Overview

iOS 27 introduces Featured Actions — tappable action buttons displayed prominently on the front of a pass. These transform static credentials into interactive shortcuts, letting users call a venue, navigate to a location, book services, or access rewards directly from their pass.

This guide covers what Featured Actions are, which actions work with which pass types, the input formats required, and how to design passes that use them effectively.

What are Featured Actions

Featured Actions appear as circular icon buttons on the pass face, below the main content area. Each action has:

• A system-provided icon — Apple supplies the glyph based on the action type
• A system-provided label — localized automatically (e.g., "Call", "Go to Location")
• A target URL or identifier — the destination when the user taps

Designers don't control the icon or label — only the action type and its target. This ensures visual consistency across all passes in Wallet.

Layout behavior: A single action displays as a wide tile spanning the full width. Two actions appear side-by-side as equal-width tiles.

Available Action Types

Apple provides 14 Featured Action types. Each serves a specific purpose:

Pass Type Compatibility

Not all actions work with all pass types. Apple Wallet silently drops invalid actions, so choosing the right actions for your pass type is critical.

Legend: ✓ = Supported | — = Not available

Event-specific actions

The viewSchedule, watchTrailer, and listenToMusic actions are exclusive to event tickets. These actions make sense only in the context of an event — a concert, movie, or performance.

Input Formats

Each action type expects a specific input format:

Phone numbers for call action

The call action requires a phone number, which Wallet converts to a tel: URL. Include the country code for international compatibility:

+15551234567
+44 20 7946 0958

Apple Maps Place IDs for place action

The place action uses an Apple Maps Place ID — a hexadecimal identifier, not a URL or address. To find a Place ID:

1. Open Apple Maps on the web
2. Search for the location
3. Click the share button and copy the link
4. Extract the Place ID from the URL parameter

The Place ID looks like: I31A83EDD8F3EED6E

Important: Do not use Google Maps links, coordinates, or street addresses. Only Apple Maps Place IDs work with the place action.

Universal Links for other actions

All other actions use HTTPS URLs. These should be Universal Links that open your app if installed, or fall back to a web page:

https://shop.example.com
https://booking.example.com/appointments
https://rewards.example.com/offers

What is Additional Info

Additional Info is a supplementary content area that appears below the pass on iOS 27+. It displays as a badge-style card with extra information that doesn't fit on the main pass face.

Use Additional Info for:

• Supplementary details (terms, instructions, fine print)
• Secondary identifiers (membership tiers, account numbers)
• Status information (points balance, expiration)
• Tappable links (URLs, phone numbers, addresses)

Supported Pass Types

Additional Info fields are available on all basic pass types:

Additional Info Limitations

Unlike back fields, Additional Info fields do not support data detectors. Values are displayed as static text — URLs, phone numbers, and addresses are not tappable.

If you need interactive content (tappable links, phone numbers, or addresses), use back fields instead. Back fields support data detectors and appear when the user taps to flip the pass.

Best Use Cases for Additional Info

Since Additional Info is static text, use it for:

• Status labels — "Gold Member", "VIP Access"
• Short identifiers — Account numbers, confirmation codes
• Simple instructions — "Show at entrance"
• Expiration notices — "Valid until Dec 31, 2026"

Design Best Practices

Choose actions that match the pass purpose

A loyalty card benefits from addToBalance and membershipBenefits. An event ticket benefits from viewSchedule and place. Match actions to what users actually need in context.

Limit to meaningful actions

You can add up to 2 Featured Actions. Don't add actions just to fill space. Each action should serve a clear purpose.

Test on device

Actions that work in the PassNinja editor may behave differently on device. Always test passes on a real iOS 27+ device before deploying.

Keep URLs stable

Action URLs are baked into the pass. If you need to change destinations, use redirect URLs or update the pass via push.

Technical Implementation

PassNinja API

When creating or updating passes via the PassNinja API, you can set Featured Action URLs using the API field names defined in your template. Featured Actions are configured at the template level — you choose the action type in the PassNinja editor, then provide the URL/identifier per pass via the API.

Create a pass with Featured Actions:

curl -X POST https://api.passninja.com/v1/passes \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "x-account-id: aid_0x123" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "passType": "ptk_0x456",
    "pass": {
      "featured.action.0.url": "+15551234567",
      "featured.action.1.url": "I31A83EDD8F3EED6E"
    }
  }'

Update an existing pass:

curl -X PATCH https://api.passninja.com/v1/passes/ptk_0x456/abc123def456 \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "x-account-id: aid_0x123" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "pass": {
      "featured.action.0.url": "+15559876543"
    }
  }'

The API field names follow the pattern featured.action.{index}.url where index is 0 or 1.

Input format by action type

PassNinja automatically converts these values to the correct Apple format:

• Phone numbers are wrapped in tel: URLs
• Place IDs are set as placeIdentifier (not url)
• All other values are passed as url

Backward Compatibility

Featured Actions only appear on iOS 27 and later. On earlier iOS versions, the actions are silently ignored — the pass displays normally without them.

Design your pass to work well without Featured Actions. They should enhance the experience, not be required for basic functionality.

Summary

Featured Actions transform Apple Wallet passes from static credentials into interactive shortcuts. By choosing the right actions for your pass type and providing the correct input formats, you can create passes that feel native to iOS 27's enhanced Wallet experience.