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AirCards Guide

How to change Apple Wallet card artwork with AirCard

Choose the macOS, Windows, or iPhone workflow to apply artwork from this site to your Apple Wallet.

Check compatibility first

Last checked:

iPhone systemmacOS / Windows appiPhone app pairing
iOS 18.0–26.xSupported upstreamImport a pairing file
iOS 27.0–27.0.1Supported upstreamImport a file or pair on this iPhone
iOS 27.2 beta 1–2Supported upstreamImport a file or pair on this iPhone
iOS 27.2 beta 3+Flashing unavailableNeither pairing method enables flashing

The projects report that iOS 27.2 beta 3 and newer patch the underlying AirTraffic capability. Pairing or detecting a card does not mean artwork can be written.

These are upstream compatibility claims, not AirCards device tests. Unlisted versions are unconfirmed; check the source before starting.

Upstream compatibility: macOSWindowsiPhone

Save artwork

Choose a design from the catalog and select Download to save a PNG ready to import.

Browse cards

01 · macOS · v1.2.6

Install AirCard

Install the official AirCard app on your Mac, then connect your iPhone.

  1. Download the app

    Get AirCard.dmg from the developer’s GitHub Releases.

    Open official releases

  2. Move it to Applications

    Open AirCard.dmg and drag AirCard.app into your Mac’s Applications folder.

  3. Open AirCard

    Launch AirCard from Applications. The official DMG supports both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Security prompt on first launch?

In Applications, right-click or Control-click AirCard.app, choose Open, then confirm. First make sure you downloaded the app from the developer’s official release page.

The official README also gives a Terminal option (only if you trust the source):

sudo xattr -cr /Applications/AirCard.app
Developer Tools or Xcode licence error

If the error explicitly asks for Developer Tools, install Command Line Tools with the first command below. If it asks you to accept an installed Xcode licence, use the second. These are separate from a Gatekeeper security prompt; do not run them for an unrelated error.

xcode-select --install
sudo xcodebuild -license accept

02 · macOS / Apple Wallet

Customize Wallet cards

Have your downloaded artwork ready, then follow the Apple Wallet flow in AirCard.

  1. Connect and trust your device

    Connect your unlocked iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable and trust the computer when prompted.

  2. Start scanning

    In AirCard, stay on the Apple Wallet tab and click Scan Cards.

  3. Trigger detection on iPhone

    Double-click the Side button to open Apple Pay, authenticate with Face ID, then tap the card you want to customize. Tap it again if it is not detected.

  4. Choose your artwork

    Click the matching card preview in AirCard, or drag your downloaded image onto the card.

  5. Apply the design

    Check the preview, then click Flash Skins.

  6. Refresh Wallet

    Force-close Wallet from the iPhone App Switcher and reopen it. If the design does not appear, reboot your iPhone.

Saved cards, manual IDs and multiple cards

v1.2.6 restores saved cards for the connected iPhone. A visible saved card is not evidence that this scan detected it again. Check the target device and card before applying artwork.

Use Deselect All, select the intended cards, then Set Skin for All… for a shared image. Flash Skins can skip unchanged designs; Re-flash All writes the selected designs again when nothing has changed.

For a card ID you have already confirmed on your own device, use Save IDs / Save IDs for Matching. Release notes call this Add Card. Do not copy someone else’s ID.

Remove skin and Clear All clear local selections or records. They do not restore the original artwork on your iPhone.

No cards found during scanning?

Use v1.2.6: the v1.2.5 release notes flag card discovery, manual-entry and cache regressions. Upgrade before troubleshooting those symptoms.

Open Log in AirCard and check that the unified device log stream is connected. Then double-click the Side button, authenticate, and tap or switch cards again.

If the log reader stops, reconnect and unlock your iPhone before scanning again. Some iOS versions may omit card identifiers from logs, and the scanner cannot recover values replaced with <private>.

Based on upstream READMEs, release notes and versioned source code. Details may change between releases. Read the official README

03 · Windows · v1.2.4

Use AirCard on Windows

Scan cards and apply artwork from your PC with AirCard-Windows.

Requires 64-bit Windows 10/11 and Apple Mobile Device Support or 64-bit iTunes. The first trust and pairing setup needs a USB cable.

The app supports English and Simplified Chinese. The English button names below help you match either interface.

Install and connect

  1. Prepare device support

    Install the Apple device drivers and have a Lightning or USB-C cable ready.

  2. Download the app

    Get aircard.exe from the AirCard-Windows GitHub Releases.

