Do Apple Stores Accept Walk-Ins? (All Questions Answered)

Steve Jobs knew when he opened up the first Apple Store in Tysons Virginia way back in 2001 the global importance it will have on the Apple brand worldwide there is no retail experience quite like it.

I’m sure you have any questions about the Apple Store in this article, and I will answer all of them.

Can You Walk Into an Apple Store Without an Appointment?

You can walk into an Apple Store without an appointment. You do not need to make an appointment for shopping. Appointments are only for services like Apple products repairs. However, Apple does keep several meetings each day for walk-ins involving services.

You can see Apple’s official policy on their website and see the Apple store’s opening hours near here.

Apple Stores now have a specific system designed to support walk-in traffic. But, it depends on minute-by-minute demand and the number of hours left in the day, so you have no guarantee to have an appointment if you turn up.

Apple will tell you, “based on our current demand, the system is estimating X wait time,” which could be hours or minutes depending on how busy your store is. However, there is a system to text you when you’re ready to be soon. If you don’t arrive promptly after receiving the text, your slot could be canceled, so make sure to stay in the neighborhood. Learn more in this article.

Should you even BOTHER going to the Apple Store? Everything done in an Apple Store can be finished online. If you want to know the benefits of shopping in-store vs. ordering online, I recommend reading my detailed article.

Can I Go to the Apple Store Without an Appointment for Repair?

Apple stores do accept walk-ins for the genius bar (repair center) but wait times vary widely depending on where you live, the time of day/week you are visiting, and the issues your device is facing. So you should get an appointment just in case.

You can walk in without an appointment, but I would recommend it. Apple stores are busy stores, so it’s more than likely Apple’s new policy (“based on our current demand, the system is estimating X wait time”) could say no to your walk-in.

Here’s how to make an Apple Genius Bar reservation.

How To Make An Apple Genius Bar Reservation

Make a reservation through the Genius Bar support page or with the Apple Support app. When using the app, your registered devices will automatically show up, tap on the device that’s having issues and follow the necessary prompts to make an appointment.

You can call Apple via 1-800-APLCARE, but it can be tedious and take longer than the options above.

Keep following the prompts until you see the choices for how you would like your support and choose ‘Bring in for Repair,’ remember, Apple filters the available support options based on what you select. So selecting a hardware problem will usually make the ‘bring in for repair’ option show up.

What To Do Before Genius Bar Reservation

• Back up your iPhone, Mac, or iPad (see this Apple article on how to do it).
• Make sure you have a reservation for each device that requires support.
• Make a note of all your Apple IDs and passwords for the devices you need help with.
• For iPhones, remember how much you owe your carrier if your iPhones are on finance.
• Ensure your devices are on the current software.
• Know if your problem is a software or hardware issue (if it’s software, you can back up and factory reset your device.
• Know the warranty of your device (learn everything about Apple warranties in my dedicated article).

Can I Walk Into an Apple Store and Buy a Phone?

You can walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone. You do not need to make an appointment for shopping, only for services like Apple product repairs. Assuming the store has the specific iPhone and configuration you want in stock.

To save you the heartache of your nearest Apple Store not having the iPhone you had your eyes on in stock, here’s how to check Apple products availability.

How to Check iPhone Availability

1. Download the Apple store app.
2. Navigate to the buy iPhone page
3. Add iPhone to the cart and choose ‘Check Availability.’
4. The app will display you a list of nearby stores with personal pickup. You can order an iPhone via the app and pick it up at your local Apple Store.

So you want a new iPhone any idea of how the iPhone trades work so you can get a reduced price for the iPhone you set your mind to? Learn everything about iPhone trade-ins in my detailed article.

Do I Need an Appointment at Apple to Buy a Computer?

You do not need to make an appointment to purchase a computer from an Apple store. You need to make an appointment only when you are taking an Apple product in for evaluation or repair.

How to Check MacBook Availability

1. Download the Apple store app.
2. Navigate to the buy MacBook page
3. Add MacBook to the cart and choose ‘Check Availability.’
4. The app will display you a list of nearby stores with personal pickup. You can order a MacBook via the app and pick it up at your local Apple Store.