9to5Mac: iOS 16.1 to Let Users Delete the Apple Wallet App ⇥ 9to5mac.com

Filipe Espósito, 9to5Mac:

Code seen by 9to5Mac makes it clear that the Wallet app has become “deletable” with iOS 16.1. Unsurprisingly, some features like Apple Pay won’t work without the Wallet app. In this case, users will see a message telling them to “Download the Wallet app from the App Store.”

Since iOS 16.1 is not yet available for iPhone and the iPad lacks the Wallet app, we haven’t been able to see this new option in action.

I have to wonder whether this will be launched as Espósito describes. If the Wallet app is deletable but cannot be replaced, it does not seem like it would assuage the self-preferencing concerns raised by European regulators. It is possible this could be revised to suggest the installation of a different wallet application — the E.U.’s own, for example. But making it removable without the ability for third-party apps to use the NFC system or override the double-click home button shortcut seems like it would appease neither users nor regulators.