Apple Preparing In-Store Pickup Option for Apple Watch

Apple is preparing to offer an in-store pickup option for the Apple Watch in the United States and other launch countries, listing the option as "available soon" on the Apple Online Store and Apple Store app. The new option remains grayed out on Apple's website and app, making it unavailable to select, and Apple's Reserve and Pickup system for the Apple Watch has yet to go live.

To date, Apple Watch orders have been taken exclusively online and shipped via UPS or other couriers to residential or business addresses, but soon customers will gain the option of ordering online and visiting a local Apple retail location for in-store pickup. Customers will be required to present a valid government-issued photo ID upon pickup, and must match the name on the reservation to pick up the product.

Pick up in store Apple Watch
Apple originally planned to offer in-store pickup of the Apple Watch as early as April 24, although later decided to take orders exclusively online and ship to home, possibly due to limited supply resulting from faulty Taptic Engines. When in-store pickup for the Apple Watch becomes available, customers will be able to select a nearby Apple Store location of their choice to pick up the product.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

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 intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

ctc799 Avatar
139 months ago
I hope they'll manage to fill my pre-order first.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chicagofan00 Avatar
139 months ago
I think they need to get the current online orders closer to shipping other than "July" before offering any kind of in-store pickup. I'd be annoyed if I was one of the ones who ordered on the 10th or not long after and still haven't received the watch yet those that order now could get the watch that day or within a couple of days.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
139 months ago
Boy, a LOT of you are mis-reading this.


It's not saying they'll just be available in stores and the pre-order people get screwed.

It's saying that "in store" will soon be an additional option to "UPS" when you order online. So the people buying online soon for July watches will be able to choose how they get their watch. That doesn't move them ahead of the June people.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
139 months ago
I hope they'll manage to fill my pre-order first.

I think I speak for most people here when I say that we're all hoping they fill your pre-order first. :p
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jacobh101 Avatar
139 months ago
Apple pushing people to not purchase in-store is mind boggling to me. Why have a brick and mortar store?!

Step 1. Come to store, try on watch
Step 2. Go home
Step 3. Conveniently purchase from the comfort of your own home
Step 4. Come back to store and pickup watch several weeks later
Step 5. Go home and enjoy :apple:Watch

Or how about go to store, buy watch, & take home with you.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheRealTVGuy Avatar
139 months ago
I hope they don't offer it until most of the pre-orders have been delivered, or at least let those folks change to the in-store option.

If not I would imagine there would be a lot of grumpy pre-order people out there. We're already seeing that from folks who can't make it to Maxfield's in CA.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)