iPhone Users Upset About Apple Promoting F1 Movie With Wallet App Notification

[MacRumors]

Apple today sent out an ad to some iPhone users in the form of a Wallet app push notification, and not everyone is happy about it.

An unknown number of iPhone users in the U.S. today received the push notification, which promotes a limited-time Apple Pay discount that movie ticket company Fandango is offering on a pair of tickets to Apple's new film "F1: The Movie."

Some of the iPhone users who received the push notification have complained about it across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, X, and other online discussion platforms.

"As far as I can tell, Apple is now just sending me ads to my screen now as push notifications, something I hate with an absolute passion and disable across the board in every app that tries this," said one person who received the notification.

Some people are especially upset about receiving a push notification ad through the Wallet app because it is a very important app for personal finances, so simply turning off notifications for the entire app is not a feasible solution.

Worse, Apple seems to be ignoring the guidelines that apply to App Store apps. The company says push notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless users have explicitly opted in to receive them for said purposes.

The full text of Apple's guideline:

Push Notifications should not be used for promotions or direct marketing purposes unless customers have explicitly opted in to receive them via consent language displayed in your app's UI, and you provide a method in your app for a user to opt out from receiving such messages.

Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

Apple has been heavily promoting F1: The Movie, which debuts in theaters on June 25 in Europe and on June 27 in the U.S. and Canada. However, the company may have gone a step too far here based on online reaction from some iPhone users.

One silver lining is that the iOS 26 beta adds an "Offers & Promotions" toggle to the Wallet app, allowing users to opt in or out of receiving special offers and discounts available from Apple and its unspecified partners. However, Apple sent out to the push notification ad to iPhone users on iOS 18 too, and those users seemingly did not explicitly opt in to receive such an ad. For that reason, some people are disappointed in Apple.

Article Link: iPhone Users Upset About Apple Promoting F1 Movie With Wallet App Notification

 

[DocMultimedia]

Class action lawsuit. 🤣

 

[FitzSitzQuitz]

This did not spark joy when it happened this morning.

 

[nottorp]

So if iPhones become ad supported they'll be free right? Right?

 

[TheDailyApple]

So if iPhones become ad supported they'll be free right? Right?

I think Roku could answer that question

 

[clayj]

If you buy a ticket to the movie, they'll throw in a free U2 album.

 

[fel10]

U2 Album PTSD

 

[dmccombs]

More and more, Apple is becoming a Marketing First company. By this I mean the marketing department has way too much clout within the company. We already saw this with the botched AI campaign where they advertised "buy the iphone 16 pro so you can get AI". this was done even though the AI features didn't exist yet.

Now the marketing department is pulling crap like this they want to advertise in spaces they should not be. We all know Apple is greedy as Fxxx, but these sort of moves will really piss people off. I hope every one votes with thier dollars on future purchases. It will be the only way to get the message across to Apple.

 

[russell_314]

Some of the iPhone users who received the push notification have complained about it

Is people complaining about something the bar for an article? Some people complain about everything.

I want to complain that iPhones aren’t free and automatically delivered to my address on launch day. Anyone want to join in my complaint?

 

[JohnRckr]

Slowly but surely Apple is trying out how far they can go with pushing apps into iOS for the sake of profit. I have yet to see one on my screen but the second I see first one, I am gone.

 

[maxxodd]

I really don't want advertising in iOS and particularly from the Wallet app.

 

[Thunderstrike76]

This did not spark joy when it happened this morning.

Oh boohoo.

 

[Sophisticatednut]

Here’s a good reason why the wallet should be allowed to be replaced by alternatives so we don’t get unsolicited adds

 

[russell_314]

Oh boohoo.

I think boohoo is the opposite of joy so it’s possible 🤷‍♂️😂

 

[Sophisticatednut]

P

Is people complaining about something the bar for an article? Some people complain about everything.

I want to complain that iPhones aren’t free and automatically delivered to my address on launch day. Anyone want to join in my complaint?

If I payed 1000€ then I expect no adds

 

[ZipZilla]

We pay so much for these phones, the spam is unacceptable. I also hate the Apple Pay logo automatically coming up when I text somebody a dollar amount. I can't turn it off

 

[russell_314]

Here’s a good reason why the wallet should be allowed to be replaced by alternatives so we don’t get unsolicited adds

Because other wallet apps would never ever ever put ads in the app

 

[russell_314]

If I payed 1000€ then I expect no adds

It’s good to have expectations.

 

[turbineseaplane]

This company has no standards anymore.

This is totally gross and unacceptable and not what we want out of Apple products.

 

[jz0309]

Haven’t received this. If it’s a promotion for the Apple Card, I get those from time to time, and that’s probably ok.
If it has nothing to do with the Apple Card - wtf
Edit: from the screenshot in the article it seems to be a promo for Apple Pay - BFD

 

[Skyscraperfan]

If Apple does that in the EU, it could become very costly for Apple.

 

[indyandy]

Maybe they should ban the Wallet App from the AppStore for violating their guidelines 🤔

 

[diego.caraballo]

Overreacting people everywhere...Brad Pitt needs to make an income.

 

[Stellarspace]

Come on, all of you should know that Apple can violate their own guidelines. Rules for me, not for thee.

 

[dreamerstree]

We should all get together and whine about this first world probl...oh, it's already happening.