Apple Limits AirPods and Apple Watch Try-Ons in Retail Stores to Prevent Coronavirus Spread

Apple is scaling back Apple Watch and AirPods try-on options at some of its retail stores as part of an effort to cut down on the spread of coronavirus, reports Business Insider.

airpodsproinear
Customers can still ask to try on Apple Watch and AirPods models, but employees have been told not to offer try-ons proactively or to encourage them. Limited try-ons are part of Apple's broader efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 1,000 people in the United States.

As was reported earlier this week, Apple has ordered extra cleanings of display products throughout the day, introduced hand sanitizing stations, and has reduced the number of chairs at the Genius Bar and cubes in the Forum area to add additional space between customers.

In areas with more severe coronavirus outbreaks, such as the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, Today at Apple sessions have been shut down entirely. An Apple spokesperson confirmed that Apple is indeed limiting crowding in stores, but declined to specifically comment on try-ons.

Apple Stores in the United all remain open at the current time, but in other areas hit hard by the coronavirus, Apple has closed retail locations. Stores in China were closed for much of February, and right now, all stores in Italy are closed.

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....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
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...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
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 ...

Top Rated Comments

DavisEngeler Avatar
75 months ago
1. I would feel weird about trying these on in an Apple store, even without COVID-19.

2. I really like the subtle layout changes on the MacRumors mobile site recently. Thanks!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
75 months ago

Finally some common sense!!



I’m sorry I think allowing it in the first place was a VERY risky move would could’ve led to someone having infection, a rash or even hearing loss/pain because I doubt store reps are resetting to lower volume after each cleaning before next user tries.
How so? If the rubber part is disposed of between wearing and the rest is wiped in alcohol, it’s probably got fewer germs on it than anything else you touch in a given day.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
75 months ago
Never, ever, would I ‘try on’ demo AirPods in an Apple store. I don’t care if they’re sanitized/cleaned or not, It’s flat out disgusting.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kildraik Avatar
75 months ago

1. I would feel weird about trying these on in an Apple store, even without COVID-19.

2. I really like the subtle layout changes on the MacRumors mobile site recently. Thanks!
They’re cleaned after each use with alcohol wipes regardless, and the rubber parts are one-time use only and tossed after the demo.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
75 months ago

That's probably not the dirtiest surfaces. I'm assuming they wipe the iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices every night. All those runny nose kids playing with the devices at the store.
I worked at a NYC Flagship Apple Store for 4 years and can tell you everyone has different methods when it comes to cleaning and the cleaning should happen throughout the day, but only really happens at the end of the day.

It’s pretty gross.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Emanuel Rodriguez Avatar
75 months ago
Yeah... I'm not putting anything into my ears which has probably been in thousands of other ears. I mean, what if they missed a spot? Gross.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)