How to ride the metro in Paris with your iPhone or Android phone?

In Paris, visitors can easily create a virtual Navigo pass on their iOS or Android devices to travel by metro, tram, bus, or RER. Simply download the official app or use Apple Wallet on your iPhone for seamless public transport access during the Olympics Games.

Travelling to Paris for the holidays (or the Olympics)? You are probably wondering what’s the best way to ride the public transit.

For our English-speaking readers

Numerama is a French media outlet specializing in society and technology. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, we are writing several articles to help visitors better understand Paris. Our goal is to make you feel at home.

For years, tourists had to buy cardboard tickets from vending machines, which wasn’t very practical.

Since May 2024, it’s possible to buy single tickets (or daily and weekly passes) directly on a phone, to avoid the lines. This article, written by French journalists, explains how to do it.

iPhone : how to buy tickets in the Apple Wallet app

In May 2024, in partnership with Apple, the Île-de-France region started offering a virtual version of its Navigo Easy pass. Parisians and travelers can now store tickets directly on their iPhone, and add them to the Apple Wallet (the app for Apple Pay). Here’s how:

Update your iPhone to iOS 17.5 or above.
Open the Apple Wallet app.
Touch the Add button (+) at the top right.
Choose Transit Card.
Select Navigo / Paris.

How to create a Navigo pass on your iPhone? // Source : Numerama

Choose Continue and select the pass you want. Options include a single ride pass or a 1-Day Pass. During the Olympics, a Paris 2024 pass will also be available.
Pay with Apple Pay (the only option in Apple Wallet).
Enable Express Mode, to continue using your iPhone with no battery.

You have different options to reload you card. // Source : Numerama

When you enter a metro station (or a bus), simply present your iPhone at the gate. A ticket will be deducted from the Apple Wallet app.

If you want to pay with an alternative payment method (or to buy unavailable passes in the Wallet app, like the weekly pass), you can also download the Île-de-France Mobilités app on the App Store. You will need to create an account, but the virtual Navigo pass will also be added to the Wallet app.

Android : how to buy tickets on your phone?

On Android phones, Navigo tickets aren’t directly integrated into the operating system. Samsung has a partnership with the region (allowing its phones to work with no battery), but you still need to download the Île-de-France Mobilités app from the Google Play Store (or Public Transport Paris 2024). For other brands, your phone won’t function for metro access without a battery.

Île-de-France Mobilités (Vianavigo)

Télécharger gratuitement

Here’s how to create a virtual Navigo pass on Android :

Download the IDF Mobilités app on the Play Store.
Open the Purchase tab (the 4^th at the bottom).
3. Select the option On my phone and install the required extension (this app will run in the background to enable the service).
Choose how many tickets (or passes) you want to buy.

Île-de-France Mobilités interface on Android. // Source : Numerama

You can new use your phone at the gate. To check the number of tickets remaining, open the Île-de-France Mobilités app.

In the event of a check, simply present your phone. The inspector will be able to see whether you have validated your ticket. Enjoy your stay in Paris!