How to Get Your Free iPhone 4 Case or Bumper

Everything you need to know about getting your free iPhone 4 case or bumper through Apple's new iPhone 4 case program.

After silencing customers and analysts alike last week with an offer to give ever iPhone 4 owner a free case to diminish reception woes, Apple made good on its promise Friday with details on just how to retrieve the gratis goods.

Get the iPhone 4 Case Program for free

Oddly enough, Apple won’t use an online application but instead a free downloadable app , a clever way to verify that everyone applying for case does, in fact own an iPhone 4. To find it from your iPhone, search for “iPhone 4 Case Program,” or use iTunes.

Choose your case

After the quick download, you can open the app and sign in using your iTunes account name and password, or your Apple ID. You’ll have a selection of cases from Incase, Belkin, Griffin, and Speck, in addition to Apple’s owner bumper cases. Check out our list of favorite iPhone 4 cases for some suggestions!

Wait

Apple won’t offer any sort of in-store pickup to get the cases to you in a hurry. Instead, you’ll need to wait three to five weeks for it to arrive via snail mail.

The fine print

If you bought your iPhone 4 before today – July 23 – hurry up and apply! Apple will cut off free applications for this pool of owners on August 22, essentially giving you one month from the beginning of the program. Owners who buy one between today and September 30, when the program ends, will have 30 days from the date of purchase to apply.