📱 iOS 27 & QR Code

iOS 27: Apple Wallet Will Store Any QR Code as a Digital Pass

Revealed by Bloomberg ahead of WWDC on June 8, 2026, the new "Create a Pass" feature will let any iPhone user turn a printed QR code into a polished Wallet pass — with zero developer setup.

📝 By the DoItQR team 📅 May 6, 2026 ⏱ 7 min read

🌐 FR | EN | ES

1. The Biggest Wallet Update Since 2012

Apple is preparing a major transformation for its Wallet app in iOS 27. According to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman published on May 4, 2026, the next major iPhone update will include a brand-new feature called "Create a Pass" — and for QR code users, it's a genuine game-changer.

In practice, the feature will allow any user to scan a printed QR code — a concert ticket, a gym membership card, a gift card, a loyalty card — and automatically convert it into a clean, well-presented digital pass inside the Wallet app. No more screenshots stored in your camera roll, no more PDFs buried in email threads.

💡
The problem Apple is solving Since its launch, Wallet could only display passes issued by companies that had implemented Apple's PassKit API — which left out thousands of local merchants, associations, and independent event organizers. iOS 27 flips this logic: now, the user takes charge.

The feature had previously been spotted in Apple's source code by developer Nicolás Alvarez on April 16, 2026. Bloomberg's reporting confirmed its existence. The public release is expected in September 2026, alongside the new iPhone 18 lineup.

2. How "Create a Pass" Works — Step by Step

Apple has designed the experience to be as accessible as possible. Here is how the feature is expected to work once iOS 27 lands on your iPhone:

  1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the "+" button — the same one you use to add a credit card or transit card.
  3. A new option appears: "Create a Pass". Tap it.
  4. Choose between two creation methods:
    • Scan a QR code: point your iPhone camera at any printed or on-screen QR code.
    • Build from scratch: manually enter the details you want to appear on the pass.
  5. Customize your pass: choose a visual style, add an image, pick colors, and fill in text fields.
  6. Save the pass. It appears immediately in your Wallet, ready to be shown at venue entry or checkout.
No technical skills required Apple has designed this feature for everyday users. No PassKit knowledge, no Apple Developer account, no certificate signing — just tap, scan, and save.

3. Three Pass Templates, Three Colors

Apple is testing three distinct templates, each color-coded for instant visual recognition in your Wallet:

Template Color Primary use Examples
Standard Orange Default for any pass type Gift cards, receipts, discount vouchers
Membership Blue Recurring venue access Gym, museum, coworking space
Event Purple One-off tickets Concert, game, cinema, festival

Beyond template selection, customization options include visual styles, image uploads (a business logo or event photo), custom color palettes, and free-form text fields. Apple's goal is to make the finished pass look as polished as those issued directly by major brands.

🎨
Color coding is more than aesthetic The color system makes it effortless to locate the right pass in a long Wallet list, even when you're carrying dozens of cards and tickets at once.

4. No Developer Account Required — A Historic Shift

Since the launch of Passbook (later renamed Wallet) in 2012 with iOS 6, creating an Apple pass was strictly reserved for developers. It required an Apple Developer account ($99/year), a Pass Type ID certificate, and knowledge of JSON and cryptographic signing. The result: only large companies truly benefited.

For over a decade, Wallet was a directory of what brands chose to ship. With iOS 27, it becomes a directory of what people choose to keep. — WalletWallet.dev

iOS 27 radically reverses this paradigm. For the first time, an everyday user will be able to digitize a local festival ticket, a neighborhood bakery loyalty card, or a repair shop warranty slip — without those businesses having spent a single dollar on Wallet integration.

🔓
What this means for small businesses Sports associations, artisans, restaurant owners, market organizers — all can now offer a simple QR code (which DoItQR generates for free) and let their customers convert it themselves into a polished Wallet pass.

5. Apple Catches Up to Google Wallet

Let's be clear: on this specific point, Apple was behind. Google Wallet has offered the ability to scan barcodes and QR codes from physical passes and create digital versions since 2024. Android users never had to wait for their favorite store to natively integrate Google Wallet.

