How to buy an iPhone the moment it’s back in stock at Apple
A restock at a store often lasts only minutes. Prepare in advance and it takes under a minute from the alert to a placed pickup order.
- Sign in to your Apple ID and set up Apple Pay or a saved card in advance
- Set an alert for the model and make notifications loud
- Tap Buy in the alert and go straight to pickup
- Widen your alert — any colour, storage or nearby stores give you several times more chances
A day or two before
On apple.com in the browser you’ll buy from, or in the Apple Store app. Every few hours check you’re still signed in: open your bag or account.
Set up Apple Pay or save a card and address to your account. Typing a card number during a restock costs you a minute.
Add the model, colour and storage to Favorites on apple.com — checkout starts from there in a couple of taps.
Set an alert for the model on InStock.watch and set up notifications: a distinct Telegram sound, push to your phone from the Home Screen.
From alert to order
- 0 sThe alert arrives: model, configuration and store
- ~5 sTap Buy — apple.com opens on the exact configuration
- ~20 sAdd to bag → pickup → the store from the alert
- ~40 sPay with Apple Pay or a saved card — order placed
When the alert arrives
- Tap Buy right in the alert — apple.com opens with the colour and storage selected.
- Go straight to pickup and choose the store from the alert. If it’s already gone, try a nearby one: restocks often hit several stores in a row.
- Pick a less popular pickup time: weekday mornings are usually calmer than evenings and weekends.
- Don’t leave the tab for later: stock is checked at checkout and another buyer may take the phone.
How to catch more restocks
- Widen your alert. Any colour or any storage usually means several times more restocks — your account shows the exact difference for your alert.
- Add nearby stores or the whole city: restocks in one city often come in waves.
- Be ready in the window. See the restock statistics: which hours and days the model restocks most.
At pickup
- Bring a photo ID and the order number from Apple’s email.
- If someone else will collect it, add them when you place the order.
FAQ
Why is the iPhone always out of stock?
New models sell faster than shipments arrive: a store gets a batch and it’s gone within minutes. That’s why hearing about a restock immediately beats refreshing the page by hand.
What time does Apple restock iPhones?
In our log restocks cluster in certain hours of store local time — see the statistics for your model and country. It’s history, not a prediction: a restock can happen at any time.
Can I reserve an iPhone?
We don’t buy or reserve anything — you place the order yourself on apple.com under Apple’s rules. We alert you the moment the model is available for pickup.
How long does a restock last?
Often just minutes. The exact figure for your model and country is in the restock statistics: we measure how long a variant stayed before it sold out.
Hear about the restock first
Set an alert for the model, colour and stores — we’ll tell you the moment it’s in.