Bring the T-mobilitat on your iPhone - T-mobilitat

An iPhone validating a ticket.

Take T-mobilitat on your iPhone; now, for real

  • The T-mobilitat app now allows you to travel directly with your iPhone, without needing a physical card.
  • You must register for T-mobilitat and have a digital account; this process can be done quickly and easily from the app when you download it.
  • You will need to enable the T-mobilitat Wallet, the virtual wallet where your purchased and used transport tickets will be stored.
  • As with Android, using this functionality has a one-time cost of €1, charged when purchasing your first transport ticket.

How to enable the T-mobilitat virtual wallet on your iPhone

If you don’t have it yet, download it here. This will be the base app from which you can access your personal area and manage transport tickets.

If you’re not a T-mobilitat user yet, you’ll need to register directly from the app.

Log in with your registered email address and the password you’ve chosen. Then, go to the ‘Mobile’ section and follow the steps provided by the app.

To activate the mobile validation functionality, you’ll need to download the T-mobilitat Wallet, which will be automatically linked to the T-mobilitat app.

The final step is to choose which ticket you want to use for travel. During the payment process for the first ticket, you’ll be charged an additional €1 as a wallet usage fee; this will be the only time you’ll need to pay for it.

An iPhone validating a ticket.

How to validate with your iPhone

 

The validation of virtual tickets is done by connecting the phone’s NFC chip with the validation gate (metro, train) or validator (bus, tram). For iPhones, the chip is located at the top of the device.

  • Every time you want to access transport, you must press the 'Validate' button on the selected ticket for travel. After clicking the button, bring your phone close to the validation gate or validator.
  • The best position for the phone and validation sensor to connect is by holding the top part of the iPhone near the sensor, as shown in the picture.

 

Frequently asked questions

No. T-mobilitat has developed its own wallet because Apple is very restrictive with the use of its wallet. The ATM has been negotiating with the American company for three years to incorporate transport tickets into its wallet, completing numerous tasks and developments required by the brand to move forward. However, Apple has not allocated resources for its part of the development nor committed to a specific timeline to do so.

Given this situation, and after the European Commission forced the company to open NFC usage for various purposes, the ATM decided in mid-2024 to develop its own wallet, just as it did with the Android system.

It’s true that Apple Wallet offers transport cards from cities in other countries, but these are generally bank or balance cards that emulate payment for a transport ticket. They are not actual transport tickets with specific conditions, like those required by the ATM in Barcelona.
There are exceptional cases, such as Paris, where Apple agreed to perform the necessary tasks to incorporate Île-de-France transport tickets; in this case, the company committed to the city due to the Olympics. This commitment has never come to Barcelona, despite persistent efforts from the ATM.

No, the virtual card created on your phone and the personalized plastic card are separate cards used independently. If you want to switch to your phone, we recommend finishing the ticket on your plastic or paper card first.

Yes. You just need to log in to your account on the new device and enable the virtual wallet. Once done, the ticket you had on your previous phone will appear, and you can use it for travel. The same applies if switching between two iPhones.

To validate, your phone must be unlocked. You need to have the T-mobilitat Wallet open and press the ‘Validate’ button on the ticket you want to use before approaching the phone to the validation gate (train/metro) or validator (bus/tram).

You don’t need cellular coverage or an Internet connection to validate and access transport.
 

Currently, no. Apple has not yet opened NFC usage for the operating system on Apple Watches, which is different from iOS. Validating with smartwatches is a goal of the T-mobilitat project, but whether it becomes possible with Apple models depends on the company’s actions in this area.

A minimum iOS version is required to download the T-mobilitat Wallet, specifically iOS 17.4. Any iPhone that supports this update or newer can use the T-mobilitat Wallet. The models from which the virtual wallet is available are iPhone XS and XR, and any later model.

Anyone with a technically compatible iPhone who is also of legal age can use it. Minors cannot use their phone to travel, according to the terms of use of T-mobilitat approved by the ATM Board of Directors.

Go to the top of the page