Apple Designs Custom Face Mask for Corporate and Retail Employees [Updated with Unboxing]

Apple's design team has created a new kind of protective mask that's being distributed to retail and corporate employees, reports Bloomberg.

applemaskdesign
The mask is called the Apple Face Mask and it was developed in-house in Cupertino by the Engineering and Industrial Design teams at Apple. Last week, an Apple employee sent MacRumors an image of the mask design, which can be seen up above.

The Apple Face Mask features a three-layer design that filters both incoming and outgoing particles like many cloth masks, and it can be washed and reused up to five times. The mask has a design with a triangle shape to accommodate the nose without fogging glasses, a rounded section for the chin, and adjustable strings for the ears.

Apple told Bloomberg that it conducted "careful research and testing" to find appropriate materials to filter the air while not disrupting supplies of medical personal protective equipment.

Apple's employees will begin receiving Apple Face Masks over the course of the next two weeks. Apple also provides basic surgical masks to customers who visit its stores, but these are not Apple-designed masks.

Update: This article has been updated. The original article referenced a second mask, the ClearMask, but it turns out the second mask was not designed by Apple. Apple is, however, distributing the ClearMask to some of its retail employees because it shows the entire face so that people who are deaf and hard of hearing can understand what the wearer is saying. Apple is also working on its own transparent mask to be distributed to employees in the future.

Update 2: MacRumors has received additional photos of the Apple Face Mask.

applefacemask1

applefacemask2

applefacemask3

Update 3:

Mark Gurman shares a series of unboxing photos of the Apple Mask:

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
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...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
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 ...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
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...

Top Rated Comments

tmoerel Avatar
69 months ago
What a sad state of affairs that mask wearing has to be put in the political section.
People, mask wearing is to protect your fellow humans regardless of race, creed, faith, beliefs, etc.
Score: 207 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Andres Cantu Avatar
69 months ago
Will wait for the Apple Face Mask Pro ;)
Score: 112 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freida Avatar
69 months ago
Ok, lets skip the first page where all the "wanna be funny" people post cheesy comments and lets get on topic. :)

Its actually quite nice that Apple considered the materials to avoid bottlenecks for medical stuff. Something some people would probably not think of. Nice one
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mnsportsgeek Avatar
69 months ago
Does it work with FaceID?
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikhsub1 Avatar
69 months ago
Maybe they should include one with every new apple device?
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlocker Avatar
69 months ago
Do I like Masks? No, do I wear them Yes! If I go into an Apple Store it is that extra little protection that always helps employees and customers. When I get out of the store or in my car or at home I don't have to wear it. Did they wear masks during the Spanish flu pandemic yes. So I feel if they could do it we can do it for a while.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)