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CardArt

Apply with AirCard for Mac

Connect your iPhone to a Mac, scan your Wallet cards, drop the image on a card and flash.

  • About 8 min
  • 10 steps
  • For AirCard v1.2.6
  • Updated October 6, 2026

Before you start

iPhone
iOS 18 or laterMinimum
Mac
macOS 14 Sonoma or laterMinimum
Cable
A USB cable that carries data (not charge-only)

ImportantApple patched the iOS flaw AirCard relies on in iOS 27.2, so AirCard doesn’t work on iOS 27.2 or later. To keep the card art you’ve already changed, or to keep changing it, stay on the version you have now (such as iOS 27.0.1, or iOS 27.1 on iPhone Duo), don’t update to iOS 27.2, and turn off Settings › General › Software Update › Automatic Updates.

To check: on iPhone, open Settings › General › About. On a Mac, choose Apple menu › About This Mac.

Steps

  1. Step 1: Download AirCard

    Open AirCard’s GitHub Releases page⁠(opens in a new tab) and download AirCard.dmg from the Assets of the latest release (currently v1.2.6).

    TipOnly download from the official repository — avoid modified builds from elsewhere.

  2. Step 2: Install

    Open AirCard.dmg and drag AirCard.app into Applications. It runs natively on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

  3. Step 3: First launch

    Double-click AirCard in Applications. The first time, a welcome window appears — click Continue to AirCard. If macOS says it can’t be opened, follow Apple’s guide to opening a Mac app from an unknown developer⁠(opens in a new tab).

    TipIf macOS asks to install the command line developer tools, or AirCard says “Command Line Tools required.”, click Install (or run xcode-select --install in Terminal), then reopen AirCard. If you have Xcode, open it once to accept its license.

  4. Step 4: Connect your iPhone

    Connect the iPhone with a USB cable and keep it unlocked. If it asks “Trust This Computer?”, tap Trust and enter your passcode. Once connected, the top right of the AirCard window shows the iPhone’s name, model and iOS version, and the bottom left reads “Connected to …”.

    TipWith several iPhones or iPads plugged in, pick the one to change from the device menu at the top right of the window (new in v1.2.5). If nothing is detected (the top shows “No iPhone (USB)”), replug with a data cable, unlock the iPhone, then click the refresh button (↻) next to it.

  5. Step 5: Scan your cards

    In AirCard, open the Apple Wallet tab and click Scan Cards. The button changes to Stop Scanning while it listens.

  6. Step 6: Bring up Apple Pay on the iPhone

    Double-click the side button to open Apple Pay, authenticate with Face ID, then tap the card you want to change (tap again if nothing happens, or switch to another card and back). The card appears in AirCard’s list — since v1.2.5 it shows the card’s name from Wallet where it can, instead of a string of characters.

    TipTo change several cards, swipe to each card in Apple Pay and tap it — AirCard picks them up one by one.

  7. Step 7: Drop in the new art

    Drag the PNG you downloaded from CardArt onto the matching card, or click the card to choose the file. Each card can have its own image; to use one image on several cards, tick them and click Set Skin for All… — it only applies to the ticked cards. The × at a card’s top-right just removes an image you haven’t flashed yet; it doesn’t touch the phone.

    TipAirCard can’t back up the original art yet. To go back, see Restore the original art: debit and credit cards can be restored without removing them; other cards need to be removed and added again.

  8. Step 8: Flash

    Check that every card you want to change is ticked and has an image, then click Flash Skins and wait for the progress to finish. Since v1.2.5 only changed cards are flashed — the button reads Flash Skins (N Changed) — and progress moves file by file instead of stalling at 25%. Don’t unplug the cable or lock the iPhone meanwhile.

  9. Step 9: See the result

    Force-close the Wallet app from the App Switcher (or restart the iPhone), then open Wallet again to see your new card.

  10. Step 10: If flashing fails

    Open Log and find the last “Flashing card [n/total]” line before the error to see which card failed. Cards are flashed one at a time: if one fails, the ones after it aren’t processed, and the ones before it that succeeded aren’t undone. Click Deselect All, tick only the failed card, assign its image again and flash once more.

    Tip“Could not clear Wallet cache” means the image was written but the cache wasn’t cleared, so that card counts as failed: reconnect and unlock the iPhone, then flash that card on its own again. More cases are in AirCard’s official troubleshooting guide⁠(opens in a new tab).

  11. Done

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