It's an option long-awaited by Apple users, and one whose realization kept being put off. The wait is finally over: as of May 21, 2024, the Navigo pass can be recharged and used directly from an iPhone or Apple Watch.
The imminent arrival of the Olympic Games in Paris has certainly accelerated the development of this feature: foreign tourists should appreciate this system, which will make it easier for them to get around the capital.
In concrete terms, Apple users can now use their smartphone to validate their transport ticket, without taking out the Navigo pass card. The dematerialized pass is available in theApple Cartes application. And good news for those in a hurry: you don't even need to open the app or unlock your phone to activate the Navigo pass: simply activate the NFC option, then place the back of your smartphone on the terminal to validate your ticket.
Please note, however, that some subscriptions cannot be managed from the iPhone or Apple Watch. The Cartes app lets you buy single t+ tickets, full-fare and half-fare booklets, airport passes and Navigo day passes directly. However, to buy weekly and monthly Navigo passes and weekend Jeunes passes, you need to use the official Île-de-France Mobilités app, then load your pass into the Cartes app.
The final advantage of this dematerialized pass on the iPhone is that some models feature a "Reserve" or "Express" mode. This means you can continue to use your Navigo pass from your iPhone to validate your ticket, even five hours after the phone's battery has run out! So you can validate your journey with your smartphone switched off.
Since January 2021, Navigo pass management had been simplified: no need to queue at stations every 1st of the month, it's now possible to top up your Navigo pass directly from your iPhone. This change was just the first step towards the complete dematerialization of the pass: now, it's possible to buy a ticket, top up and validate your pass directly from your smartphone or connected watch.
A feature available to owners of Android devices, the majority in France, sinceOctober 2022. For almost two years, they have been able to use their phone as a Navigo pass. No longer do you need your card to pass through the metro gates or validate your bus journey, all you have to do is use your smartphone.
If iPhones have waited so long to welcome this functionality, it's becauseApple hasn't made it easy to introduce this support. The American company blocked access to NFC technology for several years: the manufacturer only gives out the keys sparingly and subject to conditions. This blockage was partially lifted at the end of 2020, so that IDFM could start developing new iPhone functionalities, such as pass recharging.
Apple was hostile to NFC technologies because they enable payments other than what they have developed in-house, such as the contactless payment system, Apple Pay. However, it is thanks to NFC that Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi or Orange customers can top up their passes without having to go anywhere.
After lengthy negotiations, Apple and Île-de-France Mobilités have finally reached an agreement, enabling iPhone users to obtain the same options as Android users. This function for validating jour neys via the phone is already in use elsewhere in Europe, so tourists will also be able to benefit from this innovation.
