Apple has announced that it has extended its returns window for the holiday season, meaning that most customers have up to early January for purchases made up to Christmas Day.
Just as it has in previous years, Apple has extended its terms and conditions for returning purchases. Alongside its redressing of the Apple Store with Christmas decorations, it has introduced this temporary extensions specifically for the holiday season.
The new returns policy started on November 12, 2025. Most items bought between then and December 25, 2025, can be returned up until January 8, 2025.
What can't be returned
Consequently, if you buy an iPhone for someone and they look miserable at you when they unwrap it, you can take it back to the store. But while the returns policy does cover iPhones and seemingly every hardware device, it does not cover them in all circumstances.
"Purchases made with consumer financing are not eligible and are subject to the standard returns policy," says Apple's full terms and conditions page.
Apple also cautions that different cell carriers have different service cancellation policies. "Returning your iPhone or iPad may not automatically cancel or reset your mobile account," it says. "[You] are responsible for your mobile service agreement and for any applicable fees associated with your mobile account."
While Apple's page does not specify this, as it has before, it's likely that gift cards will not be eligible for return.
Apple does say that software can be returned, "but only if the software was not unsealed." That's got to be an example of when legalese outlives reality, as Apple no longer sells any sealed software.
