iPhone users are voicing significant frustration after receiving promotional push notifications via the built-in Apple Wallet app. The notifications advertised Apple’s upcoming original film, “F1 The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt, by offering a $10 discount on two or more tickets purchased through Fandango.
This move has triggered widespread complaints across social media platforms, Reddit, and tech forums. Many iPhone owners feel that receiving unsolicited marketing messages in a core utility app, typically used for managing payments and digital cards, is inappropriate and unexpected given the premium cost of their devices.
“I did not pay over $1000 for an iPhone to get advertised at,” one user lamented on Reddit, a sentiment echoed by others. Another frequently seen query online is how to disable these perceived “Apple Pay ads” or promotional alerts.
Why the Wallet Ad Struck a Nerve
While Apple has been heavily promoting the “F1” film — showcasing its integration with Apple tech like custom iPhone camera rigs used in cars and featuring AirPods Max within the movie, even dedicating a segment at WWDC 2025 to it alongside figures like Tim Cook and Craig Federighi — the chosen marketing channel for this particular discount proved controversial.
The Wallet app is considered an essential tool for many users, relied upon for vital notifications about transactions, passes, and digital IDs. Consequently, simply disabling all notifications from the app to avoid promotions isn’t a feasible solution for most.
Adding to the criticism, some users and reports point out that sending promotional push notifications without explicit opt-in appears to contradict Apple’s own App Store guidelines for third-party developers. These guidelines state that push notifications should not be used for direct marketing unless users have specifically consented and are provided a clear opt-out method within the app. Critics argue Apple may be holding itself to a different standard than it applies to others.
Echoes of Past Apple Marketing Mishaps
User backlash against unsolicited marketing on Apple devices isn’t new. The current complaints draw parallels to past controversies, such as ads for Apple’s own services appearing within the iOS Settings menu, which also faced user pushback. More notably, some users invoked the infamous 2014 incident where U2’s “Songs of Innocence” album was automatically added to iTunes libraries, with one user quipping, “I am getting Bono flashbacks” regarding the Wallet ad. This history highlights a long-standing user aversion to perceived overreach in Apple’s marketing efforts on their devices.
A Glimpse into the Future (and Current Limitations)
In a potentially telling development, the beta build of iOS 26 reportedly includes a new granular setting specifically for disabling “Offers & Promotions” within the Wallet app. However, this option is not available in the current public releases of iOS (like iOS 18, which received the notifications). Users on current builds can only disable all Wallet notifications or turn off seeing card benefits during checkout, leaving them without a direct way to opt out of promotional messages.
The introduction of this dedicated toggle in the beta suggests that Apple may be planning to utilize the Wallet app for more marketing messages and promotions in the future. While this could be intended to offer users valuable discounts, the initial reaction to the ‘F1’ movie ad indicates that many iPhone users are resistant to this direction for an app central to their digital finance and identity.
Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the user complaints. As the ‘F1’ film gears up for its theatrical release, the marketing surrounding it has inadvertently highlighted user sensitivities regarding advertising in core system apps.
