Apple is set to pay some iPhone users, website goes live

Have an iPhone? Apple may owe you some money. Apple is set to pay some iPhone users a grand total of $250 million as part of its Siri lawsuit settlement. The website to make the claim for this payment is now live.

In Short

• Apple set aside $250 million to settle delayed Siri AI claims
• Eligible buyers may receive $25 (roughly Rs 2,400) per iPhone
• iPhone 15 Pro series, iPhone 16 series eligible

Apple is going to pay iPhone users. Yes, you heard that right. As part of its Siri lawsuit, Apple is going to pay a total of $250 million in settlement. And the website where you can make your claim for the payment is live. The settlement was reached earlier this year following a class action lawsuit over the delayed rollout of Siri AI features.

As part of the settlement, eligible iPhone users are expected to receive $25 (or about Rs 2,400) for each qualifying iPhone. Although the amount could be higher or lower depending on the total number of valid claims and other factors. The maximum payment is set at $95 (Rs 9,100).

Who is eligible for this payment?

Before you get too excited though, the settlement only covers iPhone buyers who purchased an iPhone in the US between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025. The eligible models are the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Over the coming days, eligible customers are expected to receive an email with a claim ID and PIN for the settlement. Those who are eligible can also go directly to the website – smartphoneaisettlement.com – and file a claim.

The online claims form asks for personal details and the serial number of the qualifying iPhone. If you do have the serial number, the form asks for the Apple Account email address and the phone number linked to the eligible device.

What was the lawsuit?

The lawsuit was filed in 2024 by Peter Landsheft in a US federal court in California. It followed Apple’s WWDC 2024 presentation, where the company previewed Siri capabilities powered by Apple Intelligence, including understanding of a user’s personal context, on-screen awareness and deeper per-app controls.

Apple gave examples of an iPhone user asking Siri about their mother’s flight and lunch reservation plans using information from the Mail and Messages apps.

According to the case, Apple’s statements and Apple Intelligence advertising created “clear and reasonable consumer expectations.” The lawsuit alleged that when the iPhone 16 series launched in late 2024, Apple offered a “significantly limited or entirely absent version of Apple Intelligence”, misleading consumers about its actual utility and performance.

In March 2025, Apple delayed the launch of the personalised Siri experience, prompting the false advertising claims. In response, Apple highlighted other Apple Intelligence tools it had already introduced, including Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Genmoji and Clean Up.

Apple denied all allegations in the lawsuit and said it agreed to the settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial. The company also said it resolved the matter to “stay focused” on “delivering the most innovative products and services to our users”.

Apple later announced Siri AI at WWDC 2026 in June. The feature is now available on iPhone 15 Pro models and newer devices running iOS 27, which was released last week. Even so, Siri AI is still described as a beta feature, although iOS 27 itself is no longer in beta.

A final approval hearing in the case is scheduled for February 24, 2027, which means payments are not expected to begin until some point next year. The settlement website also includes information on opting out and other related issues.

- Ends