iOS 26: Save Physical Card Details in Wallet App

[MacRumors]

Apple's Wallet app in iOS 26 includes a new feature that lets you store physical card information alongside your digital payment cards. This allows you to quickly access account numbers, expiry dates, and other details without carrying the physical card.

It's a simple addition in iOS 26, but it brings the Wallet app closer to being a comprehensive card management tool, filling the gap that third-party apps like 1Password typically fill. With the full card information to hand, you can check your card's expiry date for a subscription service or provide account details over the phone, without needing to dig through your physical wallet or memorize card numbers. It also means you don't have to delve into settings to find Safari's Autofill fields.

Adding Physical Card Information

To store your physical card details, follow these steps:

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone, then tap one of your stored cards. Alternatively, add a new card using the + button, then select it in Wallet.
2. Tap the "123" card symbol at the top, then authenticate with Face ID or your passcode.
   
   
   
   Select Add Physical Card Information.
3. Fill in your card details including name, number, expiry date (optional), and security code.
4. Add a description to help identify the card.
   Tap Done to save.
   
   

Apple encrypts and stores this information in your iCloud Keychain, keeping it secure and accessible only to you. The details are not used for Apple Pay transactions.

Viewing Stored Information

After adding your details, simply tap the card in Wallet and then tap the same "123" button at the top. You'll need to authenticate with Face ID or your passcode before the information displays, adding an extra layer of security to your stored card data.

Note that this is a feature of iOS 26, which is currently in beta. Apple will roll out a public release of iOS 26 sometime in September.

Article Link: iOS 26: Save Physical Card Details in Wallet App

 

[nuff_said]

Definitely a step in the right direction. Would still recommend carrying any physical card with you until the business, agency, or offices confirm digital copies are accepted.

 

[tennisproha]

How is this different than the physical card details you can already store in Safari autofill, especially since that can be used with Apple Pay online? This seems poorly thought out

Edit: My point is having physical card details stored in two places serves no purpose.

That's why it makes more sense for physical card details to be stored in the Passwords app. Safari autofill in the Settings app is difficult to access when you need the physical number and there's no Wallet app on Mac.

Not only that, the Wallet app scans Safari autofill when adding a card and the Settings app links to the Wallet card when making iTunes purchases.

So it's already a bit of a mess and they're just further fragmenting it by having the same details stored in two different places.

 

[Velli]

How is this different than the physical card details you can already store in Safari autofill, especially since that can be used with Apple Pay online? This seems poorly thought out

Different features. There are situations where you can’t autofill. For instance when I buy something on my company PC.

This will be one of my favourite new features. It is literally the only reason I carry my wallet. Where I live, drivers license and medical ID is already on the phone.

 

[gomichaelgo]

How is this different than the physical card details you can already store in Safari autofill, especially since that can be used with Apple Pay online? This seems poorly thought out

I could be mistaken, but the auto fill function works when you are online to fill it out, but you still put in your ssd (or whatever that 3 digit code is) and it masks out some numbers. This on the other hand stores the full information for you locked away, so if you need to manually enter all CC info, you have it available. For example, if you are out and about and don't have your card, you can pull this up and get the 16 digit card number, expiration, and ccv to have the retailer manually enter.

 

[alexandr]

How is this different than the physical card details you can already store in Safari autofill, especially since that can be used with Apple Pay online? This seems poorly thought out

But where do you access that info, unless you're actually paying for something?..

 

[jz0309]

That is a good feature imho, but, faceid should be required then to open the wallet app, not optional, required just like passwords app

 

[Lizzard899]

How is this different than the physical card details you can already store in Safari autofill, especially since that can be used with Apple Pay online? This seems poorly thought out

Another reason why apple is slowly going downhill. I predict they will go out of business by 2030. This is non sense. I like that you can just add a new card by taking a photo of the card and it doing the rest on its own. Now they want u to physically type in the information? Sounds lame

 

[mike1123]

But where do you access that info, unless you're actually paying for something?..

You can already access this info in iOS18 anytime you want. Not sure why this is big news. Settings > Apps > Safari > Autofill > Saved Credit Cards

 

[ultratiem]

But where do you access that info, unless you're actually paying for something?..

Settings. Open Safari Settings. I don’t get the bit 🧐

 

[mansplains]

That is a good feature imho, but, faceid should be required then to open the wallet app, not optional, required just like passwords app

iOS 18 added the ability to require Face ID or hide apps altogether; you can enable Face ID for Wallet

 

[DougieS]

But where do you access that info, unless you're actually paying for something?..

