You're standing outside the venue. The bass is thumping through the concrete walls, and your friend is stuck at the gate because you have both tickets on your iPhone. Naturally, you open the app, tap the pass, and look for that familiar "share" icon. But it’s not there. Or maybe it is, but it's greyed out. You start sweating. Can you send tickets from Apple Wallet at the last second, or are you about to watch the opening act alone while your best friend stares at a security guard?
The answer is a messy "maybe."
Honestly, Apple Wallet is a bit of a walled garden. While Apple built the framework to allow for easy sharing, the actual power lies with the people who sold you the ticket—Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, or the airlines. If they don't want you to share it, you simply can't. It’s not an Apple limitation; it's a digital rights management (DRM) choice made by the event organizers to prevent fraud and ticket scalping.
Why the Share Button Is Missing (And What to Do)
Most people assume that if a pass is in their Wallet, they own the file. That’s not how it works. Think of the Apple Wallet pass as a "window" into the ticket issuer's database. If you tap the three dots (the "More" icon) in the top right corner of your ticket and don't see a share arrow, the issuer has disabled the feature.
This happens a lot with NFL tickets or high-demand concerts.
Why? Because these tickets often use "Rolling Barcodes." If you've ever noticed a blue line sliding across the barcode or QR code, that’s a security measure. It refreshes every few seconds. A screenshot won't work because the scanner at the gate will see an expired code. Since the code is constantly changing, Apple can't let you just "send" a static file to a friend.
The Ticketmaster Loophole
If you're dealing with Ticketmaster, you've probably noticed they are the strictest. They want you to use their specific "Transfer" button inside the Ticketmaster app, not the Apple Wallet share feature.
- Open the Ticketmaster app.
- Find your event.
- Tap "Transfer."
- Select the specific seats.
- Enter your friend's email.
Once they accept it on their end, then they can add it to their own Apple Wallet. If you try to bypass this by sharing directly from the Wallet, you’ll often find the option is just... gone. It’s annoying. It feels like extra steps. But it’s the only way to ensure the digital handshake between the venue and the ticket holder remains valid.
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When You Actually Can Share Directly
It isn't all bad news. For things like movie tickets, some boarding passes, or smaller local events, the process is actually incredibly smooth. If the issuer hasn't locked the pass down, you can send it via AirDrop, Messages, or Mail in about four seconds.
Tap the ticket. Tap the "More" button. See that square with the arrow pointing up? That’s your golden ticket.
I’ve used this for family trips where I’m holding everyone’s boarding passes. You hit share, tap your spouse’s face in the AirDrop row, and boom—it’s on their lock screen instantly. It feels like magic when it works. But again, it’s entirely dependent on whether the airline (like Delta or United) has enabled that specific permission in the pass metadata.
The "Share My Card" vs. "Share My Ticket" Confusion
Be careful here. Sometimes people try to share their Apple Pay credit cards thinking it's the same thing. You cannot share a payment card from Apple Wallet. That’s a massive security risk. We are strictly talking about "Non-Payment Passes"—tickets, loyalty cards, and gym memberships.
If you're trying to send a gym pass to a buddy so they can "borrow" your membership for the day, most big chains like Planet Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness have blocked this. They use a rotating QR code similar to the NFL tickets mentioned earlier. If you send a screenshot, it’ll be dead by the time they get to the turnstile.
Screenshots: The Dangerous Last Resort
We've all done it. "I'll just text you a screenshot."
In 2026, this is becoming a dangerous game. Most modern scanners at stadiums and airports are looking for the "NFC" signal (the same tech you use to tap-to-pay) or a dynamic QR code. A screenshot is just a static image of a bunch of pixels.
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If your ticket has a "Hold Near Reader" animation or a glowing light around the edge, a screenshot will not work. You will get to the front of the line, the scanner will beep red, and you’ll be that person holding up 500 angry fans.
If you absolutely must send a ticket and the "Share" button is missing, go back to the original source. Go to the website where you bought the ticket. Look for a "PDF" option. Sometimes, the mobile browser version of the site will let you download a PDF that is shareable, even if the Apple Wallet version is locked.
Troubleshooting the "Not Supported" Error
Sometimes you see the share button, you send the ticket, and your friend gets an error saying "Pass Not Added: This pass is already in a Wallet."
This is a common headache. Many tickets are "single-instance" passes. Once they are added to one Apple ID, they are cryptographically locked to that account. If you want to give the ticket to someone else, you have to delete it from your wallet first.
- Step 1: Open your Wallet.
- Step 2: Tap the ticket.
- Step 3: Tap the three dots and select "Remove Pass."
- Step 4: Have the other person try to add it from the original email or link.
It’s clunky. Apple hasn't quite perfected the "hand-off" for digital assets yet, mostly because they are playing nice with the security demands of the entertainment industry.
Why AirDrop is Your Best Friend
If you are standing right next to the person, AirDrop is the most reliable way to send a ticket from Apple Wallet. It avoids the compression issues that sometimes happen over SMS or WhatsApp. When you send a pass via text message, the file sometimes gets stripped of its "smart" features, turning it into a flat image. AirDrop keeps the file integrity intact.
- Ensure the recipient has AirDrop set to "Everyone for 10 Minutes."
- Tap the share icon in your Wallet.
- Select their device name.
- They just have to tap "Accept" and "Add" on their screen.
The Future: Digital Keys and Identity
Interestingly, the rules for how you can send tickets from Apple Wallet are changing as we move toward digital car keys and home keys. Apple is actually more lenient with car keys than they are with concert tickets. You can "share" a digital key for a BMW or a Hyatt hotel room with specific permissions—like "temporary access" or "valet mode."
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This suggests that the tech is there. The "problem" is the ticket industry's obsession with control. They want you in their app. They want your data. They want to see who you are so they can market the next concert to you. When you share a ticket anonymously via Apple Wallet, the ticket company loses that data trail.
So, next time you’re frustrated that you can't just swipe a ticket over to your friend, remember: it’s likely a marketing and security choice by the venue, not a glitch in your iPhone.
Practical Steps to Take Right Now
If you're currently trying to move a ticket to another phone, follow this checklist in order of success rate:
The "Official" Method
Always check the original ticket provider's app first. Look for a "Transfer" or "Send" button. This is the only way to guarantee the barcode will actually work at the gate. If the "Transfer" button is greyed out, the event likely has a "delivery delay," meaning tickets aren't transferable until 24–48 hours before the show.
The AirDrop Method
If the "Share" icon exists in your Apple Wallet, use AirDrop instead of iMessage. It prevents the pass from becoming "de-authorized" during the transit through cellular servers.
The "Remove and Re-add" Method
If your friend can't add a ticket you sent, delete it from your own Wallet entirely. Sometimes the system "pings" the server to see if the ticket is active in two places at once. If it is, it will kill the second one for security.
The Wallet Refresh
If a ticket isn't showing a share option that used to be there, pull down on the ticket inside the Wallet app to refresh it. Occasionally, a pass "expires" in the cache and needs a quick nudge to reconnect to the server and reveal its sharing permissions.
By staying inside the official ecosystem of the ticket issuer, you avoid the heartbreak of a "void" notification at the turnstile. Digital tickets are more than just images; they are live links to a database, and treating them like a simple photo is the fastest way to get stuck outside the stadium.