Can I use the Apple Wallet pass for touchless boarding in Japan?

Yes. At supported Japanese airports, the Apple Wallet boarding pass can be scanned at the gate reader for touchless boarding, the same way the printed pass is scanned. Japan Airlines notes that mobile passes registered in Apple Wallet cannot be used at certain airports, so check the airport's accepted pass types before departure.

Does the ANA boarding pass work on Apple Watch?

Yes. ANA lets you link the app with Apple Watch and put the boarding pass on the watch to board domestic or international flights. Apple Wallet also mirrors passes to a paired Apple Watch automatically, so the barcode is on the wrist without opening any app.

What happens to my JAL Wallet pass if I change the booking?

Japan Airlines states that a boarding pass already registered in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet does not update automatically after a booking change. Re-register the boarding pass from the app after any change, and delete the old Wallet pass to avoid scanning the wrong barcode at the gate.

What if the booking only sends a PDF and no Add to Apple Wallet button?

Bookings made through travel agents, corporate tools, or codeshare partners sometimes skip the airline's Wallet handover and send only a PDF e-ticket. The PDF carries the same QR or Aztec barcode the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass reads that barcode from a screenshot or PDF and builds a Wallet pass with identical barcode data, with the original kept as a backup.

ANA & JAL Boarding Pass in Apple Wallet

Q: Do ANA and Japan Airlines both support Apple Wallet boarding passes?

Yes. Both Japanese carriers issue mobile boarding passes from their iOS apps. ANA shows an Add to Apple Wallet option on the Issue Boarding Pass screen after online check-in, and Japan Airlines offers an Add to Apple Wallet button on the flight details screen. Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and the airline app are all supported.

ANA (All Nippon Airways) and Japan Airlines both support Apple Wallet boarding passes through their iOS apps. ANA, a Star Alliance carrier with the ANA Mileage Club, and Japan Airlines, a Oneworld carrier with the JAL Mileage Bank, each hand the pass straight to Wallet after check-in, and both feed Japan's touchless gate readers.

This guide walks through the native flow for each carrier, covers Apple Watch and touchless boarding in Japan, flags the airports where mobile passes are not accepted, and explains the PDF fallback for bookings that arrive without an Add to Apple Wallet button.

ANA Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

The ANA iOS app puts boarding passes into Apple Wallet right after online check-in, which opens 24 hours before departure for both domestic and international flights. ANA documents the flow on its help pages and notes that Wallet alerts the traveler to flight changes such as delays or cancellations once the pass is added.

The native Add to Apple Wallet flow inside the ANA app is the cleanest path for most travelers.

Install the ANA app

Download ANA from the App Store and sign in with the ANA Mileage Club account that holds the booking. Bookings without an account can be linked using the booking reference and name.

Open the trip and check in

Tap the booking, complete online check-in from 24 hours before departure, and confirm passport or seat details. The Issue Boarding Pass screen appears once check-in is approved.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the Issue Boarding Pass screen, tap Add to Wallet, then tap Add on the Apple Wallet preview. Each flight segment is registered from its own Add to Apple Wallet screen.

Put it on the Apple Watch

ANA lets the app link with Apple Watch so the boarding pass sits on the wrist for domestic or international boarding. Apple Wallet also mirrors the pass to a paired watch automatically once it is added.

Wallet tracks flight changes

Once the ANA pass is in Apple Wallet, the Wallet app notifies the traveler of changes to the reserved flight, such as delays or cancellations. The boarding pass requires iOS 9.0 or later. A booking change still means re-registering the pass, since Wallet does not silently rewrite an already-added boarding pass.

Japan Airlines Boarding Passes in Apple Wallet

Japan Airlines supports Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and the JAL app for mobile boarding passes. After check-in, the flight details screen shows an Add to Apple Wallet button. At supported Japanese airports, the Wallet pass scans at the gate reader for touchless boarding, and the JAL app's Osaifu-Keitai integration means a registered pass can work even when the phone is powered off.

Install the JAL app

Download Japan Airlines from the App Store and sign in with the JAL Mileage Bank account that holds the booking. Bookings can also be opened with the reservation number and name.

Check in and open the flight details

Complete online check-in inside the app, confirm passport details for international flights, and open the flight details screen. The boarding pass and the Add to Apple Wallet button appear there.

Tap Add to Apple Wallet

On the flight details screen, tap Add to Apple Wallet. iOS opens Wallet with a preview of the pass. Tap Add in the top-right corner to store it.

Scan at the gate for touchless boarding

At supported airports, hold the Wallet pass over the gate reader to board touchless. Apple Wallet surfaces the barcode on the lock screen as boarding approaches, so no app needs to be open.

