Stock & Restocks
How to set up an iPhone restock alert
Set up an iPhone restock alert for Apple Store pickup. Sign in, choose your iPhone, ZIP and store, pick a channel, and get a message when stock appears.
By the InStock Tracker team · Published · Updated · 12 min read
To set up an iPhone restock alert, get a Plus or Pro pass, sign in to InStock Tracker with a code sent to your email, press "Get alerts," and choose the iPhone, pickup today or any day, your US ZIP code, the Apple Store to watch, and a channel. When that store gains pickup stock, you get a message with the store and an apple.com link.
Update, November 2, 2026: alerts go by Telegram, Discord, email or push notification; SMS alerts are coming soon. Each alert watches one Apple Store you pick.
Key Takeaways
- InStock Tracker watches Apple Store in-store pickup stock for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max across the US.
- Checking live stock is free with no sign-up. Alerts need a Plus or Pro pass and an account: you sign in with a 6-digit code sent by email, with no password.
- Setup takes one form: iPhone, "pickup today" or "any day," your ZIP code, the Apple Store to watch, and a channel: Telegram, Discord, email or push notification.
- Discord needs a channel webhook URL and sends a test message right away. On iPhone, push notifications need the site added to your Home Screen first.
- Each alert names the store and its distance, links to apple.com, and shows when the stock was detected and when the message was sent.
- Pro areas are checked about every 30 seconds, Plus about every minute, areas people are browsing about every 15 minutes, and others a few times a day. We never promise exact seconds; the timestamps on every alert show the real speed.
- Alerts come with a paid pass: Plus ($7.99 for 30 days) covers 5, and Pro ($19.99 for 30 days) covers 30 with priority sending. Both are one-time payments, not subscriptions. If a channel fails, the alert goes to your email instead.
What does an iPhone restock alert do?
A restock alert messages you when the iPhone you want becomes available for in-store pickup at an Apple Store near you. You don't have to keep refreshing apple.com.
InStock Tracker checks Apple's pickup availability for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at US Apple Stores. When the Apple Store you picked goes from no stock to stock that matches your alert, it sends you a message on the channel you chose.
It reacts to a change, not to a page edit. You hear about stock that just appeared, not stock that was already sitting there when you set the alert, and not unrelated changes to Apple's website.
It's worth knowing what it does not do. It does not track carrier stores, Best Buy, online delivery dates or other countries. It never buys or reserves anything for you: you still place the order on apple.com yourself. InStock Tracker is independent and not affiliated with Apple.
Speed matters because pickup stock rarely sits around. In Canada, all 75 iPhone Duo restocks in one tracked stretch were gone within 3 to 4 minutes, and 46 of them within 2 minutes (iPhone in Canada, Oct 28, 2026). Our post on how long iPhone Duo restocks last covers that in more depth.
How often does InStock Tracker check Apple?
As often as it can for the areas that matter right now, within Apple's per-connection limits. Pro areas are checked about every 30 seconds, Plus about every minute, areas people are browsing about every 15 minutes, and others a few times a day.
We don't promise a fixed number of seconds, because Apple sets the pace, not us. Instead, every alert prints the time we detected the stock and the time we sent the message. You can judge the speed yourself on each alert. If an alert can't go out within 15 minutes of detection, we drop it, because that stock is likely gone.
What do you need before you start?
A Plus or Pro pass, a US ZIP code, an email address for your account, and one way to receive messages. Checking stock needs no account. Alerts do, but there is no password: we email you a 6-digit code each time you sign in.
- For Telegram: the Telegram app on your phone, signed in.
- For Discord: a Discord server and channel where you can create a webhook. A webhook is a private URL that lets an app post messages into one channel.
- For email: nothing extra. Alerts go to the address you signed in with.
- For push notifications: a browser that allows notifications. It asks for permission the first time. On iPhone, add the site to your Home Screen first.
- For checkout later: sign in to your Apple Account in the Apple Store app or your browser now, and check that your saved card works. When the alert fires, there's no time for that.
How to set up an iPhone restock alert, step by step
The whole setup happens on one page at instocktracker.com:
- Sign in. Press "Sign in," enter your email and press "Email me a code." Type the 6-digit code from the email. If you press "Get alerts" first, the sign-in box opens on its own.
- Search (optional). Pick the model (iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max), storage, color and your ZIP code, then press "Check stock near me." You'll see nearby Apple Stores and what each has for pickup right now.
