Apple Reminds Developers About $250 to $30K Payments From Apple Lawsuit Settlement

Apple today reminded developers that they can submit a claim for the Small Developer Assistance Fund, a pool of money that Apple is providing to developers as part of a $100 million class-action lawsuit settlement over its App Store policies.

iOS App Store General Feature Clorange
Apple has been accepting submissions since January, and is today reminding developers have until May 20 to make a claim through the Small Developer Assistance website, which has tools for estimating payments. Developers can claim between $250 and $30,000 based on their historic ‌App Store‌ participation.

Developers must meet the following criteria to be eligible to submit a claim to the website, as outlined by Apple.

  • Was sold for a non-zero price;
  • Was sold via Apple's iOS ‌‌App Store‌‌ between 2015 and 2021;
  • Earned, together with any other iOS applications or in-app products (including subscriptions) sold through all of your associated developer accounts, proceeds equal to or less than $1,000,000.00 through the ‌‌App Store‌‌ U.S. storefront in every calendar year from 2015 to 2021 in which you had a developer account.

There are approximately 67,000 eligible developers. Developers who earned less than $100 will get the minimum payment of $250, while those who earned more than $1 million will be entitled to a higher-end payment. Minimum payments are subject to change based on the number of total claims.

The settlement comes from a 2019 lawsuit that saw a group of iOS developers accuse Apple of using its ‌App Store‌ monopoly to impose "profit-killing" commissions. The developers were unhappy with Apple's 30 percent cut of ‌App Store‌ sales, an issue that was largely addressed with the App Store Small Business Program that dropped the commission that small developers have to pay to 15 percent.

In addition to providing $100 million to developers, Apple agreed to allow developers to use communications like email to share information about payment methods available outside of the ‌App Store‌, plus Apple expanded the number of price points available to developers for subscriptions.

Apple also agreed to maintain the ‌‌App Store‌‌ Small Business Program and ‌‌App Store‌‌ search, making no changes for at least three years, with the company also pledging to create an annual transparency report based on ‌‌App Store‌‌ data covering app rejections, apps removed from the ‌‌App Store‌‌, search information, and more.

After the May 20 deadline for submissions passes, there will be a final approval hearing on June 7, 2022. The payout date will vary based on whether there are objections, how long it takes to resolve those objections, and whether the agreement receives final approval from the court.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...

Top Rated Comments

BootsWalking Avatar
40 months ago

Most won't see much but still some free money.
Not free for developers who put their blood, sweat, and tears into their apps.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
haydn! Avatar
40 months ago

Don't miss this....

[MEDIA=twitter]1518660377692753924[/MEDIA]
That’s a fairly standard clause in pretty much any and every settlement. Total non-story.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
40 months ago
Really curious to know: How much the lawyers are getting paid from this?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
40 months ago
Good for those getting settlement. Might not be much after lawyer fees.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sideshowuniqueuser Avatar
40 months ago

Why does this only apply to US citizens? That criteria is missing from the list.
Because it was pursued in a US court, and thus only holds in that jurisdiction.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)