Claims are now open in a proposed $250 million class action settlement involving Apple's advertising for Siri features promoted as part of Apple Intelligence. Eligible people and businesses that bought certain iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 models in the United States can submit a claim through the court-authorized settlement website.
The settlement provides a presumptive payment of $25 per eligible device. The amount can decrease if approved claims exceed the net settlement fund or increase on a pro rata basis to no more than $95 per device if fewer valid claims are filed. Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by December 21, 2026.
Apple denies the allegations and has not admitted wrongdoing. The court granted preliminary approval for settlement purposes, but it has not decided that Apple violated the law. Payments cannot be distributed unless the court grants final approval and the settlement becomes effective.
Key facts
- Case: Peter Landsheft et al. v. Apple Inc., No. 5:25-cv-02668-NW
- Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division
- Settlement fund: $250 million, non-reversionary
- Covered devices: iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max
- Purchase period: June 10, 2024, through March 29, 2025
- Purchase location: United States
- Claim deadline: December 21, 2026
- Opt-out and objection deadline: December 21, 2026
- Final approval hearing: February 24, 2027
- Expected benefit: $25 per eligible device, subject to adjustment, with a $95 per-device cap
- Current status: Claims open under a preliminarily approved settlement
In this article
- What changed
- Who Apple and the plaintiffs are
- What Apple Intelligence and enhanced Siri mean in this case
- What the lawsuit alleges
- Who may be included
- How the payment works
- How to file a claim
- Other choices and legal deadlines
- Timeline and current status
- What remains disputed or undecided
- Frequently asked questions
What changed
The official claim process opened on September 21, 2026. The court-authorized website now provides claim paths for individuals and businesses, along with settlement documents and instructions.
That is a material change from the earlier notice stage. When the parties first disclosed the agreement, the settlement still needed preliminary approval and there was no live claim form. The court later granted preliminary approval, allowing notice to be distributed and claims to begin.
Claims are open now Eligible purchasers can use the official Smartphone AI Settlement website. The filing deadline is December 21, 2026.
The settlement remains proposed. Preliminary approval means the judge found enough basis to notify the class and consider the agreement. It is not a final ruling on the merits, and it does not establish that Apple made unlawful statements.
Who Apple and the plaintiffs are
Apple Inc. is the California technology company that designs the iPhone, develops iOS and operates the Siri voice assistant. Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in 2024 as a collection of artificial-intelligence features for supported iPhones, iPads and Macs.
The case began with a complaint filed by Peter Landsheft in March 2025. Similar cases were later consolidated in the Northern District of California. The second consolidated complaint names dozens of consumers from multiple states who allege that they bought covered iPhones after seeing Apple Intelligence and Siri advertising.
The plaintiffs seek to represent purchasers of the covered devices. Their claims include false-advertising, unfair-competition, consumer-protection, warranty and related theories. A complaint states allegations. It is not evidence that those allegations have been proven.
Apple has denied wrongdoing and disputed the claims. The settlement agreement says no litigation class had been certified when the parties resolved the case. The class now exists for settlement purposes under the court's preliminary-approval process.
What Apple Intelligence and enhanced Siri mean in this case
Apple Intelligence is Apple's name for artificial-intelligence features integrated into supported devices and apps. The filed complaint focuses on a more personalized version of Siri that Apple promoted as able to understand a user's context, find information across apps and take actions based on what was on the screen or stored on the device.
Siri is Apple's voice assistant. The complaint uses terms such as “enhanced Siri” to describe the context-aware and cross-app functions at the center of the dispute. The plaintiffs allege Apple marketed those functions as a major reason to buy the newest iPhones even though the challenged capabilities were not delivered on the schedule consumers expected.
Apple states in the settlement agreement that it delivered more than 20 Apple Intelligence features and anticipated delivering additional Siri features in future software updates at no added cost. That is part of Apple's position and does not resolve the parties' disagreement over the advertising.
The distinction matters because the lawsuit is not a claim that every Apple Intelligence feature was absent. The dispute concerns specific Siri capabilities, the way Apple described their availability and whether purchasers paid more or bought devices based on those descriptions.
What the lawsuit alleges
The plaintiffs allege that Apple promoted a new, personalized Siri at its June 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, during the iPhone 16 launch and through later advertising. They say the marketing showed Siri using personal context and acting across apps in ways that were not available when buyers purchased the phones.
According to the complaint, consumers saw the statements across television, online media, Apple's website and retail channels. The plaintiffs contend that some buyers would not have purchased the devices, or would have paid less, if they had known the timing and availability of the challenged Siri features.
The complaint invokes state consumer-protection and false-advertising laws, along with contract, warranty, misrepresentation and unjust-enrichment theories. In plain English, those claims generally ask whether the advertising conveyed a materially misleading message, whether purchasers relied on it and whether that caused an economic loss.
Apple moved to dismiss the earlier consolidated complaint and raised defenses, including challenges to reliance and other required elements. The case settled before the court decided the merits of the amended allegations.
Allegations are not findings The settlement resolves disputed claims. Apple denies wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled that the advertising was deceptive.
Who may be included
The settlement class covers people and entities that meet all of these public criteria:
- They reside in the United States.
- They bought an eligible device in the United States.
- The purchase was for a purpose other than resale.
- The purchase occurred from June 10, 2024, through March 29, 2025.
