The latest iOS 26 update has brought a new feature that gives iPhone users a chance to disable something many found irritating: unwanted promotions in the Wallet app. Apple iPhone owners have expressed their frustration over an unexpected promotion for the Apple film ‘F1 the Movie’ that appeared in the Wallet app. The ad encouraged users to get $10 off two or more tickets for the film through the Fandango app. The movie, which dives into the world of Formula 1 racing, was filmed during actual Grand Prix events.
It stars Brad Pitt and highlights the use of Apple tech, including iPhones used as custom-made cameras inside race cars and AirPods Max that Pitt’s character, F1 driver Sonny Hayes, sleeps with.
While the film could potentially become a hit, iPhone users aren’t too pleased with having a promotion pushed onto them. One Reddit user summed up the sentiment, saying, ‘I didn’t pay over $1000 for an iPhone to get advertised at.’
Interestingly, Apple has provided a way to opt out of such promotions in the iOS 26 Developer Beta. To disable notifications for offers and promotions, users can open the Wallet app, tap the three dots in the upper right corner, go to Notifications, and toggle off the ‘Offers and Promotions’ setting. This will stop unwanted promotions like the ‘F1 the Movie’ deal from appearing in the app. However, users need to be on the iOS 26 Developer Beta for this to work. If you’re not on the beta, you’ll have to wait until September when the stable iOS 26 version is released to get the same control.
The addition of this toggle is a clever move by Apple, allowing users to avoid promotions they don’t want to see. As for ‘F1 the Movie,’ Apple has been promoting the film heavily, even kicking off the WWDC Developer Conference with a preview that included humorous, fabricated segments featuring Apple executives Tim Cook and Craig Federighi.