    Download Windows app

  3. Connect and run

    Connect your unlocked iPhone by USB, tap Trust This Computer on the phone, then run aircard.exe.

Customize Wallet cards

  1. Scan your cards

    In the app’s Wallet tab, click Scan.

  2. Choose a card on iPhone

    Open Apple Wallet or double-click the Side button, then tap the card you want to change. Click Stop after the app detects it.

  3. Choose artwork

    Click Choose Image… and select a PNG, JPG, or WebP. Drag to position the crop in the preview; the app scales it to 1536 × 969.

  4. Apply and refresh

    Click Apply Card Skin, then force-close Wallet from the iPhone App Switcher and reopen it.

Restore the original card artwork

Restore Original needs a readable backup for this card and iPhone on the same PC. The app tries to save it on first apply, but can continue without a backup if the original assets are unavailable. Check that a backup exists before relying on restore.

Keep the local backup folder. Select the matching device and card, stop scanning, then click Restore Original. Force-close Wallet and reopen it after success.

%LOCALAPPDATA%/AirCard/wallet-backups
Prefer Wi‑Fi?

Pair by USB first. In Apple Devices or iTunes, enable Wi-Fi display/sync and apply the setting. Keep both devices on the same local network. Click Refresh and confirm WiFi, unplug USB, click Refresh again, then select WiFi only. Auto (USB preferred) uses USB whenever it is available.

iPhone not detected or sync stalled?

Check Apple Mobile Device Support / 64-bit iTunes, the data cable and Trust This Computer, then reconnect the unlocked iPhone and Refresh. The upstream troubleshooting page also describes an optional third-party driver repair.

Official Windows README

Official Windows README

04 · iPhone · v1.3.2

Use AirCard on your iPhone

AirCard-iOS scans and applies card artwork on the phone. Its installation and pairing differ from the desktop apps.

Use a system listed in the compatibility table, a local loopback VPN (LocalDevVPN or a suitable WireGuard configuration), and a pairing record. iOS 18–26 requires importing that record; supported iOS 27 versions can also pair on device.

  1. Install the IPA

    Get AirCard-iOS.ipa from the developer’s Releases. Use a sideloading method compatible with your system and signing setup, such as SideStore or AltStore.

    Download iOS app

  2. Connect the local VPN

    Open LocalDevVPN and tap Connect, or enable your configured loopback WireGuard tunnel. Return to AirCard-iOS and check its VPN status.

03 · Choose a pairing method

Import a pairing file · iOS 18–26 and supported iOS 27

In Pairing, tap Import Pairing File… and select your own device’s pairing record. These file types are supported:

.mobiledevicepairing · .plist · .mobilepair

If you already use SideStore, find its pairing file in Files at the path below. Wait for Pairing file loaded before scanning.

On My iPhone / SideStore / ALTPairingFile.mobiledevicepairing
Pair on this iPhone · supported iOS 27 only

In Pairing, tap Pair This iPhone and note the six-digit PIN. Open Settings → Privacy & Security → Developer Mode → Pair with AirCard-iOS and enter it.

Wait for pairing to finish in AirCard-iOS. This option is unavailable on iOS 18–26; import a file instead.

Scan and apply artwork

  1. Scan the target card

    On Wallet Cards, tap Scan Cards. Double-click the Side button, authenticate and tap the intended card. Check that it appears, then stop scanning.

  2. Choose and frame the image

    Tap the card and select your downloaded image from Photos or Files. Zoom, drag and confirm the crop. Rename can help you distinguish cards; a name or network label does not verify the bank or card identity.

  3. Select and flash

    Make sure only the intended cards are selected and have artwork assigned, then tap Flash. Check the final result, not just the progress bar.

  4. Refresh and verify Wallet

    Force-close Wallet from the App Switcher, reopen it and inspect the target card. If it still shows the old image, try restarting the iPhone.

Other pairing files or connection problems

For SideStore inside LiveContainer, look under LiveContainer / SideStore / Documents; the exact location depends on your setup. You can also import a record exported by iLoader, AltStore, Jitterbug or your Mac/PC. Follow the upstream guide for those paths.

Allow Local Network access in Settings → AirCard-iOS and check the loopback VPN. If the record is invalid, use Delete Pairing / Unpair and import the correct record again; reinstalling is not required.

Pairing files contain device credentials. Keep them private and do not upload them to AirCards or share full device logs.

Official iOS README

Official iOS README