Four years ago I asked whether "Google Pass" was a thing that I needed to give a shit about and consensus was, "no, nobody uses that."
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Four years ago I asked whether "Google Pass" was a thing that I needed to give a shit about and consensus was, "no, nobody uses that." But I have heard anecdotally, recently, that this might no longer be true. Thoughts?
The goal here is, "reduce the amount of time it takes for someone standing in front of my nightclub to wave their QR code at the door staff."
Note: I don't use Android and know as little about its ecosystem as possible, so please use small words.
https://jwz.org/b/yk45@jwz@mastodon.social It offers to download a file with .pkpass extension. Opened in a hex viewer it reveals itself as a PNG file. Opened with KDEiternary it reveals itself as a DNA lounge ticket. Once imported it tells me that i need to travel to the USA and consumer protection laws of the EU are not honored there. It displays four emojis (microohone. Guitar,...) the Text DNA lounge ticket and a QR code valid vor 26th April 2026, 19:00 GMT -7. I think the UX is as good as a pkpass can be. -
So it's a little clunky with too many steps and has some room for human error or people to miss a prompt and have the file left in an oubliette containing all their randomly downloaded files. But it works.
I'm not sure whether or how the process would differ when using a Mastodon client, the Chrome for Android browser, another version of Android OS, etc.
@DaveMWilburn @jwz If you haven't used Wallet in a while, it gives you every option. Second time in is better. Bonus: you can use your Android watch!!
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@jwz@mastodon.social It offers to download a file with .pkpass extension. Opened in a hex viewer it reveals itself as a PNG file. Opened with KDEiternary it reveals itself as a DNA lounge ticket. Once imported it tells me that i need to travel to the USA and consumer protection laws of the EU are not honored there. It displays four emojis (microohone. Guitar,...) the Text DNA lounge ticket and a QR code valid vor 26th April 2026, 19:00 GMT -7. I think the UX is as good as a pkpass can be.
@Life_is It is most assuredly not a PNG file.
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@jwz it:
1. asks if I want to download a file
2. downloads a file with a .pkpass extension
3. asks if I want to open the file
4. opens the file in Google Wallet and asks if I was to add
5. asks if I want to add a ticket to Powerman 5000 at DNA loungeDitto download and offer to open on an Android 16 Pixel. In all of Firefox, DDG, Firefox Focus browsers.
I didn't add the ticket to my wallet.
Notably, it was recognized as a ticket without having to put it in an email message attachment to trigger processing (the usual workaround).
Avoiding needing the attachment workaround is what I would consider a usable "add ticket to wallet" process.
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
A story in 4 pics. This was as far as I was willing to go without knowing exactly what that file does. (And I only downloaded it because you have earned that trust.)
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
@jwz works fine for me i.e. Firefox Mobile downloads and offers to open it. Then it's imported correctly into Google Wallet, no fuss. Android 16 on a Pixel 7 Pro. I do wish it was an actual ticket tbh
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
@jwz I get the usual download thing. Hitting "open" opens it in the FossWallet app and I get a nice looking ticket - see screenshot. N.b. this is Grapheneos and partly de-googled, I got FossWallet from the f-droid app store. I've used it on the past for an openstreetmap meet and a trip to an art gallery
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
FYI, this is what it looks like on iOS. No intervening clicks needed besides "Add".
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@tibi2 Does that wallet app display *all* dates in GMT or is that where you are?
@jwz I'm in GMT+1. this is a bit weird. a different app called catima shows this at 4:00 and Google wallet shows at 3:00. what the fuck?
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@Life_is It is most assuredly not a PNG file.
@jwz@mastodon.social it has a "IHDR", Adobe ICC metadata and is about 67KB. all typical for PNG. -
If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
@jwz@mastodon.social GrapheneOS here. Opens a file download for
test.pkpass, which is a misnamed (and thus exactly nothing happens with it unless I rename it) zip file containing some png's and json's. shrug -
If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
@jwz Using Firefox on Android 12, it asks for downloading the file. After doing so and clicking on the "Open" toast notification, I'm asked to choose between a bunch of apps. I've selected the "Google" app and got a pip-up asking me to install "Google Play Services for AR". I didn't go any further.
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@jwz I'm in GMT+1. this is a bit weird. a different app called catima shows this at 4:00 and Google wallet shows at 3:00. what the fuck?
@tibi2 Ha!
jq .relevantDate < pass.json => "2026-04-27T02:00Z"
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
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@jwz@mastodon.social it has a "IHDR", Adobe ICC metadata and is about 67KB. all typical for PNG.
@Life_is Once again, I assure you it is not a PNG.
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If those of you using Android could click on this link and tell me whether it does anything even remotely useful, and if so, some detail about how horrible/stupid the whole experience is, that would be helpful: https://www.jwz.org/images/2026/test.pkpass
And tell me what version you're using, obviously. Possibly this requires some "Play" [sic] stuff to work.
UPDATE: Thanks! You can stop now.
(Unless you have read the dozens of replies and have had a materially different experience than those.)
@jwz
Since I disabled to directly opening apps from links it went: Firefox - download - open - open in wallet - shows up with information about event, price, and a QR code.All good.
This is how it always works for me.This is on Pixel 9a with Android 16 and everything updated.
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FYI, this is what it looks like on iOS. No intervening clicks needed besides "Add".
@jwz it showed it as a download then opened this flow, possibly a couple of other add/continue screens in between.
I didn't accept the long t&c page and it still seemed to work, though I may be blind now since it ramps the brightness to full on the ticket screen.
Will add version later if I remember but need to charge and walk the dog. Samsung Galaxy S8 though so prehistoric hardware.
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FYI, this is what it looks like on iOS. No intervening clicks needed besides "Add".
@jwz Downloaded as a standard file. Added to Google Wallet, don't typically use Wallet for passes so had a wallet of TOS including "can our AI look at this?" and after a few clicks through got this:
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FYI, this is what it looks like on iOS. No intervening clicks needed besides "Add".
@jwz Duck Duck Go on a Pixel suggested I download it, but I have my setup pretty well locked down.
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@tibi2 Ha!
jq .relevantDate < pass.json => "2026-04-27T02:00Z"
@jwz damn so Google is the only correct one. well good to know I can't rely on any of the foss apps!