With "Create a Pass," Apple is finally closing this functional parity gap. It is an implicit acknowledgment that even the most premium closed ecosystem can generate friction when users' daily lives outpace official integrations.

⚠️
A note on current third-party apps Apps like Pass2U already let you create Wallet passes from any QR code. They work well, but they involve handing your data to a third party. iOS 27 will bring this feature natively, with Apple's own privacy standards baked in.

6. WWDC 2026: What to Expect on June 8

Apple's WWDC 2026 (Worldwide Developers Conference) runs from June 8 to 12, 2026. The opening keynote on June 8 is when Apple will officially unveil iOS 27 and all its features. "Create a Pass" is just one highlight among many expected announcements:

  • A major Siri overhaul with a dedicated app, chatbot-style interface, and conversation history
  • Optional Google Gemini integration as an AI engine in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27
  • A new Siri mode in the Camera app for real-world AI interaction
  • Three new AI photo editing tools: Extend, Enhance, and Reframe
  • 5G satellite connectivity for upcoming iPhone 18 Pro models
  • Improvements to Safari, Health, Calendar, and Maps
  • The "Create a Pass" feature in Wallet

The first iOS 27 developer betas will likely be available immediately after the June 8 keynote. A public beta typically follows in July, with the final release expected in September 2026 alongside iPhone 18.

📅
Key dates June 8–12, 2026: WWDC keynote & iOS 27 unveil · July 2026: public beta · September 2026: public release with iPhone 18

7. Compatible Devices & Release Date

Based on available information, iOS 27 will support iPhone 12 and later. However, some AI-dependent features (including potentially advanced aspects of "Create a Pass") may be limited to iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, which carry the on-device processing chips required for Apple Intelligence.

Feature Expected compatibility
Create a Pass (basic) iPhone 12 and later
AI-powered QR scan iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 16 and later
Siri with Gemini iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 16 and later
5G satellite iPhone 18 Pro only (expected)

These details are estimates based on pre-WWDC leaks. Apple may adjust compatibility at the official announcement.

8. Before iOS 27: Create & Analyze QR Codes with DoItQR

iOS 27 promises to transform how iPhones handle QR codes — but the release isn't until September 2026. In the meantime, you can already make the most of QR codes today using DoItQR's free tools.

Create a QR code your customers can add to their Wallet

If you're a merchant, event organizer, or association, generate a static, transparent QR code with no hidden redirects right now. When iOS 27 ships, your customers can scan it directly in Wallet to create their own pass.

✨ Generate your QR code for free

Static QR code, no subscription, no middlemen. Your link, directly encoded. Ready for iOS 27 Wallet.

Create my QR code →

Check a QR code before scanning it

Before trusting a QR code to your Wallet, make sure it's safe. Our diagnostic tool analyzes the encoded URL, detects suspicious redirects, homograph attacks, and known malicious domains — in seconds.

🛡️ Analyze a suspicious QR code

17 security criteria, real-time analysis, instant result. Free, no install required.

Run the diagnostic →

🔍 Scan a QR code online

No iPhone needed: our web scanner reads any QR code from your browser, on mobile or desktop.

Scan a QR code →

9. Conclusion: A Feature Users Have Waited for Since 2012

With "Create a Pass," Apple is finally dismantling the technical barrier that prevented Wallet from becoming the universal digital wallet it should always have been. No more waiting for your gym, local cinema, or community club to build a PassKit integration — you're in control now.

This evolution is also a recognition of the QR code's status as a universal technology. That small grid of black-and-white squares, once confined to product packaging, has become the interface between the physical and digital worlds — and iOS 27 is giving it its most powerful iPhone home yet.

The real promise of iOS 27 Wallet? That every QR code printed anywhere on the planet can, with one iPhone tap, become a polished pass in your digital pocket.

Tune in to WWDC on June 8, 2026 for the official confirmation. In the meantime, DoItQR remains your best ally for creating, scanning, and analyzing QR codes — starting today.

📱 Get your QR codes ready for iOS 27

Generate, scan, diagnose — everything you need, free and fully transparent.

Explore DoItQR →

🔗 Sources & further reading