How to Fix iPhone 16 Apple Pay Not Working After iOS 26.1 Update

If Apple Pay stopped working right after installing iOS 26.1 on your iPhone 16, the issue is commonly caused by a Wallet glitch, Face ID authentication failure, temporary card re-verification, or NFC services not refreshing properly after the update.

Follow these steps to fix iPhone 16 Apple Pay not working after iOS 26.1 update.

Fix #1: Check whether the card needs to be verified again

Open the Wallet app and tap each card. If you see a message asking for verification, complete it first. Some iOS updates require banks to revalidate cards before Apple Pay will work again.

Fix #2: Restart Wallet and reboot the iPhone

Force close Wallet, restart your iPhone 16, and test Apple Pay again. A clean reboot often restores the background system process that handles NFC payments.

Fix #3: Confirm Face ID or passcode authentication still works

Apple Pay depends on secure authentication. If Face ID is failing, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode and test it. If needed, set up Face ID again before testing Apple Pay at a terminal.

Fix #4: Sign out of Wallet by removing and re-adding the affected card

If only one card is failing, remove it from Wallet, restart the phone, and add it again. This refreshes the payment token and often fixes transaction declines after an update.

Fix #5: Install carrier and bank app updates

Open the App Store and update your banking apps. Then go to Settings > General > About and wait a few seconds in case a carrier settings update appears.

Fix #6: Reset network settings if verification keeps timing out

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This can help if Apple Pay verification is failing because of unstable Wi-Fi, VPN, or cellular routing.

Related iPhone 16 fixes

If Apple Pay still fails after all of these steps, contact your bank and Apple Support to confirm the card token is active and there is no issuer-side block.