- Open the alert form. Press "Alert me for this iPhone" above the results, "Notify me" on a store, or "Get alerts" at the top of the page. Each opens the same "Create your alert" form, filled in with your search.
- Confirm the iPhone. Check the model, color and storage in the form. Leave color or storage on "Any" to hear about every match.
- Pick when to be notified. Choose "Available for pickup today" or "Available any day (today or later)." The next section explains the difference.
- Enter your ZIP code and pick the store. The form lists nearby Apple Stores; choose the one you'll go to. Each alert watches one store, so create another alert to cover another store.
- Choose a channel. Select Telegram, Discord, email or push notification. You can add an optional alert name, such as "iPhone for work."
- Press "Switch on my alert." Then finish connecting your channel, as described below.
Finish connecting Telegram
After you create the alert, the form says "Last step: open Telegram and press Start." Tap that link, then press Start in Telegram. That tells InStock Tracker which chat to message.
Until you press Start, the alert shows "Not connected yet" under My alerts, and no alerts are sent.
Finish connecting Discord
Select Discord, and a field appears for the webhook URL. In Discord, create a webhook for the channel you want alerts in and copy its URL. It starts with https://discord.com/api/webhooks/. Paste it into the form before pressing "Switch on my alert."
When you create the alert, InStock Tracker sends a test message to that channel. If it arrives, your alert is connected. Discord works well if you want a group or a shared server to see the same alerts.
Email and push notification alerts
Email needs no extra step: alerts go to the address on your account. For push notifications, your browser asks for permission when you create the alert; allow it, and keep notifications allowed. On iPhone, add the site to your Home Screen first. SMS alerts (coming soon) will be part of Pro.
Whichever channel you pick, we also email you a dated copy of every alert, with a reference number, so you always have a record, even if that channel fails.
Should you choose "pickup today" or "any day"?
Choose "pickup today" if you only want a phone you can collect the same day. Choose "any day" if a reservation for tomorrow or later is fine too.
| Alert setting | You get a message when a store shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Available for pickup today | Pickup available today | Buyers who want the phone in hand today |
| Available any day | Pickup today, tomorrow or a later date | Buyers happy to reserve now and collect later |
InStock Tracker keeps "Available Today" and "Available Tomorrow" separate. A pickup-today alert ignores tomorrow-only stock, and the alert message starts with "IN STOCK TODAY" when you can collect the same day.
Which Apple Store should you watch?
Pick a store you'd actually get to on short notice. Each alert watches one Apple Store, so to cover more stores, create another alert for each one. Plus covers 5 alerts and Pro covers 30.
If you live in a dense metro area with several Apple Stores, alerts on the two or three closest may be enough. In areas with one store or none nearby, pick the one you'd be willing to drive to.
What does a restock alert look like, and what should you do next?
Each alert is five short lines: the iPhone, the Apple Store and its distance, the detected and sent times (in UTC), a "Buy" link to apple.com, and a link to stop or change the alert. Here is an example; the store and times are illustrative:
- IN STOCK TODAY: iPhone Duo 256GB Night Sky
- Apple SoHo, New York NY (2.4 mi) - Available Today
- Detected 18:04:12 UTC, sent 18:04:13 UTC. Stock often lasts only minutes.
- Buy: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-iphone/iphone-duo/7.6-inch-display-256gb-night-sky
- Stop or change this alert: https://instocktracker.com/#w=...
An "any day" alert for tomorrow-only stock starts with plain "IN STOCK" instead. Its second line carries Apple's own pickup wording, for example "Available Tomorrow".
When an alert arrives, act quickly:
- Open the apple.com link in the alert.
- Select the same model, color and storage, then choose in-store pickup at the store the alert named.
- Complete the order right away, before someone else takes the slot.
- Wait for Apple's pickup notification. Apple sends an email and mobile notification with a QR code and asks you to wait for it before coming in (Apple).
At the store, Apple asks for your order number, a government-issued photo ID, and the QR code or Wallet pass. Apple says screenshots or photos of them won't be accepted. Our guide on how Apple Store pickup works covers the rest.
How do you pause, delete or manage an alert?
Open My alerts on instocktracker.com while signed in. Your alerts appear under Active, Paused and Triggered tabs. Triggered lists alerts that have already sent you a message, and each alert shows when the last one was detected and sent.
- Pause: flip the switch next to an alert to stop messages without losing your settings. Flip it back to resume.
