Disabling this terrible Apple Pockets characteristic is straightforward in iOS 26

If I had to decide on a single app as my favourite on my iPhone, it could be Apple Wallet. I take advantage of it day by day, and it makes contactless payments fast and handy, whether or not I am fueling my automobile, grabbing espresso, or searching for groceries. Plus, whereas I am traveling, it is useful for boarding passes and prepare tickets. Though I nonetheless carry a bodily pockets, I hardly use it anymore as a consequence of Apple Pockets.

Nonetheless, a couple of weeks in the past, Apple did one thing with its Pockets app that irritated me for the primary time ever. It despatched out a push notification for Apple Pockets, nevertheless it wasn’t about any of my playing cards or purchases; it was an unwanted advertisement.

This occurred in June when Apple despatched out a push notification to an untold variety of Apple Pockets customers about saving cash on tickets to see its newest film, F1, in theaters. The notification was about getting $10 off by means of Fandango. Normally, once I see a push notification on Apple Pockets, it’s proper after I’ve made a purchase order, so receiving one randomly once I hadn’t purchased something was alarming. When it turned out to be simply an advert from Apple, I felt relieved but additionally irritated as a result of it fearful me for no cause.

It wasn’t simply me who was bothered by this. Many individuals took to social media and Reddit to complain about it, and within the Apple Pockets settings, there isn’t any approach to flip off notifications for gives or promotions. Nonetheless, it appears in response to the F1 push notification debacle, Apple has made a big change to Apple Pockets with its forthcoming iOS 26 replace.

A brand new toggle has been added to Apple Pockets’s notification settings

Should you’re utilizing any model of iOS 18, there is not a approach to disable push notifications for gives and promotions solely from Apple Pockets with out turning off all notifications for the app itself. I want not to do this, and I imagine many others would possibly really feel the identical, particularly because it additionally sends necessary monetary alerts.

Nonetheless, with iOS 26, it seems that Apple took word of the negative response it acquired from the F1 promotion and made a change to permit customers to show off notifications for gives and promotions solely. This implies you’ll be able to merely toggle it off and nonetheless obtain necessary notifications for card purchases and orders, with none undesirable commercials showing (through 9to5Mac).

On the newest public beta construct of iOS 26, this characteristic is current for me, and I used to be capable of toggle off notifications for gives and promotions. When you’ve got the iOS 26 beta, otherwise you’re studying this as soon as iOS 26 has formally launched, here is methods to disable it your self:

1. Open up the Apple Pockets app.

2. Faucet the three dots within the prime proper of your display.

3. Choose Notifications from the pop-up menu.

4. Flip off Provides & Promotions notifications.

Fortunately, turning it off is fast and straightforward. Nonetheless, it nonetheless raises the query: ought to Apple be sending notifications for gives and promotions to Apple Pockets customers in any respect? When the F1 film advert went out, folks have been fast to level out on-line that it broke Apple’s own guidelines for App Retailer apps, which say “Push Notifications shouldn’t be used for promotions or direct advertising functions until clients have explicitly opted in,” and I actually do not bear in mind opting within the first place.

Contemplating all this, I am simply glad Apple added a toggle to show it off. If some folks do not thoughts receiving notifications for gives and promotions in Apple Pockets, extra energy to them. Personally, I am completely happy I can flip it off and solely get necessary notifications from Apple Pockets now.