Customers who purchased an iPhone from an Apple Store in the U.S. had a 30-day period to try out the phone and return it for any reason. Starting March 13th, this return window is being shortened to 14 calendar days, claims 9to5Mac.

According to an internal document provided by one of our retail sources, Apple plans to change its iPhone return policy to just 14 days beginning on March 13th. However the return policy currently published on Apple.com already reflects this change.

iphone-14-day-return-policy
This change brings Apple's return policy in line with U.S. carriers, which offer a 14-day return period for customers who buy an iPhone from a carrier's website or retail store. Previously, Apple would accept returns beyond the carrier's 14-day period, but within the company's 30-day return window. These customers would be credited for their iPhone purchase, but they still had to pay an early termination fee and any other associated charges to the carrier. This policy often was confusing to customers who expected to return their phone without penalty.

This change also standardizes Apple's return policy across all product categories. Starting March 13th, customers who purchase an item from Apple will have 14 days in which to make a return, regardless of what they purchased.

Tag: 9to5Mac
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Apple_Robert Avatar
154 months ago
I think this is a good move on Apple's part. It brings consistency in policy across the board. Less confusion for consumers. Also, it could mean less wear and tear on items returned.

In my opinion, 14 days is long enough to determine whether one likes an item or not.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
154 months ago
Maybe because the device doesn't work properly? I find your post to be silly.

That's warranty, not a return. Even with a "no returns" policy, you can return devices that don't work.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lefty21 Avatar
154 months ago
Still plenty of time.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dulcimer Avatar
154 months ago
I think this is a good move on Apple's part. It brings consistency in policy across the board. Less confusion for consumers. Also, it could mean less wear and tear on items returned.

In my opinion, 14 days is long enough to determine whether one likes an item or not.

Completely agree. No need to test a phone for one whole month.

----------

Getting a little greedy there, eh, Tim?

How is this greedy?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoCubsGo Avatar
154 months ago
Getting a little greedy there, eh, Tim?
I don't see it that way and 14 days was the original return window even under Jobs. I'm not even sure how you can call this greedy.


I think this is a good move on Apple's part. It brings consistency in policy across the board. Less confusion for consumers. Also, it could mean less wear and tear on items returned.

In my opinion, 14 days is long enough to determine whether one likes an item or not.
I agree. Far too many people have openly discussed how they kept a phone for nearly a month and decided they wanted the color or size they truly wanted. Many have come here bragging about their basic rental or saying how they wanted a certain model but it was not available so they just bought whatever and now intend to return it. I loved it in one way because the refurb store was riddled with these returns that had nothing wrong with them. However, this 14-day window will reduce the people who abused the previous return policy.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
154 months ago
Getting a little greedy there, eh, Tim?

Don't you think feeling entitled to rent a phone for two weeks without payment is greedy?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Will Move From Goldman Sachs to JPMorgan Chase

Wednesday January 7, 2026 12:57 pm PST by
JPMorgan Chase has reached a deal to take over operation of the Apple Card, reports The Wall Street Journal. Barring any "last minute hiccups," the deal should be announced shortly after over a year of negotiations. Reports began circulating over two years ago that current Apple Card issuer Goldman Sachs was looking to end its partnership with Apple as part of an effort to scale back on...
Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech Blames 'Inexcusable Mistake' After Certificate Expiry Breaks macOS Apps

Wednesday January 7, 2026 5:27 am PST by
Logitech users on macOS found themselves locked out of their mouse customizations yesterday after the company let a security certificate expire, breaking both its Logi Options+ and G HUB configuration apps. Logitech devices like its MX Master series mice and MX Keys keyboards stopped working properly as a result of the oversight, with users unable to access their custom scrolling setup,...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...
ChatGPT Health Integration Connectors Feature

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Health With Apple Health Integration

Wednesday January 7, 2026 11:27 am PST by
OpenAI today announced the launch of ChatGPT Health, a dedicated section of ChatGPT where users can ask health-related questions completely separated from their main ChatGPT experience. For more personalized responses, users can connect various health data services such as Apple Health, Function, MyFitnessPal, Weight Watchers, AllTrails, Instacart, and Peloton. Last month, MacRumors discovere...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

Five New iPhone Features Rumored for iOS 27

Wednesday January 7, 2026 2:51 pm PST by
Though it's been just a few months since iOS 26 launched, we're already hearing rumors about the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 27. iOS 27 will be introduced at Apple's June WWDC 2026 event before it launches in September 2026. We don't know all of the details about iOS 27 yet, but we do have some information about what to expect. "Snow Leopard" Update iOS 27 will apparently focus...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...