Apple has offices located around the Bay Area, in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and San Jose, but for the first time, the company is planning to expand into San Francisco. According to the San Francisco Business Times, Apple has leased 76,000 square feet of office space in the popular South of Market neighborhood (SoMa) in San Francisco.

Many startups and major tech companies are located in San Francisco, in the very neighborhood Apple is moving into. It is not clear what Apple plans to do with the office space, but Beats Music leases office space in San Francisco, so it's possible Apple will house its Apple Music employees in the city.

somaappleoffice
Though Apple's offices have long been located in the South Bay, many employees live in the city and face a daily hour-long commute by car or Apple bus, so San Francisco office space for at least some of the commuters will likely be welcome news. The ability to work in San Francisco could also help Apple recruit key employees that are reluctant to work outside of the city.

In the building Apple plans to sublease through 2022, employees will share office space with CBS Interactive, the main tenant. The 76,000 square foot space could accommodate an estimated 400 to 500 employees. It's not known what Apple is paying to rent the space, but SoMa is one of San Francisco's most expensive areas due to its popularity with tech companies. On average, rent in SoMa costs $66 per square foot, so Apple is likely paying millions of dollars per year to occupy the space.

News of Apple's San Francisco lease comes shortly after news that the company leased 300,000 square feet of space in North San Jose. Apple also recently expanded into Seattle, leasing office space in a popular downtown area.

Top Rated Comments

Benjamin Frost Avatar
135 months ago
I can't believe Apple are expanding when there are features they could be improving on their products! :mad: As we know, there is only one person at Apple who does everything.
Too true.

Taylor Swift is really working overtime.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
135 months ago
This move seems to be geared towards keeping up Apple's image as much as convenience for those that live in SF. The only convenience I can image is for those at Apple that setup the annual SF events like WWDC, and others.

Frankly I seriously doubt that there's many Apple employees that actually live in one of the most expensive, small, heavily crowded, major metro cities in all of the USA. Once a resident myself, right out of college, I enjoyed SF prior to the high tech invasion which drove the already high prices to astronomical highs that are causing major issues today.

With it's astronomical real estate prices for eighty to one hundred year old homes, the few people I know that grew up in SF, fled (like I did) to the peninsula as adults where for the same amount or less they could have three times the square footage, a far newer if not brand new home with ample parking, and still have the high end image.

It will be interesting if Apple keeps it's operations there secret, or mentions just what departments they have moved there. I'd venture a guess if they comment it will be one of their carefully crafted statements just to get the press off their back. In many ways it's a surprise that they failed to do this before the ultra staggering lease factors hit.
According to a 2013 report cited by San Francisco Business Times, 14 percent of Apple employees live in SF. That's a pretty good chunk.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
135 months ago
I can't believe Apple are expanding when there are features they could be improving on their products! :mad: As we know, there is only one person at Apple who does everything.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Soba Avatar
135 months ago
This is currently in the second-story window above the entrance. Looks like they won't have to hire security. :)

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Benjamin Frost Avatar
135 months ago
If you thought the commute from SF to Cupertino was bad, try the commute from Syria to Cupertino.
Siri: "Where would you like to go"
You: "Syria"
Siri: "Siri, er...Please would you make up your mind!"
You: "Blistering barnacles!"
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlecZ Avatar
135 months ago
Living and working in an area that occasionally does have earthquakes isn't a death wish. Quite a few people do it. ;)
Easy to say when a big one hasn't happened in so many years.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...