Apple Wallet has been a fantastic tool for storing virtual copies of all credit cards, tickets and passports that you would normally have to keep in a physical wallet. But unfortunately it was only useful as long as there was official support for the pass or ticket.
Fortunately, the recent release of iOS 27 fixed this bug, bringing Apple Wallet back to parity with Google Wallet. You see, Android devices have been able to create their own custom passwords for the past two years, which can be incredibly useful in many situations.
I know the pain of going to Costco, only to realize I left my wallet (with my membership card) on the counter. If I’d been able to load a backup into Apple Wallet, I wouldn’t have had to give up my quest to stock up on cheap batteries and replace my worn-out jeans.
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The same goes for forgetting my loyalty card at the cinema, and hanging onto my receipt to make sure I get my 10% cash back. It’s a surprisingly good deal, and if I get ripped off by going to the movies, I’ll scrape back as much as I can if I can.
Now, thanks to iOS 27, it doesn’t matter if I leave the house with my wallet or not. I can easily open Apple Wallet and access virtual copies of everything I have left behind.
How to make custom passes in Apple Wallet
1. Open Apple Wallet
First you need to open Apple Wallet. The easiest way is to double tap the power buttonalthough you can find it through the App Library and the search function of iOS 27.
2. Press the + button then Create a pass
Next, click on the big + button at the top right, and on the resulting pop-up select the Create a passport option
3. Choose how you want to add your pass
Use Visual Intelligence to read the physical passport details or enter them manually.
4a. Scan your physical passport
If you choose Visual Intelligence, you can either scan your passport with the camera or choose an existing photo from your gallery. Whichever option you choose, Apple’s Ai will scan all the details it sees and produce a personalized passport. Tap Add to confirm that you want to add this pass to your wallet, and Edit pass if you need to tweak the details.
4b of. Enter your details manually
If you want to do everything manually, you’ll first need to select a template for your new custom pass – with options for Membership, Event, and Custom. Add code option at the bottom of the screen. This uses your camera too, just like creating a passport with Visual Intelligence.
That’s all there is. Once your personalized pass is created, you can call it from your wallet whenever you want. It sits in your collection of cards, and is available at the tap of your screen. Whether that’s a gym membership card, a parking pass, or something else entirely.
You can probably even add entry keys that rely on QR or barcode scanners, but like using virtual passports or other digital IDs with the TSA, this should be something you have in addition to your physical passport. Because there is a good chance that a personalized virtual option will not be considered valid if you get into a situation that requires proper identification.
Still, that’s not Apple’s problem, it’s a corporate and legal one. Until that gets sorted out at different power levels, this is probably the best we can hope for to empty the wallet and your phone for now.
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