Apple Steers Into Controversy, Spams F1 Movie Offers To iPhone User Wallets
Apple is, once again, facing backlash from iPhone users after deploying unsolicited push notifications and in-app advertisements within its Wallet app to promote the upcoming Apple production F1 movie. Described by some as an invasion of privacy and/or spam, the push ads have ignited another Cupertino controversy across social media, drawing comparisons to the infamous U2 album debacle of 2014.
oh no no no Apple, that being said F1 is insanely good https://t.co/eUbNJHuign
— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) June 24, 2025
This week, iPhone users began reporting receiving push notifications from their Wallet app, offering a $10 discount on two or more Fandango tickets for the new F1 movie, which stars Brad Pitt and helmed by Joseph Kosinski (of Top Gun: Maverick fame). While Apple is one of the film's main distributors, its decision to leverage a highly personal and essential financial app for marketing has struck a nerve with its customer base.
The outcry stems from the perceived violation of trust and Apple's own stringent App Store guidelines. These guidelines (section 4.5.4) explicitly states that "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." Many users argue that they never explicitly opted in to receive such marketing through their Wallet app, making the unsolicited ads a direct contradiction of Apple's stated principles.
The outcry stems from the perceived violation of trust and Apple's own stringent App Store guidelines. These guidelines (section 4.5.4) explicitly states that "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." Many users argue that they never explicitly opted in to receive such marketing through their Wallet app, making the unsolicited ads a direct contradiction of Apple's stated principles.
Wallet users on social media platforms and online forums are frustrated, with users questioning who at Apple approved this. The Wallet app, typically reserved for essential financial transactions and important alerts like payment confirmations, is seen by many as a sanctuary from advertisements. To have it co-opted for movie promotions feels like a breach of that sacred space.
The issue is further compounded by the limited options available to users wishing to opt out. For those currently on iOS 25, the only way to stop these promotional messages is to disable all Wallet notifications, which would also mean missing other crucial alerts. iOS 26 beta reportedly includes a new "Offers & Promotions" toggle within the Wallet app settings, allowing users to specifically opt out of such marketing messages, but regular users will have to wait for Apple's stable version to drop. That said, the very existence of this toggle suggests that Apple may be planning to increase marketing messages through the Wallet app in the future.
Regardless of whether the movie is great or not, it appears that Apple's marketing department might need a reboot. It just can't seem to catch a break lately.
