After several delays, Apple and the Paris region transport authority have deployed support for Parisian transport tickets in Apple Wallet. This means people can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch as a Navigo pass to take the metro, train, tram or bus.
This is important news for Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) because millions of people are expected in Paris this summer for the Olympic Games. Android users have been able to use their phone as a Navigo pass for some time now.
Apple’s integration is also the result of years of negotiations with the tech company, as IDFM does not rely on Apple Pay, Visa or Mastercard to enable this functionality. Instead, the iPhone emulates a Navigo map using the built-in NFC chip.
Yesterday I created a virtual Navigo pass and used it to take the metro, and it worked as expected. There are two ways to create a virtual Navigo pass. You can do this either from the official transport authority app or directly in Apple Wallet.
For tourists who don’t want to download another app, adding a public transport ticket is quite simple. You can open the Wallet app, tap the + button and add a Navigo card. After that, you can buy one ticket or more and pay with Apple Pay.
When you enter the subway, you can use your iPhone to “tap to ride.” You can either double-click the side button on the iPhone and select the Navigo pass, or activate Express mode. In the latter case, you can bring your iPhone closer to a reader, and it will automatically select the Navigo pass without having to unlock or wake up your iPhone.
Every time you use your iPhone as a ticket, you’ll receive a notification letting you know how many tickets you have left. You can also view this information in the Wallet app and purchase more tickets whenever you want.
The new functionality is also compatible with the power reserve: if you run out of battery, you can still use your transport ticket in Express mode for a few hours. And if you lose your device, you can lock it remotely using the Find My app from another device – this will disable Express Mode.
So, if you are a tourist and you visit Paris, you no longer need to go to ATMs. However, if you live in Paris and have an annual or Liberté+ subscription, you will only be able to add your transport ticket to Apple Wallet in 2025.
In other Paris news, Apple has also added real-time public transport information. While most people rely on Citymapper or Bonjour RATP to get around town, you can now tap a train station or bus stop to find out the next departures. This summer, Apple will also add 3D renderings of Parisian locations for summer games.
techcrunch
