Apple Dropping Mask Mandates for Retail and Corporate Employees

Apple is planning to drop its mask requirements for retail and corporate employees in the United States due to a decline in Covid-19 cases and a relaxation of local mandates, reports Bloomberg.

apple store palo alto
For vaccinated corporate employees, masks are now optional in regions where local indoor mask mandates have ended. Retail staff in a small number of locations have also been informed that masks will become optional starting on Friday, and as more regions do away with mask mandates, Apple will make masks optional at additional locations.

Though masks are optional for customers and employees in many locations, Apple is still recommending mask usage and providing masks upon request.

Apple in February stopped requiring customers to wear masks in many Apple Store locations across the United States in accordance with changes in local guidelines, and it reintroduced in-person Today at Apple classes this morning.

At the current time, Apple has not yet informed corporate employees of when they might be required to return to the office, but with mask mandates dropping and Google bringing workers back in April, we could hear an update from Apple in the near future.

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

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

Sunday January 12, 2025 4:11 pm PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models this year, and now he has provided a more precise timeframe. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is currently aiming to launch the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year." That timeframe suggests the devices will be released at some point...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
General Apps Messages Redux

Phishing Attacks Use This Simple Trick to Defeat iPhone Message Security

Monday January 13, 2025 6:11 am PST by
A new social engineering tactic is being used by cybercriminals to trick iPhone users into disabling iMessage's built-in phishing protection, in a bid to expose them to malicious links and scams, according to BleepingComputer. The scam exploits a security feature in iMessage that automatically disables links from unknown senders. Apple told the outlet that when users reply to these messages...

Top Rated Comments

Victor Mortimer Avatar
38 months ago

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htmThe greatest data question is how do you know when to stop doing something that has no discernible data driven impact on outcomes? Well...now I guess. But better late than never. Thank goodness for omicron the booster everyone got that we may be done with this thing.
Masks work



And until this pandemic is REALLY over, I fully intend to keep wearing one every time I'm in public. All of you should too.

Also, Omicron isn't a booster, it's a potentially deadly virus. You can get a real booster at your local pharmacy. It's even free! Worked for me, I never got sick.

Attachment Image
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fel10 Avatar
38 months ago
As an ugly person, im keeping my on.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unity451 Avatar
38 months ago
Oh good. I'm pretty sure that there are very few people left that are still afraid of this thing.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tridley68 Avatar
38 months ago
It's long overdue for this thanks for getting on board Apple
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zaft Avatar
38 months ago

Masks work



And until this pandemic is REALLY over, I fully intend to keep wearing one every time I'm in public. All of you should too.

Also, Omicron isn't a booster, it's a potentially deadly virus. You can get a real booster at your local pharmacy. It's even free! Worked for me, I never got sick.
Just curious, do you wear a mask outside?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icanhazmac Avatar
38 months ago

Germany like: You need to be boostered + show a negative test, wear a N95 Mask and meet no more than 10 people at a time. What a time to be alive ?
Wait until your election cycle comes around, then things will relax.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)