What Apple Wallet does with tickets
Apple Wallet stores digital tickets — concert tickets, airline boarding passes, event admissions, movie tickets — on your iPhone or Apple Watch so you can show them at entry without pulling out your phone or printing anything. When you add a ticket, it appears as a card you can tap to display the barcode or QR code the venue needs to scan.
Not every ticket vendor supports Apple Wallet yet. Airlines like United, Delta, and American do. Concert venues, sports teams, and movie theaters vary — some send you a link to add directly to Wallet, others require you to screenshot or use a third-party app. The fastest way to know is to check your confirmation email for an "Add to Apple Wallet" button or link.
Key Takeaways
- Most airline boarding passes and some event tickets include an "Add to Apple Wallet" button in your confirmation email — tap it and the ticket appears on your phone automatically.
- If your ticket vendor does not offer Apple Wallet support, you can take a screenshot of your ticket barcode and store it in Photos, though you will need to unlock your phone to show it.
- Tickets in Apple Wallet work offline, so you do not need cell service or Wi-Fi at the venue to display them.
- You can add the same ticket to multiple devices — your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch can all hold copies of the same boarding pass or event ticket.
Adding a ticket when the vendor supports Apple Wallet
Open your confirmation email from the airline, venue, or ticket seller. Look for a button or link that says "Add to Apple Wallet," "Add to Wallet," or sometimes just a Wallet icon. Tap it.
Your phone will open Apple Wallet and show you a preview of the ticket — the event name, date, time, barcode, and any other details the vendor included. Tap "Add" in the top right corner. The ticket now appears in your Wallet and is ready to use. You do not need to do anything else.
If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, the ticket may appear there automatically within a few minutes. If it does not, open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Wallet, and tap the ticket to send it to your watch manually.
What to do if your ticket vendor does not support Apple Wallet
Check your confirmation email again for any mention of Wallet support — sometimes it is buried in the fine print or appears only on certain ticket types. If nothing appears, contact the vendor's customer service to ask whether they plan to add it.
In the meantime, take a screenshot of your ticket barcode or QR code. Open the Photos app on your iPhone, find the screenshot, and tap it. You now have a copy you can show at entry. The downside is that you will need to unlock your phone to display it — Apple Wallet tickets can be shown from the lock screen without unlocking, which is faster at a crowded entrance.
Some venues accept tickets through their own app instead. Check whether the venue or airline has an official app in the App Store and whether your ticket works there. This is not as convenient as Apple Wallet, but it is more reliable than a screenshot if the vendor maintains the app actively.
Showing your ticket at the venue
When you arrive at the venue, open Apple Wallet by swiping up from the bottom of your lock screen (on older iPhones) or swiping down from the top right (on newer models). Tap your ticket to display the barcode or QR code. The venue's scanner will read it from your screen.
You do not need to unlock your iPhone or have cell service. The barcode stays on your phone even if your battery dies — though if your phone is completely powered off, you will not be able to display it. If you are worried about battery, bring a charger or add the ticket to your Apple Watch as a backup.
Some venues scan the barcode multiple times or ask you to show it again as you move through different areas. This is normal. Each scan is recorded by the venue, and the same barcode can be scanned repeatedly without issue.
Managing multiple tickets in Apple Wallet
If you have tickets for multiple events or flights, they all appear as separate cards in Apple Wallet. Swipe left or right to move between them. You can also tap and hold a ticket to see options to delete it, share it with someone else, or move it to a different position in your Wallet.
To share a ticket with another person, tap and hold the ticket, then tap "Share." You can send it via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, or other sharing methods. The person you send it to can add it to their own Wallet if they have an iPhone, or view it as an image if they do not.
If you want to remove a ticket after the event is over, tap and hold it and select "Remove." This clears it from your Wallet but does not affect your phone's storage or any other data.
Troubleshooting tickets that will not add
If you tap "Add to Apple Wallet" and nothing happens, try these steps in order. First, make sure you are using Safari or the official app of the vendor — some email apps do not recognize the Wallet button. Second, check that your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings, tap General, then Software Update.
If the button still does not work, try opening the confirmation email on a computer, finding the "Add to Wallet" link, and emailing it to yourself or copying the link into your iPhone's Safari browser. Sometimes the link works better when accessed this way.
If you see an error message saying the ticket cannot be added, contact the vendor's customer service. This usually means the ticket has already been used, the event date has passed, or the vendor's system is having a temporary problem. They can resend the ticket or provide a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else use my ticket if they have my phone?
Yes, if they can access your Wallet. This is why you should use Face ID or a passcode to lock your phone. If you need to share a ticket with someone, use the share feature in Wallet to send them their own copy instead of handing them your phone.
What happens if my phone dies before I get to the venue?
You can still show your ticket. iPhones display the barcode on the lock screen even when the battery is critically low, though you will not be able to unlock the phone or use other features. If your phone is completely powered off, you will need to show a screenshot or printed copy instead.
Can I add a ticket to Apple Wallet if I bought it from a reseller?
It depends on the vendor. Some resellers send you a new confirmation email with an "Add to Wallet" button. Others give you a screenshot or PDF that you will need to show as-is. Check your confirmation to see what option you have.
Will my ticket work if I do not have cell service at the venue?
Yes. Apple Wallet tickets are stored on your phone and do not need an internet connection to display the barcode. The venue's scanner reads the barcode from your screen, not from a server.
Can I add the same ticket to my iPad?
Yes, if you use the same Apple ID on both devices. Open the confirmation email on your iPad and tap "Add to Apple Wallet." The ticket will appear on both your iPhone and iPad, and you can show it from whichever device is more convenient.