Apple to Pay iPhone 7 Users in U.S. Who Experienced 'Loop Disease' Audio Issues

Apple last year agreed to pay $35 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit alleging that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were prone to audio issues due to a defective chip in the devices, and it has now started notifying eligible customers by email.

iPhone 7 Plus Jet Black
You may be eligible for a payment from Apple if you are a U.S. resident who owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023, and reported audio issues covered by the settlement to Apple, and/or paid Apple out of pocket to have your iPhone repaired or replaced as a result of the covered audio issues.

Those who did not receive a notice, but believe they are eligible to submit a claim, are instructed to email info@smartphoneaudiosettlement.com.

The deadline to select a payment method, object to the settlement, or opt out is June 3, with more details available on the settlement notice website. Those who paid Apple out of pocket could receive up to $349, while others could get up to $125, according to the proposed settlement, which requires approval by a California court on July 18.

Apple was sued over the issue in multiple U.S. states in 2019, with the complaints alleging that the company violated consumer protection laws and breached warranties. Despite agreeing to a settlement, Apple has denied any wrongdoing, and the court hearing the class action has not ruled in favor of Apple or the plaintiffs.

"Loop Disease"

In an internal document, obtained by MacRumors in May 2018, Apple acknowledged a microphone issue affecting some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models:

Some customers might report that after they've updated to iOS 11.3, the microphone on their iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus doesn't work and the speaker button is grayed out when they make or receive a call.

Symptoms:
- The speaker button is grayed out during calls
- Other people are unable to hear the customer on cellular or FaceTime calls
- If a customer plays back a video or voice memo that they've made after installing iOS 11.3, there is no sound

The alleged defect is informally known as "Loop Disease" online. Despite acknowledging the issue internally, Apple never posted a service program about the issue on its website, and it never responded to our repeated requests for comment.

As far as an underlying cause, the class action lawsuit alleged that "the materials used in the ‌iPhone‌'s external casing are insufficient and inadequate to protect the internal parts," eventually resulting in the audio chip losing electrical contact with the logic board due to "flexion" of the device's external casing during regular use. It's unclear how many iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units were affected in total.

Apple initially said its service providers could request a "warranty exception" for affected iPhones, which resulted in free repairs for at least some customers, but that abruptly ended in July 2018 after Apple deleted the document. Afterwards, some customers had to pay an out-of-warranty fee of around $300 in the U.S. for a fix.

If the settlement is approved, those customers will finally be able to get at least some of their money back from Apple after years of silence.

(Thanks, Michael Burkhardt!)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
maxresdefault

Apple TV 4K Could Still Launch Before 2025 Ends: All the Rumored Features

Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors. ...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

M6 MacBook Pro: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 Release Candidates

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas. The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode

Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing. Test Settings I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday. On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year." Apple's...
macos tahoe

Here Are Apple's Release Notes for macOS Tahoe 26.1

Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week. The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included. macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

iPhone XX? 6 Features Rumored for Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further. We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...

Top Rated Comments

F23 Avatar
23 months ago
so many Apple checks coming in the mail recently. Keep the stimmys coming Timmy :cool:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
23 months ago

As a consumer, this mentality scares me.
You give them money. They give some back.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
23 months ago

great. apple price increases should be fine with everyone complaining then.
Blame Apple. They could just lower their profit 0.01%.

They could also have done a voluntary recall/replace for affected units.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kinchee87 Avatar
23 months ago

As a consumer, this mentality scares me.
Where does Apple gets its money from?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheGhostWalker Avatar
23 months ago
I had this exact issue with my iPhone. Took it into the store and they replaced it on the spot after testing it. Was out of the store with a "new" iPhone in less than 10 minutes. I even had a smashed front screen

Thank god for the UK Consumer Rights Act.



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
truthsteve Avatar
23 months ago
And this settlement will be paid for by you.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)