- Delete: open the ⋮ menu and choose "Delete alert." This removes it from our server for good.
- Manage from another device: your alerts are saved to your account, so sign in on any device to see them. Every alert message also links to that alert, so you can pause it straight from the message. Once an alert has sent you a message during your pass, you can pause it but not delete it, and it keeps counting toward your plan's alerts.
Once you've collected your iPhone, pause or delete the alert so you stop getting messages.
What's in My account?
Open My account to see your email, plan and how many alerts you've used. From there you can:
- Turn on push notifications in the browser you're using.
- Upgrade or add 30 days. Payments run through Stripe. Paid plans are one-time 30-day passes, never subscriptions, so nothing renews. If you change your mind, press Cancel plan on your plan in Pricing for a prorated refund. That works until the first alert in your current paid period has been sent.
- Download my data or Delete my account, which removes your alerts and data, including any paid days left.
Your contact details are stored encrypted, and the site uses no ad trackers.
Which alert channel should you pick?
Pick the app you already check most often. The setup differs, but every channel carries the same key details.
| Channel | Setup | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Pick Telegram, then tap the link and press Start | The fastest alert on your phone, without sharing a number |
| Discord | Paste a channel webhook URL | A shared server where several people watch stock |
| None; uses your account address | Anyone who lives in their inbox | |
| Push notification | Allow notifications when asked (iPhone: add the site to your Home Screen first) | A personal alert on your phone or computer |
| SMS alerts (coming soon) | Not available yet; will be part of Pro | Hearing about stock without opening an app |
Which plan do you need?
Checking stock is free; alerts come with a pass. Plus covers 5 alerts, enough for several colors or models at once. They're one-time 30-day passes: you pay once, and the plan ends by itself.
| Plan | Price | Alerts | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 0 | None: check stock yourself |
| Plus | $7.99 for 30 days | 5 | Telegram, Discord, email, push |
| Pro | $19.99 for 30 days | 30 | All channels plus priority alerts (sent first, stores checked first); SMS alerts (coming soon) |
What other ways are there to get iPhone stock notifications?
There are a few, and each has a gap for in-store pickup:
| Option | What it watches | The gap |
|---|---|---|
| Checking the Apple Store app or apple.com by hand | Pickup at the stores you search | You must keep refreshing; nothing tells you when stock lands |
| Safari "Notify Me" | Changes to a web page | Watches a page, not each store's pickup stock |
| General website-change monitors | One page, on a set schedule | A schedule minutes or hours apart can miss short restocks |
| Do-it-yourself scripts | Whatever you code | Need upkeep when Apple's site changes |
| InStock Tracker alerts | Pickup stock at the US Apple Store you pick, one store per alert | US Apple Stores only; alerts need a Plus or Pro pass |
Apple describes Safari's "Notify Me" as a way to "monitor web pages for changes, like product restocks or price drops" (Apple Newsroom). That works for a general page. It can't tell you which store near you has pickup today.
Shopping for an iPhone Duo? Start with where to find iPhone Duo in stock near you, or set an iPhone Duo pickup alert now.
Frequently asked questions
Are iPhone restock alerts on InStock Tracker free?
Searching live Apple Store pickup stock is free with no sign-up. Alerts need a pass: Plus costs $7.99 for 30 days with 5 alerts, and Pro costs $19.99 for 30 days with 30 alerts and priority alerts, both paid once with no subscription. SMS alerts are coming soon.
Does the restock alert buy the iPhone for me?
No. InStock Tracker never places orders or reserves phones for you. It sends a message naming the Apple Store with stock and an apple.com link. You then choose the same configuration on apple.com, select in-store pickup at that store, and complete the order yourself.
Can I get alerts for Best Buy or carrier stock?
No. InStock Tracker watches Apple Store in-store pickup stock in the US only, for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. It does not track Best Buy, AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile stores, online delivery dates, Macs, or stores in other countries.
Why haven't I received an iPhone stock alert yet?
Most often, the store you picked hasn't gained matching stock yet. Check that the alert isn't paused, that you pressed Start for Telegram, and your email for fallbacks. Alerts fire when stock appears, not for stock already there, so add an alert for another nearby store or choose "any day."
Sources
- Apple Shopping Help: "Shipping & Pickup"
- Apple Newsroom: "Apple unveils iPhone Duo"
- iPhone in Canada, "Want an iPhone Duo? These Canadian Apple Stores Restock the Most" (Oct 28, 2026)