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Problem with retrieving pkpas files

Hi there,

I just updated my ios to 14.6 version and after that received my boarding passes to the plane by email in pkpas format (as I usually did). But now I am unable neither to open it, nor to add to wallet. I opened this email on Ipad and it works, also I tried to sent it to my wife and it works also on her Iphone with ios 14.5. So I think it is the problem caused with ios 14.6.

does anybody know how to fix it? Or maybe it is another way to extract the pkpas files from email and add them to wallet?

thank you in advance

iPhone 11 Pro

Posted on Jun 11, 2021 4:22 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 28, 2021 2:05 AM

Thats the exact behavior i have in my iPhone. First i used the link that i was sent to dowload Passbook, then it opens a PDF with links to all the pkpass, then if i click Safari tells me "Safari can't download this file", so i downloaded them in the laptop and attached them all to an email to myself, when they arrived to the mailbox, i saw all the pkpass files with the Wallet icon, if i touch them nothing happens, if i press them the tipical options appear to save, etc.

I experiencied this same behavior with other service a couple of weeks ago but i thought it was that specific provider problem, but now every symptom point to iOS failure managing this kind of files.

13 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 28, 2021 2:05 AM in response to MBonnice

Thats the exact behavior i have in my iPhone. First i used the link that i was sent to dowload Passbook, then it opens a PDF with links to all the pkpass, then if i click Safari tells me "Safari can't download this file", so i downloaded them in the laptop and attached them all to an email to myself, when they arrived to the mailbox, i saw all the pkpass files with the Wallet icon, if i touch them nothing happens, if i press them the tipical options appear to save, etc.

I experiencied this same behavior with other service a couple of weeks ago but i thought it was that specific provider problem, but now every symptom point to iOS failure managing this kind of files.

Jun 12, 2021 11:07 AM in response to sergii99

Hi Sergii99,


It's good to know you're so familiar with the Wallet app and adding passes. If it's not working on your wife's iPhone either, the issue could be related to the same network (if both are using it) or the pass itself.


We'd disconnect any connected VPNs you might be using. Test it with only cellular, if you're currently connected to Wi-Fi by disabling Wi-Fi in Settings > Wi-Fi or try another Wi-Fi network altogether.


Should the issue persist, do you have any other passes you could attempt to add? For example, a grocery pass or card? Are you able to use the Wallet app to add the pass, using the + sign at the top?


Let us know and hopefully we'll sort this out, cheers.

Jun 12, 2021 12:05 PM in response to MBonnice

@destiny421, I contacted Apple support and spent time on the phone with a technician. He verified that the problem is real, so @sergii99 and I are doing the right things and we aren't the cause of the problem.


The technician searched and did not find a solution within Apple. We both searched around the internet and learned some things that help advance the troubleshooting.


My two files were generated by when I made reservation for rental bicycles from two different bike shops. We thought maybe the reservation software for both is not current with iOS 14.6.


Some information on stackechange led me being able to open the pkpass file.


I found that I could save the pkpass file to my Mac, rename the file extension to ".zip" and then unzip the file. The pass contains one icon file, two text files and a signature file. The contents of the text files are are readable with a text editor, they seem OK. The signature file contains "Apple Worldwide Developer Relations Certification Authority", so maybe there is some sort of certification that is incompatible with the file. Maybe the creator of the pkpass file isn't a valid Apple developer anymore?


Further, after unzipping the pkpass file, I added the file extension ".crt" to the file named "signature". Then I opened the file using Keychain Access. The result shows that the certificate expired in March, 2021. Probably that's why it won't open.


Both of the bike rental stores use the same company to make web reservations, and the certificates are expired in both of the pkpasses.


I'm going to reply to the sender of the wallet passes and tell them their certificate is expired and see what happens.


Jun 12, 2021 8:25 AM in response to sergii99

Welcome Sergii99,


Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Based on your post, after the 14.6 you've been unable to add a pass in the Wallet app. We'll do our best to assist.


First, we'd confirm you've tried to add the pass correctly, using the following resources:


How to use Wallet on your iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple Watch


Add and manage passes in Wallet on iPhone


Based on the information provided, your wife was able to add the pass to her Wallet app successfully. If the issue persists after confirming how you're trying to add the pass, then we'd recommend to Contact Apple Support


Hoping those help out though, take care!

Jul 28, 2021 2:56 PM in response to Kikelon

Then this seems worthy of getting Apple involvement.


You can submit feedback here: https://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone/


You can work one on one with a support person, as I did, here:

https://getsupport.apple.com/?caller=psp&PRKEYS=PL133

Choose "Apps & Features" > "The topic is not listed"

Enter "wallet won't open pkpass" the press Continue

You can then contact a human and maybe get some help.

Jun 12, 2021 9:39 AM in response to destiny241

I have the same problem as @sergii99. On email on either iPhone or iPad, the icon for the pass appears in the mail in my inbox. The icon looks like the icon of the wallet app. When I touch the icon, nothing happens. When I press it, then a popup shows the name of the file (Passbook-BQPS-120621.pkpass) and the option to do these things:

Save to Files

Share

Copy


The Share option shows a list of apps that the file could be shared with, none of them are the Wallet app.


My Wallet app opens and is working. It has some credit cards and other passes.


A couple years ago I got a pass in the email from the same company and it worked at that time.


I'm using iOS 14.6 on both iPhone and iPad.

Jun 12, 2021 10:50 AM in response to MBonnice

I would like to update my request a little. The file doesn’t open in my wife’s Iphone, she thought it is opening, while it is was just the pop-up menu - the same as @Mbonnice mentioned.

And I would like to assure, that I know perfectly well how to add things to wallet from e-mail. When I touch the pkpas file in e-mail, which have the icon of wallet file - nothing happens. It seems it is the problem with IOS. And also, I opened the same pkpas files from the same company few years ago…

Jul 28, 2021 6:17 AM in response to Kikelon

It's possible that the both of the providers have not renewed their certification, maybe they don't want to develop for Apple any more.


To know for sure if the problem is with the certificate, do this:


1) save the pkpass file to your Mac,

2) change the file extension from ".pkpass" to ".zip"

3) double-click the file. It will unzip into a folder.

4) open the folder

5) add the file extension ".crt" to the file named "signature".

6) double-click the file

7) when a window opens that is entitled "Add Certificates", press the button "View Certificates"

8) look to see if it says "certificate is expired"

9) press "OK"

10 press "Cancel"

11) quit from Keychain Access


If the certificates are not expired, then please reply here so we can all know what you discovered.


Sep 15, 2021 2:27 PM in response to zee_appleUser

How to modify the pass is something I don't know.



I replied to my vendors a couple months ago. I never got a reply. They are bike shops and they use some sort of canned software for managing rental reservations. That software seems to be the one that makes expired certificates for wallets. It's only speculation to say that the bike shops don't care about wallets as long as the reservations work. Maybe your vendor cares more.

Problem with retrieving pkpas files

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