Apple Watch owners can get up to $50 if a $20 million battery lawsuit is settled

If your old Apple Watch battery has swollen, you may be entitled to some cash in Apple’s latest legal settlement. The company agreed to pay $20m to settle a class action lawsuit relating to this issue.

This settlement is for anyone in the US that experienced swollen batteries with the first-generation Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 models from April 2015 to February 2024 and complained to Apple during this time. The battery could have pushed against other internal components and damaged them over time.

Ofcourse, $20 million divided among millions of potentially affected users isn’t going make anyone rich. The settlement website estimates that payouts could range from $20 to $50 for each watch. But free money is still free money. If you believe you qualify, submit a claim via the settlement website before April 10, 2025.

The company stated that it was settling to “avoid further costs of litigation” only and denied the plaintiffs’ claims.

As part of the agreement, anyone who accepts the payout must give up the right to sue Apple separately in the future over the watch battery issues.

This battery settlement is the latest in Apple’s legal woes. Apple agreed to a $95-million settlement last month over claims that Siri was illegally recording private conversations of users without permission. Apple is currently defending itself against a class action accusing the company of failing to disclose that some of its watchbands, such as the Nike Sport Band and Sport Band, contain “forever chemicals” substances which take a long time to degrade.

If there are no appeals, payments could begin as soon as April 10 if the battery settlement is approved by the court. Apple will send payments directly to the email address associated with their original watch registration. Users who have filed complaints do not need to do anything more.

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