iOS 15 Apple Wallet Pass Layout Updates

Apple introduced several significant layout and design updates to the Wallet app in iOS 15, focusing on visual clarity, modernized aesthetics, and simplified card presentation. This guide outlines the key changes made to pass layouts, including updated field hierarchies, improved media presentation for event tickets and boarding passes, and refined navigation for back-of-pass information.

Modernized Card and Ticket Designs

The most noticeable change in iOS 15 is the visual overhaul of event tickets and boarding passes. Apple replaced the skeuomorphic elements of older passes with a clean, contemporary design featuring rounded corners and modernized typography. Event tickets received full-bleed strip image capabilities, allowing artwork and branding to extend smoothly across the pass without awkward clipping, creating a richer visual experience.

Streamlined Field Hierarchy

To reduce clutter, iOS 15 altered how information is distributed across the front of passes:

  • Primary Fields: Emphasized with larger, high-contrast typography to ensure critical data, such as flight numbers, boarding times, or seat assignments, is immediately readable.
  • Secondary and Auxiliary Fields: Reduced in number on the pass face. Passes that previously displayed crowded rows of auxiliary data were simplified, showing only the most essential details upfront to avoid visual overload.
  • Header Area: Redesigned with integrated partner logos and titles, creating a unified top bar that leaves more room for main content.

Redesigned Boarding Passes

Boarding passes received targeted structural updates. Origin and destination airport codes were enlarged for faster recognition at security and boarding gates. Relevant travel times, terminal numbers, and zone information were reorganized into a clean grid below the primary flight details, making it easier for users to locate critical updates at a glance.

Reorganized Details View

Prior to iOS 15, tapping an "info" icon flipped the pass around to reveal back-of-pass metadata. iOS 15 replaced this flip animation with a standard iOS modal sheet accessed via a top-right "More" (ellipsis) button. This sheet presents supplementary details—such as terms and conditions, contact info, and pass settings—in a scrollable list that is easier to navigate and supports native sharing options.

Developer and PassKit Adjustments

For developers generating .pkpass packages, iOS 15 enforced stricter rendering constraints. The system automatically truncates or suppresses lower-priority text fields that exceed designated boundaries rather than wrapping them awkwardly. Barcodes and QR codes were also given dedicated spacing to maintain high scannability, adjusting automatically alongside screen brightness when a pass is brought into view.