Credit: New York State
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New York's new Excelsior Pass, which documents vaccination status and will soon be required to enter many businesses in New York City, has dropped support for Apple Wallet.
The state-issued Excelsior passport allows users to prove that they have received a COVID-19 vaccination. The original Excelsior Pass, however, expired six months after a user's vaccination date. Because of that, New Yorkers will need to update to the Excelsior Pass Plus.
As noticed by AppleInsider staffers, the new Excelsior Pass Plus is not compatible with Apple Wallet. Unlike the original Excelsior Pass which had explicit Apple Wallet support, users will need to head to the NYS Wallet app every time they want to prove vaccination status.
In a user's guide to the vaccine passports, New York State said that Excelsior Pass Plus Passes are not supported by Apple Wallet at this time. The guide also states that notification support is also not available.
It isn't clear why the new pass doesn't work with the Wallet app, but it does appear to be a conscious choice by the state to omit support. AppleInsider has reached out to New York Department of Health.
Compared to Apple Wallet support, heading into the NYS Wallet app isn't as convenient or fast. Instead of being able to bring up passes through a double-click on an iPhone or Apple Watch, users will need to open the NYS Wallet app.
Many businesses are requiring proof of vaccination for entry in New York City already, but the city government will soon mandate proof of vaccination.
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Released: Mar 26, 2021
Version: 2.10.1
Size: 16 MB
Price History
Ranking - Health-Fitness (iPhone)
Ranking - Health-Fitness (iPad)
New York State Office of Information Technology Services
Screenshot #1 (iPhone)
For New Yorkers
Use at Participating Businesses and Venues
• Sponsored by the State of New
York, Excelsior Pass Plus provides secure, digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results.
• Excelsior Pass Plus is free to download and use. Participation is entirely voluntary.
• Excelsior Pass Plus is a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccination record. Your Pass Plus includes vaccination type, site, and date of vaccination, just like your paper CDC Card. The inclusion of this health information enables New Yorkers to have a complete digital record of their COVID-19
vaccination history for record-keeping and/or usage outside of New York State.
• Similar to a mobile airline boarding pass, New Yorkers can store Passes digitally on their smartphones to present as desired.
• Passes can be retrieved from //epass.ny.gov and saved to the NYS Wallet for easy access. Download NYS Wallet and be part of the safe reopening of New York State.
➜ What's new in version 2.10.1
- Introducing enhanced security capabilities with a PIN and the option for a Face ID/Touch ID.
Our verdict: Ok
- – NYS Excelsior Pass Wallet is a poorly rated app (2.5-star).
- + The app is free.