Apple is ready to put the 2017 "Battery Gate" controversy in its rearview mirror It's your turn to get the money you owe as part of a class action lawsuit filed against Apple for intentionally slowing down iPhone operating speeds to preserve battery life [Batterygate came to light when users of older iPhones noticed a significant drop in system performance This was Apple's doing, to prevent older iPhones from consuming too much battery power after updating to a newer iOS version However, some users felt they were being forced to upgrade and took Apple to court

Apple agreed to pay $500 million to settle the lawsuit, and there is now an official settlement website where you can submit your claim

Don't expect a lot of money Apple is offering "a cash payment of approximately $25 per eligible device If additional users submit claims in excess of $500 million, that total amount will (likely) continue to drop

But even more so if you had to deal with a throttled iPhone If you want to claim your portion of the $500 million settlement, you must meet certain criteria Specifically, you must currently own (or have previously owned) one of the following devices:

If you meet these criteria, go to the settlement website created by the US District Court for the Northern District of California Submit A Claim (Submit A Claim) and you will be prompted to enter the serial number of the subject device If you do not know the serial number, you can use the Search Tool to find the serial number by entering your Apple ID, device type, last name, and address

Once you have entered your information, you can fill in a few other details

Don't expect to be paid immediately According to the website, there is still a final hearing coming up in early December, where the judge will need to sign off on the settlement In order for the cash to be distributed, this hearing must go off without a hitch so that the settlement money can reach the claimants

If you are less interested in getting the cash and would like to withdraw from the settlement altogether, you can do so through the official settlement claims process From the official claims website, go to the "How do I opt out of the settlement?" section of the FAQs on the main page This is a necessary step if one wishes to file a separate lawsuit against Apple regarding the battery issue