The Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement is a $95 million class action resolving claims that Apple’s Siri recorded private conversations after activating without users asking it to. The claim deadline was July 2, 2025, and no new claims are being accepted. Payments to people who filed on time began going out in late January 2026, averaging about $8 per device rather than the $20 per-device cap the settlement originally set.
What Payments Look Like
The $20-per-device figure was a ceiling, not a promise. Because a large number of people filed valid claims, the per-device amount fell well below that cap. Reports put the average payout at roughly $8 per device, so a claimant who submitted the maximum of five devices received around $40.
Payments arrive by physical check, electronic check, or ACH direct deposit, depending on what the claimant selected. Direct deposits show up on bank statements as “Lopez Voice Assistant” or “Lopez Voice Asst—Payouts.” Some claimants also received digital payment notifications from an email address at clearpathpayments.firsthorizon.com.
If You Filed and Haven’t Been Paid
Contact the settlement administrator directly. The phone number is 1-888-981-4106, and there is a contact page on the official settlement website. The settlement’s own FAQ warns claimants not to call the court or the clerk’s office about payment questions.
Uncashed checks and failed electronic transfers are forfeited after 120 days under the settlement agreement, so it’s worth checking your mail, your email, and your bank statements before that window closes. Forfeited funds are redirected to cover additional administration costs. None of the settlement money reverts to Apple.
Who the Settlement Covered
The class included current or former owners of any Siri-enabled Apple device who lived in the United States or its territories and had the device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. Qualifying devices were the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, and Apple TV, with Siri enabled.
Ownership alone wasn’t enough. Every claimant had to attest under penalty of perjury that they experienced at least one unintended Siri activation during a conversation they meant to keep private or confidential. Apple employees, officers, directors, and the judges on the case were excluded.
Claimants who filed by the July 2, 2025 deadline could claim up to five devices. Those who received a notice by email or postcard used a Claimant Identification Code and Confirmation Code from the notice; those without a notice had to provide the email tied to their Apple device plus either proof of purchase or the serial number and model name for each device.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The case is Lopez et al. v. Apple Inc., Case No. 4:19-cv-04577-JSW, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California before Judge Jeffrey S. White. The named class representatives were Fumiko Lopez, A.L. (a minor represented by Lopez as guardian), John Troy Pappas, and David Yacubian.
The suit grew out of a 2019 report by The Guardian, which described an Apple quality-control program called “grading” in which contractors listened to Siri recordings. A whistleblower said contractors regularly heard sensitive content, including medical information, drug deals, and sexual encounters, and that the recordings came bundled with user data such as location and contact details. Apple at the time did not tell users that humans were reviewing Siri audio and offered no opt-out.
The plaintiffs alleged that Siri routinely activated without anyone saying “Hey Siri” or pressing the button, capturing conversations users never meant to share. They also alleged Apple shared the recordings with third-party contractors and used the data to sharpen advertising targeting, violating the California Invasion of Privacy Act, the federal Wiretap Act, and California’s Unfair Competition Law.
Apple denied wrongdoing throughout the litigation and did not admit liability in settling. Weeks after The Guardian’s report, in August 2019, the company issued a public statement saying it had not “been fully living up to our high ideals,” apologized, suspended human review of Siri audio, and moved to an opt-in system with review handled only by Apple employees.
Approval, Release, and Appeal
Judge White granted preliminary approval on February 10, 2025, finding the deal “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” The final approval hearing was held August 1, 2025, and a final approval order followed on September 4, 2025, with amended orders later that month.
The $95 million fund covers all payouts, attorney fees, administration costs, and service awards. Class members who stayed in the settlement released Apple from claims arising out of or related to the lawsuit’s allegations — the unintended activations and handling of those recordings during the class period. The release does not explicitly reach separate future privacy claims unrelated to that subject matter. Anyone who wanted to preserve the right to sue Apple individually over these issues had to opt out by July 2, 2025.
A notice of appeal was filed after final approval, but it was followed by a notice of dismissal, and payments proceeded on schedule in early 2026.