Remember back in 2017, when Apple came out and admitted that it was throttling iOS devices with degraded batteries? The decision—which the company claimed was all about improving battery life—led to a class-action lawsuit and an eventual $500 million settlement. The terms of the settlement provide cash payments “of approximately $25 per eligible device”—and MacRumors reports that you can claim your piece of that pie between now and October 6.
You’ll qualify for this settlement if you own(ed) one of the following iPhones before December 21, 2017:
- An iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus or SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later
- An iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later
If you have an eligible device, you can head on over to the website that’s been set up for U.S. iPhone owners, where you’ll find more information and a couple of options for submitting your claim online or by mail.
With both methods, you’ll need your eligible device’s serial number—and if you don’t have it handy, you can search for it by entering some additional information into the online claim form.
Alternatively, you can opt to exclude yourself from the settlement, which allows you to sue Apple over similar issues in the future. You can also object to the settlement, request to speak at the final hearing or do nothing at all. But the only way to get paid is to submit a claim.
Of course, you won’t see your money right away. The settlement FAQ notes that the judge in the case could sign off on the deal after the final hearing on December 4—but if there are any appeals, the process could drag on longer and delay payouts. And if more than $500 million is claimed, your individual payment could be less than $25.