Re-register after any booking change

Japan Airlines states that a boarding pass already saved to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet does not update automatically when the booking changes. After a seat, flight, or schedule change, re-register the pass from the JAL app and delete the old Wallet version. Mobile passes registered in Wallet also cannot be used at certain airports, so check the airport's accepted pass types in advance.

Once added, the pass surfaces through a lock screen widget as boarding approaches, putting the barcode a double-tap away without opening any app.

What Both Wallet Passes Carry

Across ANA and Japan Airlines, the Wallet pass holds the same information airport scanners and gate readers need.

Flight and seat details

Flight number, route, departure time, gate, seat, and boarding group where assigned

Standard 2D barcode

QR or Aztec barcode that matches the airline's printed boarding pass for the same booking and reads at touchless gate readers

Passenger and mileage reference

Name as booked, plus ANA Mileage Club or JAL Mileage Bank number when linked to the booking

Boarding group and class

Cabin and boarding group as assigned by the airline, the same indicator a printed pass would carry

Where ANA and JAL Differ at the Gate

The mobile pass works similarly for both airlines, but a few practical points matter at the airport.

Mobile boarding pass accepted

ANA flights on domestic and international routes where the boarding pass is saved to Wallet
Japan Airlines flights at airports that accept Apple Wallet or Google Wallet mobile passes
Touchless gate readers at supported Japanese airports such as Haneda and Narita
Apple Watch boarding for ANA, with the pass mirrored from the paired iPhone

May still need a printed pass

Japan Airlines airports where mobile passes in Wallet are not accepted, per the airline's airport list
Bookings changed after the pass was registered, which require re-registering from the app
Codeshare or partner-operated segments where the operating airline issues the pass in a different format
Last-minute changes that an agent must re-issue at the airport desk

Back up the pass before the airport

Phones run out of battery and apps crash. A screenshot of the boarding pass, kept in the photo library, removes a stress point. Apple Wallet itself works offline once the pass is added, so airplane mode at the gate is not the issue.

Need a Wallet pass from an ANA or JAL PDF?

NeatPass makes it easy to convert any ticket, pass, or loyalty card to Apple Wallet.

Try NeatPass Free

When Only a PDF Arrives in the Inbox

Bookings made through travel agents, corporate travel tools, or codeshare partners sometimes drop the airline's Wallet handover and just send a PDF e-ticket or a check-in confirmation with the boarding pass attached.

The barcode on that PDF is the same QR or Aztec code the gate scans. A pass app like NeatPass reads the barcode from a PDF or screenshot and creates a native Wallet pass with identical barcode data.

Save the PDF on the iPhone

Open the airline email and save the boarding pass PDF, or screenshot the page that shows the barcode. Make sure no edge of the barcode is cropped.

Open NeatPass and import

Open NeatPass, tap the plus button, and pick the PDF or screenshot from the photo library or Files. On-device AI detects the barcode and reads flight details where it can.

Review the details

Check that flight number, route, seat, and passenger name match the original boarding pass. Adjust any field that needs fixing.

Add to Wallet

Tap Add to Apple Wallet. The new pass opens in Wallet and is double-tap accessible from the lock screen, with the same barcode the airline pass carries.

NeatPass works with every supported barcode format and offers several import methods, so even unusual e-ticket formats can land in Wallet.

When the Pass Does Not Behave

A few patterns repeat across both carriers and are worth knowing in advance.

No Add to Apple Wallet button - The booking may have come through a third-party channel; the PDF fallback above covers this case
Touchless gate rejects the pass - The airport may not accept Wallet mobile passes; check the airline's accepted pass list and have a printed copy ready
Seat or schedule change after adding the pass - Re-register the boarding pass from the app, then delete the older Wallet version to keep things tidy
Pass not on the Lock Screen - Wallet surfaces the pass as boarding approaches; outside that window, open Wallet directly

Once added, the pass works in airplane mode and on weak networks, which matters in busy international terminals where airport WiFi rarely cooperates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Convert an ANA or JAL PDF into a Wallet pass

Download

Two Carriers, One Wallet Pass Format

Across ANA and Japan Airlines, the cleanest path is the same: check in inside the airline app, tap Add to Apple Wallet, and the pass lands on the lock screen with the right barcode, ready for touchless boarding in Japan. Where the booking dodges the native flow, a PDF screenshot and a pass app close the gap.

For the PDF route in detail, read how to convert a PDF boarding pass. For another Asian flag carrier, see Korean Air boarding passes in Apple Wallet, and for a European long-haul comparison, Air France boarding passes in Apple Wallet.