Alex Ruben
How To Add, Use, and Share Tickets and Passes in Apple Wallet on iPhone
Managing your travel plans and purchases gets kinda weird sometimes, especially when some passes just refuse to show up right. Apple Wallet’s pretty handy, but on certain setups, adding or sharing tickets can be more of a hassle than it should be. Anyway, here’s what’s helped after banging my head against the wall for a bit.
Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 13 or later because older versions won’t cut it for some of the newer passes. Also, check you’ve got the latest version of the Apple Wallet app — sometimes, an app update fixes a lot of headaches. This stuff covers everything from adding passes to trying to share them, so you won’t be stuck wondering if you’re doing it right.
Step 1: Adding a Ticket or Pass to Apple Wallet
So, to get a ticket into Wallet, you’ll typically get that email or notification that has an “Add to Apple Wallet” button. Seems simple, but on one setup it worked, on another, not so much. Here’s what worked for me sometimes:
- Open the email or app with your ticket or pass.
- Tap Add to Apple Wallet. That usually triggers the pass to pop up in Wallet.
- The pass appears — tap Add in the top right (or bottom, depending on iOS version) to confirm.
Now, a weird thing — on some iPhones, it might just sit there for a few seconds, not doing much. Sometimes, rebooting helps. After adding, the pass will sync to your Apple Watch, in case you run out of juice on your phone, which has saved my butt once or twice.
Step 2: Accessing Your Ticket or Pass
Once it’s in there, actually using it can be a little confusing. You have a couple of options:
- If the app or airline sends a notification that your pass is ready, just tap that, and it opens right up.
- Or, double-click the side button (or press the home button if you’ve got an older iPhone). This is kinda handy if you’re at gates or check-ins frequently.
From there, tap the stack at the bottom to expand your passes and choose the one you want. It will show a QR code or barcode — which is nice when scanners are finicky. I’ve seen some passes not appear immediately or only after multiple tries, so patience is sometimes necessary.
Step 3: Using Your Ticket or Pass
When you get to the venue or gate:
- Hold your phone near the scanner, and it should read the code.
- If you’ve got multiple passes, swipe or tap through to find the right one — flipping through is hit or miss sometimes, especially if they’re stacked weirdly.
Keep in mind, sometimes the pass doesn’t refresh immediately — especially if your phone has been long idle or after a software update. You kinda get used to re-trying a few times or restarting the app.
Step 4: Sharing or Transferring Your Ticket or Pass
This part is hit or miss. Basically, if the issuer supports sharing, you can ping the pass to another iPhone user:
- Open the Wallet app, tap the pass you want to share.
- If you see a Share or More button, tap that.
- Follow any prompts — sometimes it’s just a matter of tapping someone else’s iPhone (via AirDrop or their Apple ID).
Important: a lot of times issuers restrict sharing — so don’t be surprised if that’s greyed out or doesn’t work. You might get told “this pass can’t be shared,” and that’s just because some companies want to keep you from handing tickets off easily.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Some stuff to keep in mind if things aren’t working:
- Make sure your iPhone’s software and Wallet app are both fully up to date. Sometimes it’s a bug fix or compatibility thing.
- If a ticket won’t show up or can’t be added, check the issuer’s site or app — they might not support Wallet on all passes.
- On some Macs or Windows PCs, you can’t really do much with Wallet. It’s purely iPhone territory, so no luck on other platforms.
- If the pass isn’t appearing, try removing it from Wallet (tap it, then tap Remove Pass) and re-add it.
Conclusion
This process isn’t always foolproof, but it’s gotten more reliable over time. Adding tickets, using them at venues, and sharing passes — all can be done, just sometimes with a little patience or a reboot. Generally, it’s a lot easier than digging through paper tickets or PDFs, but of course, Apple likes to make it slightly more complicated than necessary.
For extra help on this whole thing, check out the official Apple article: Add, use, and share boarding passes, tickets, and other passes in Apple Wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of tickets and passes can I add to Apple Wallet?
Basically, anything supported by the issuer — boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons, rewards, loyalty cards, and whatnot.
Can I use Apple Wallet without an internet connection?
Yup. Once stored locally, they work offline unless the pass requires a live update (like a news update or something).
What if my pass doesn’t show up?
Check if the issuer’s compatible with Wallet. Sometimes, passes just won’t work if they’re not supported or if there’s a bug — try removing and re-adding, or rebooting. If it still fails, contacting support might be your only bet.