- They expected to receive a Siri Apple Intelligence feature and did not receive it, as required by the claim confirmation.
The eligible devices are:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are not on the list. Purchases outside the United States, devices bought for resale and purchases outside the class period do not fit the published class definition.
Apple, entities it controls, its directors, officers and employees, and certain judicial personnel are excluded. The administrator will determine whether each submitted claim meets the settlement's rules.
Model and date both matter Owning an iPhone is not enough. The device model, U.S. purchase location, purchase purpose and June 10, 2024, through March 29, 2025, period all control eligibility.
How the payment works
Apple agreed to a total settlement amount of $250 million. The fund is non-reversionary, meaning remaining settlement money does not return to Apple under the agreement. The total fund also pays settlement administration, court-approved attorneys' fees and expenses, service awards and taxes before the net amount is distributed to approved claimants.
A valid claimant is assigned a presumptive payment of $25 for each eligible device identified in a timely claim. That is not a guaranteed final payment.
If the total value of valid claims is greater than the net amount available, the per-device payment will be reduced proportionally. If valid claims total less than the net amount, payments will increase proportionally, but no device can receive more than $95. If money remains after the $95 cap is reached, the parties must propose another court-approved distribution rather than return it to Apple.
Because claim volume and approved deductions are not yet known, no source can support a fixed individual payout. A person with multiple eligible devices must provide the information required for each device and follow the administrator's claim instructions.
How to file a claim
Claims can be filed through SmartphoneAISettlement.com, the court-authorized website administered by Verita Global. The site provides separate filing paths for individuals and businesses.
The settlement agreement requires information sufficient to confirm the covered purchase. The claim form can use an eligible device's serial number or identifying information associated with the device, such as the Apple Account email address and phone number. The form also asks the claimant to confirm that they expected a Siri Apple Intelligence feature and did not receive it.
Claimants who received notice may have a Claim ID and PIN. The public online process also provides a path for people who do not have those notice credentials. Filing is free.
Online claims must be submitted by December 21, 2026. Mailed claims must be postmarked by that date. Claimants should use the official settlement website, keep a copy of their submission and avoid third parties that ask for a fee to file.
Keep the device details before filing The claim process asks for information tied to each eligible iPhone. A serial number is one option, and the official form provides an alternative using Apple Account and phone information.
Other choices and legal deadlines
A class member who wants to keep the right to bring an individual case over the released claims must follow the notice's exclusion procedure by December 21, 2026. A person who validly opts out cannot receive a settlement payment.
An objection is different from opting out. A class member who objects remains in the settlement but tells the court why they oppose all or part of the agreement. Objections are also due December 21 and must follow the court-approved notice.
Doing nothing generally means receiving no payment while remaining bound by the final judgment and release if the settlement becomes effective. Anyone weighing an individual legal claim should review the full notice and consult their own attorney, because Class Action Pulse does not provide legal advice.
Timeline and current status
Apple announced Apple Intelligence and the challenged Siri functions in June 2024. The class period begins June 10, 2024. The iPhone 16 lineup launched later that year, and the complaint says the challenged campaign continued into 2025.
The first action was filed on March 19, 2025. Related cases were consolidated. Apple moved to dismiss the earlier complaint in September 2025. The parties mediated in October and December 2025 and again in March 2026.
The parties signed the settlement agreement in May 2026. The court granted preliminary approval on July 17, 2026. The notice and claim period opened on September 21, 2026.
Claims, exclusions and objections are due December 21. The final approval hearing is scheduled for February 24, 2027. The court may change hearing dates, so class members should check the official website for updates.
If the court grants final approval, the settlement still must reach its effective date, which generally requires the appeal period to expire or any appeals to be resolved. The agreement calls for approved payments after the settlement becomes effective. No immediate payment date is guaranteed.
What remains disputed or undecided
Apple denies every allegation and does not admit that its advertising was unlawful. The court has not decided whether any plaintiff or class member relied on a particular statement, whether Apple breached a warranty or contract, or whether purchasers paid an unlawful price premium.
The court must still decide whether the agreement is fair, reasonable and adequate. It must also rule on requested attorneys' fees, expenses and service awards. Those deductions affect the net fund available to claimants.
The final per-device payment is unknown because it depends on valid claim volume and approved deductions. The administrator can reject claims that are incomplete, duplicative, fraudulent or outside the class definition.
Frequently asked questions
Which iPhones are covered?
The iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are listed as eligible devices.
What is the purchase period?
June 10, 2024, through March 29, 2025.
How much could I receive?
The presumptive payment is $25 per eligible device. It can go down if approved claims exceed the net fund or increase proportionally to no more than $95 per device.
Do I need a receipt?
The settlement agreement does not require a traditional receipt as the only proof path. The claim must include information sufficient to confirm the covered purchase, such as a serial number or Apple Account and phone information tied to the device.
Can I file without a Claim ID and PIN?
The official online process provides a filing path for claimants who do not have notice credentials.
What is the claim deadline?
Claims must be submitted online or postmarked by December 21, 2026.
Is the settlement final?
No. The court granted preliminary approval. A final approval hearing is scheduled for February 24, 2027.
Did Apple admit wrongdoing?
No. Apple denies the allegations, and the settlement is not an admission of liability.
When will payments arrive?
No guaranteed payment date has been announced. Distribution depends on final approval, the settlement's effective date, claim review and any appeals.