Settings > Apps > Safari > Autofill > Saved Credit Cards

I could be mistaken, but the auto fill function works when you are online to fill it out, but you still put in your ssd (or whatever that 3 digit code is) and it masks out some numbers. This on the other hand stores the full information for you locked away, so if you need to manually enter all CC info, you have it available. For example, if you are out and about and don't have your card, you can pull this up and get the 16 digit card number, expiration, and ccv to have the retailer manually enter.

The settings view above has all this information too.

I feel Apple will migrate the autofill feature to pull the information from the wallet app in the future. Makes more sense than being hidden in safari settings.

 

[hieranonymous]

I don’t understand how this is in any way different from going into Safari’s Autofill settings and viewing the relevant card info stored there.

 

[DTphonehome]

I've always thought it would be useful to have the ability to write a note on the card, so I'd know which one I should use at the grocery, drugstore, gas station, etc, for increased rewards. Would this feature allow for that?

 

[RickDEGH]

What’s a physical card - for us uninitiated. is it any different from a “physical” bank card? Is it like PayBack card in Germany?

 

[ultratiem]

That is a good feature imho, but, faceid should be required then to open the wallet app, not optional, required just like passwords app

“Tap the "123" card symbol at the top, then authenticate with Face ID or your passcode.”

You need your passcode to access the button. Missed the important bits before you formed your opinion bruh.

 

[ipedro]

This fills a gap for people complaining that the Passwords app can only store passwords. Well, it's in the name. It's not meant to store other information. The Wallet app is a much more intuitive place to store card numbers and other secure information.

Now, all it really needs is the ability to scan a card that can't otherwise be added to Wallet like loyalty cards that don't have an "Add to Wallet" capability. They're often just UPC or QR codes that the Wallet app should be able to recreate because they're made using open standards.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Another reason why apple is slowly going downhill. I predict they will go out of business by 2030. This is non sense. I like that you can just add a new card by taking a photo of the card and it doing the rest on its own. Now they want u to physically type in the information? Sounds lame

Apple could lose $Billions per year and still be fully operational well past 2030, or even 2035. No matter how bad they screw up, the company will still be fully functional.

As for this, it's fine. I don't really use my wallet app much, and it's often just as quick to pull out a physical card but the CVV2 code it's on the front of the card, other than AMEX, so you need to type it in... so, ehh.

About half of my cards have the numbers on the front, and the other half on the back.

 

[alexandr]

You can already access this info in iOS18 anytime you want. Not sure why this is big news. Settings > Apps > Safari > Autofill > Saved Credit Cards

Settings > Apps > Safari > Autofill > Saved Credit Cards



The settings view above has all this information too.

I feel Apple will migrate the autofill feature to pull the information from the wallet app in the future. Makes more sense than being hidden in safari settings.

Settings. Open Safari Settings. I don’t get the bit 🧐

Thanks all

 

[ipedro]

I've always thought it would be useful to have the ability to write a note on the card, so I'd know which one I should use at the grocery, drugstore, gas station, etc, for increased rewards. Would this feature allow for that?

Technically, yes. There's a "Description" field which you can use for whatever you like. By default, my AMEX says "American Express Gold" but I can change it to "AMEX I use to pay bills" or whatever memory notes you'd like to include.

 

[CalMin]

I can't figure out why this feature isn't included in the passwords app. I mean, most password managers already offer some version of it.

Ever since I switched to Apple's passwords app from 1Password (and before that, LastPass), I've really missed the credit card storage function. There's an app in the App Store called Access that handles this, but it would be so much better to have everything consolidated in one app.

 

[jz0309]

iOS 18 added the ability to require Face ID or hide apps altogether; you can enable Face ID for Wallet

Nvm, deleted

 

[jz0309]

“Tap the "123" card symbol at the top, then authenticate with Face ID or your passcode.”

You need your passcode to access the button. Missed the important bits before you formed your opinion bruh.

Thanks, forgot about that

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I can't figure out why this feature isn't included in the passwords app. I mean, most password managers already offer some version of it.

Ever since I switched to Apple's passwords app from 1Password (and before that, LastPass), I've really missed the credit card storage function. There's an app in the App Store called Access that handles this, but it would be so much better to have everything consolidated in one app.

You can store the info in a password-protected Note. That's where I keep mine.

1Password definitely does it better, however.

 

[mariusfanu]

You can already access this info in iOS18 anytime you want. Not sure why this is big news. Settings > Apps > Safari > Autofill > Saved Credit Cards

You can also access it in iOS 26 via:

1. Wallet -> ... -> AutoFill
2. Settings -> Wallet & Apple Pay -> AutoFillCards