Apple Stores in the U.S. are dropping their mask mandates

Apple Store Social Distancing
Apple Store Social Distancing (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Most Apple Stores in the United States are dropping their mask requirement.
  • Customers will still have the option to request a mask.
  • The company is also looking to bring back its Today at Apple sessions.

Apple is dropping its in-store mask mandate at most of its retail locations in the United States.

As reported by Bloomberg, the company has dropped its requirement for customers to wear a mask in most of its Apple Stores in the country.

According to the company's announcement, it is making the change due to the drop in COVID cases as well as changes in local mandates. Apple Store employees will still be required to wear masks and customers who request a mask will be offered one.

The company announced the changes this week to employees at eligible stores and has updated its website to reflect which locations are no longer requiring masks. Apple, however, will continue to recommend that customers wear masks and will provide them upon request. Apple retail workers will still be required to wear masks, employees say.The change in mask policy applies to stores in states including Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky and others that have ended mandates. Customers must wear masks in stores in the few states with stricter guidelines, such as Hawaii. Apple's locations in New York have also made masks optional for customers who are fully vaccinated.

In another attempted return to normalcy, Apple is apparently also looking to begin bringing back its in-store classes. While some stores will see classes return this week, most are planning for them to resume in March.

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant also is planning to resume in-store classes, called Today at Apple, at several locations across the country. Classes offer tips on using the company's devices and software. Some stores will see classes return as early as this week, while many stores are targeting March for classes to begin again.

Apple has been making attempts to return to normal and rolling them back over the last year. Hopefully, the pandemic will allow these changes to stay permanent this time.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.