Apple reportedly tests iPhone returns inside sealed boxes

Apple has reportedly begun using a new diagnostic feature to check iPhones returned to its stores without opening their boxes. According to information from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, reported by Mynet citing MacRumors, the aim is to detect returns with missing contents while allowing intact products to go back into stock with their seals unbroken.

Key facts about the return checks

According to Gurman, some returns have accessories, internal components or the entire device removed from the box.
Store employees are generally instructed to open returned iPhone boxes and verify their contents.
The new feature allows scanning and diagnostic tests without opening the box.
The same equipment is also used to install iOS updates on boxed iPhones.

What is changing in Apple’s return checks?

According to Gurman, the new feature allows store employees to scan an iPhone without removing it from its box and run diagnostic tests to verify that it is fully intact and complete. The aim is to allow returned products to go back into stock sealed, without needing to open the box for inspection. This offers an alternative to the existing practice of opening the box to verify its contents.

The problem described in the report involves attempts to return purchased products after tampering with their contents. According to Gurman, some people remove accessories, internal components or the entire device, then try to make a return in the hope that employees will not notice anything is missing.

Gurman describes this as a growing problem for Apple and says the company developed the solution to reduce inventory waste. The change therefore focuses not only on checking a box’s contents but also on preserving the product’s condition for restocking after a return.

What it means for store employees and returned products

For store employees, the practical difference is the ability to inspect a return without opening its box. Under the existing practice described by Gurman, employees are generally asked to open the box and verify its contents, while the new feature brings scanning and diagnostic tests into that checking process.

For returned products, the result is that the seal can remain intact. Completing the check without opening the box allows the product to be restocked while still sealed. The report says the feature was added to equipment employees already use to install software on iPhones without opening their boxes.

Other features added to the same equipment

According to the report, which draws on Gurman’s Power On newsletter, Apple began rolling out the diagnostic feature earlier in the month in which the newsletter was published. The same equipment used in stores can install iOS updates on iPhones without removing them from their boxes.

Another reported feature adds a personalized welcome message to the iPhone Duo’s setup screen. The equipment described in the report therefore supports software updates and setup-screen personalization as well as return checks.

This information appears in Mynet’s report dated October 26, 2026, which cites MacRumors and draws on Gurman’s reporting.

Frequently asked questions

What does the new checking feature aim to verify?

According to Gurman, the feature allows an iPhone to be scanned without being removed from its box and diagnostic tests to be run to verify that the device is fully intact and complete.

Is this equipment used only for return checks?

No. According to the report, the same equipment is also used to install iOS updates on boxed iPhones. It also has a feature for adding a personalized welcome message to the iPhone Duo’s setup screen.