Apple customers aren't excited to get ads from the Apple Wallet app that promotes Tech Giant's original film, “F1 The Movie.” All across social media, iPhone owners complained that the wallet app sent push notifications offering $10 discounts on Fandango to those who are purchasing two or more tickets for the movie.
The feature film starring Brad Pitt explores the world of Formula 1 and was filmed in the actual Grand Prix race. Also, Pitt's character, F1 driver Sonny Hayes, sleeps from a custom-made camera made from iPhone parts used to photograph the car.
While the film may be well received, iPhone users don't necessarily want built-in utilities or marketing like digital wallets.
“We didn't pay more than $1,000 to promote our iPhone,” one Reddit user (U/Captain42d) complained. Another recent post with many replies already wants to know how to turn off Apple Pay ads.
After all, iOS 26 beta builds have a new option to disable “offers and promotions” from Apple wallets that are not available in current releases. Instead, users who are not in the new beta builds only have the option to disable notifications during checkout, except for the benefits of cards in the wallet. They cannot opt out of offers.
Adding a new control toggle to iOS 26 suggests that Apple plans to push more marketing messages and promotions through the wallet app in the future. This is something many iPhone users don't appreciate.
Apple customers generally dislike advertising and marketing efforts pushed to devices without consent. In the past, for example, I've pushed back ads for Apple services in iOS settings. And over a decade later, people are still complaining about the U2 album that automatically appeared on the iTunes Music Library.
All of these F1 movie notifications from Apple are on par with when they put that U2 album on iTunes for everyone at the time, which no one asked for. pic.twitter.com/uknlzwtufd
– John Vezmar (@johnvezmar) June 24, 2025
Reminiscing the marketing blunder, one Reddit user writes a new wallet push notification for F1 film.
Apple has promoted the F1 film with distribution partner Warner Bros., including the launch of a haptic trailer with vibration feedback. The company launched its recent WWDC 2025 keynote this month in a preview of the film's action, joining Apple CEO Tim Cook and software engineering SVP Craig Federighi as race car drivers.
We contacted Apple for a comment but did not respond immediately.