Apple Snaps Up Several '.Guru' Domain Names on Launch Day

apple_store_geniusThe first of hundreds of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) began rolling out this week, and it should be no surprise that Apple is looking to protect names related to its products and brands. Among this initial batch of gTLDs being released, Apple has already secured several domains in the ".guru" family, presumably due to its similarity to Apple's "Genius" naming for the company's in-store support staff and recommendation features in its digital stores.

Domains in the .guru family that have already been registered by Apple and pointed to the company's name servers include:

- apple.guru
- iphone.guru
- ipad.guru
- mac.guru

Several others including appletv.guru, macbook.guru, and ipod.guru are currently blocked from registration, presumably at Apple's request.

The new domains registered by Apple are not yet active, although at some point the company may choose to redirect them to either its general home and product family pages or support pages. Some browsers with unified search and URL bars, including Apple's own Safari, have also yet to be updated to recognize the new domains as URLs. Safari currently directs such entries to searches rather than attempting to access the addresses themselves unless the HTTP protocol is specifically included in the text entry.

Apple routinely moves to protect domain names associated with its business, and the rapidly increasing number of gTLDs is only complicating that effort. Among the most notable expansions, Apple in 2012 applied for control of a new ".apple" top-level domain through a program that appears to still be in progress with Apple having passed initial review last June.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

pgiguere1 Avatar
151 months ago
presumably due to its similarity to Apple's "Genius" naming for the company's in-store support staff and recommendation features in its digital stores.
"Guru" is the name of the equivalent of Geniuses in a Microsoft Store.

They stand at a counter with stools that they originally named the "Guru Bar".

And guess how the staff dresses?

MacRumors content imageMacRumors content image
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
furi0usbee Avatar
151 months ago
I'll take metal.guru

----------

On a serious note, I for one don't want to need a little card in my wallet to let me know all the TLD I have to use. I hope companies don't start going nuts with this stuff.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the8thark Avatar
151 months ago
I'm sure this was done because apple.genius was not available.

----------

in 5 minutes all the rest will be taken over by squatters.
Domain squatters are just as bad a patent trolls.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JAQ Avatar
151 months ago
Why does it matter to you?
Because I sometimes consult with clients about their online presence, and having to deal with hundreds of TLDs (instead of a handful) which might duplicate their names and make it more difficult for their clients just makes the job more difficult. The only people who benefit from this are domain squatters, registrars, and lawyers, none of whom do anything particularly useful for society. Thanks for pretending to care.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dades Avatar
151 months ago
The only people who will benefit from these new TLDs are the domain registers. There'll be a huge landgrab and 1000's of squatters will waste their money buying domains that no serious bit hitter would bother with.

Over here in Europe, years ago they released a .eu TLD when there was still only the original .com, .net, etc. They completely made a mess of the process and domain bots registered everything that corporations hadn't paid a large sum to pre-register.

The domain was never taken seriously and sank immediately into oblivion.

The new domains will be nice for amateur photographers, bloggers etc, but that's about it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
151 months ago
I imagine that thelove.guru will go unsold for quite some time. :p
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)