# Apple Wallet Order Tracking: An Encouraging Functionality with Constraints
With the launch of iOS 26, Apple unveiled a notable upgrade to the order tracking capability within the Wallet app. By employing on-device Apple Intelligence models, the company set out to simplify the order tracking experience by extracting details from users’ emails, thus minimizing dependence on merchants to provide dedicated tracking options. Nevertheless, after several months of utilization, many perceive this advancement to be more of a cosmetic enhancement than a solid resolution.
## Evolution of Apple Wallet Order Tracking
The path of order tracking in Apple Wallet commenced with iOS 16, allowing users to monitor orders only if affiliated merchants facilitated the feature. Transactions made via Apple Pay would automatically populate the Wallet app with order information. With the rollout of iOS 17, Apple introduced a manual integration alternative, yet the core issue persisted: the insufficient support from merchants limited the feature’s practicality.
The unveiling of iOS 26 heralded a change in this scenario. By harnessing Apple Intelligence to gather order data from emails, users would no longer be restricted by a limited number of participating merchants. However, the actual performance of this function has turned out to be less advantageous than expected.
## The Limitations
The main limitation of the updated order tracking system hinges on its reliance on email analysis for information. Rather than merely pulling tracking numbers and supplying real-time updates, the system necessitates that merchants dispatch multiple emails for each major order notification. This can create a frustrating scenario, particularly if a merchant communicates solely when an order is shipped and when it is received, leaving users with scant information during the interim.
Moreover, the dependence on background refreshes from the Mail app can lead to an excessive number of notifications, particularly when several packages are intended to arrive on the same day. Users have also expressed confusion regarding in-store pickup orders, where the system mistakenly suggests that items have been shipped when they are actually available for pickup.
## Conclusion
While the idea of tracking packages through email confirmations is progressive, the implementation has fallen short of expectations. Instead of leveraging established package tracking APIs to deliver precise tracking information once a tracking number is obtained, Apple selected a route that feels less efficient and more burdensome.
Consequently, numerous users have opted to switch off order notifications in the Wallet app due to the intrusive nature of the alerts. It seems that Apple may have refrained from fully integrating with package tracking applications to evade allegations of “sherlocking” those services, but the current execution feels inadequate and not reflective of Apple’s typical standards.
In summary, although the order tracking functionality in Apple Wallet holds promise, its present limitations obstruct its usability, resulting in disappointment for many users regarding the experience.
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