the class tightly. You must live in the United States, have bought the phone in the United States, and have bought it to use rather than resell. Secondhand buyers and anyone who bought outside the window are out. On the form you confirm that you expected a Siri Apple Intelligence feature at purchase and did not get it.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Eligible models | iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max |
| Not eligible | iPhone 15, 15 Plus, anything older, any iPhone 17 |
| Purchase window | 10 June 2024 to 29 March 2025 |
| Where bought | In the United States, by a US resident, not for resale |
| Proof needed | Serial number, or Apple Account ID or phone number on the device |
| Claims per person | One claim per eligible phone |
Why is the base iPhone 15 excluded? It never got Apple Intelligence, so the new Siri was never advertised for it. The same hardware line shapes which iPhones get the AI features in iOS 27.
How much will I actually get?
The agreement sets a "presumptive" payment of $25 per eligible device. That number moves with the number of valid claims. If claims add up to more than the fund, everyone is cut back pro rata. If fewer people claim, payments rise pro rata up to a cap of $95 per device. Nobody can promise you $95, and any site that does is guessing or lying.
Timing matters too. The judge granted preliminary approval on 17 July 2026 and the final approval hearing is set for 24 February 2027, MacRumors reported. Payment follows within about 60 days of the settlement taking effect, so realistically spring 2027 at the earliest, later if anyone appeals. You can pick a cheque, PayPal, Venmo or bank transfer, according to 9to5Mac.
The deadline and what happens if you ignore it
Claims opened on 21 September 2026 and close on 21 December 2026, filed online or postmarked by that day. The same date is the cut-off to opt out or object, iClarified notes. Do nothing and you get nothing, but you are still bound by the settlement and give up the right to sue Apple over this yourself.
Some owners received an email with a Claim ID and PIN. You do not need one. Engadget's walkthrough shows the site lets you start a fresh claim with just your details and a serial number, and businesses can upload a template listing several devices.
Spotting the fake claim sites
Settlement windows attract copycats the way missed-delivery texts do. Consumer reporters at Scripps News give a simple test: a real notice names the case, the court, the lawyers and one official website, and never asks for a fee, your Social Security number or your bank login. Newsweek adds the obvious one: do not pay anyone to file for you.
Three more tells. The real address is smartphoneaisettlement.com, so look hard at any domain with an extra word, a hyphen or a different ending. The real form asks for a serial number and a payment choice, not your Apple password or a one-time code. And nothing legitimate will pressure you to "claim your $95 today". The deadline is seven weeks away.
- Check your model and purchase date in Apple Wallet, your email receipts or Settings, then General, then About.
- Copy the serial number from that About screen, one per eligible phone.
- Type smartphoneaisettlement.com into the browser yourself. Do not follow a link from a text or social post.
- Enter your Claim ID and PIN if you were emailed one; otherwise start a new personal claim.
- Choose a payment method, sign the declaration, and screenshot the confirmation.
- Repeat for each eligible phone before 21 December 2026, then set a reminder to check status after 24 February 2027.
Frequently asked questions
I bought my iPhone 16 refurbished or from a friend. Can I claim?
No. The class is original purchasers who bought in the United States, for their own use, inside the window. A reseller cannot claim either, because the agreement excludes purchases for resale.
Will Apple's old $95 million Siri recording settlement pay me too?
That was a different 2025 case about Siri listening in, and its claims closed. Any message about it now is stale or a scam. The live settlement is the $250 million AI case with a 21 December 2026 deadline.
So: five minutes, a serial number, no fee. Twenty-five dollars will not change your life, but it is yours, and filing through the one real site keeps your details away from the fakes.
Conversation
Have a question or correction? Contact Rvasus.