Apple Kicks off Holiday Season with Extended Return Policy

Apple is kicking off its 2025 holiday season a little later than usual this year, but it’s once again offering its extended “try-before-you-buy” return policy in addition to the usual Holiday Gift Guides and decked-out retail stores.

Apple’s online store now features holiday picks “designed to delight,” with extra emphasis on accessories and personalization, plus features like scheduling digital gift messages. As we approach December, we can expect to see Apple share deadlines for ordering products in time to ensure they’re under the tree.

As predicted, Apple also refreshed its stores today for the season. Although there are no new products in sight, we can’t entirely rule out the possibility of a HomePod mini 2 showing up as a last-minute stocking stuffer, considering how low the stock levels are getting.

The color accents in most stores this season seem to be blue and orange, leaning into the iPhone 17 Pro motif with a bit of a fall-winter nod.

Beyond the visual refresh, Apple is also bringing back one of its most shopper-friendly holiday traditions.

Holiday Returns

While Apple’s extended holiday return window is technically in place to cover recipients of gifts that may not be opened until December 25, the no-questions-asked policy is also a great way to get an extended trial of an Apple product that you may be on the fence about. Most items purchased between now and Christmas Day can be returned until January 8, 2026, for a full refund.

The policy effectively resets the clock, giving gift recipients the standard 14-day window starting on December 25. That means anyone opening a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a set of AirPods will still have 14 days to make a return — just as if they’d been purchased that same day.

This lets you get the shopping done early for the Apple fans in your life without worrying about duplicate gifts or the recipient spoiling the surprise by treating themselves before the big day.

Still, there are a few exceptions worth keeping in mind. The most notable is carrier-financed iPhones, which remain subject to the standard return policy. The extended policy also doesn’t make any exceptions for those items that are normally ineligible to return, such as opened software, electronic software downloads, and Apple Gift Cards.

You can find the full terms and list of exceptions on Apple’s website. If you’re outside the US, be sure to check the Apple Store website for your specific country; Apple typically offers its extended return policies in many countries, but the rules and dates could still be slightly different.

For example, in countries like Italy, Spain, Japan, and Mexico, the purchase window is extended until January 6, 2026 — their main holiday — and eligible products can be returned through January 20, 2026.

An Extended Trial Period

Apple’s holiday return policies also give customers the confidence to try out a new Apple product without committing to it right away.

Understandably, Apple doesn’t explicitly advertise its extended return policy for this. However, it’s inevitable that people will use it that way — and Apple is confident that most folks will love its products and won’t want to give them up in January. Still, happy customers are key, so ensuring no one gets stuck with something that isn’t working for them is more important than pushing products out the door.

Of course, it’s not meant as a free rental program — but if you’re genuinely undecided on whether that new MacBook or iPad fits into your life, the extra time gives you room to find out — especially since ten weeks is more than enough for the novelty to wear off.