PKPASS Viewer: Open a .pkpass File in Your Browser

Drop in the .pkpass file from your email to see the pass and its barcode on any device, without uploading it anywhere.

What problem this solves

Airlines, event organisers, gyms and shops often email tickets and cards as a .pkpass file. That format is built for Apple Wallet. On an iPhone you tap it and it opens. On Android, Windows, ChromeOS or Linux there is often no app set up to open it, so tapping the file may show an error or do nothing useful.

This viewer opens the file in your browser and shows what is inside: the pass, its barcode, and the details on the back.

What you need to provide

• The .pkpass file. Save the email attachment to your phone or computer first. Opening it straight from the email preview may not work.
• A modern web browser on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux or ChromeOS.

You don’t need to install anything or create an account, and the viewer is free. The file is unzipped and read on your own device and is never uploaded to a server.

How to open a .pkpass file

1. Save the attachment. In your email app, download the .pkpass file to your device.
2. Load it. Drag the file onto the box above, or tap/click it and pick the file.
3. Check the front of the pass. You’ll see the pass type (boarding pass, event ticket, coupon, store card or generic), its colours, logo and strip images, and the header, primary, secondary and auxiliary fields, such as gate, seat, flight number or member name.
4. Check the back. The back-of-pass fields usually hold terms, booking references, support contacts or extra instructions.
5. Use the barcode. If the pass has a QR, PDF417, Aztec or Code 128 barcode, it is shown large enough to scan. Check it with your phone before you rely on it at a gate.
6. Save it if you want. Save the rendered pass as a PNG image to keep it in your photos, send it to someone, or print it.

If the pass includes a relevant date or an expiration date, that is shown too. If you’re technical, you can also open the raw pass.json to see every field exactly as the issuer wrote it. If the pass includes English translations of its labels, the viewer shows those.

What the result is good for

• Getting through a gate or door. Show the barcode on screen, or show the saved PNG.
• Checking details before you travel. Confirm the flight, seat, time, venue or membership number without hunting for the original booking.
• Keeping an offline copy. The saved PNG stays in your gallery when you have no signal.
• Printing. Print the PNG if you prefer paper or don’t want to rely on your phone battery.
• Debugging a pass you built. Developers can see how the fields lay out and check the rawpass.json.

When it works poorly

Be aware of these limits before you rely on it at an airport or venue:

• It does not add the pass to Google Wallet or Apple Wallet. You get a view and an image, not a wallet entry.
• No live updates. Some passes are set up so the issuer can update them inside a wallet app, for example after a gate change. This viewer only shows what was in the file when you received it. For flights, check the airline’s app, website or departure screens for changes.
• It can’t tell you whether the pass is still valid. It shows what is in the file. It doesn’t contact the issuer to check if the ticket was cancelled or reissued.
• Some issuers may not accept a screenshot or printout. They may ask you to show the pass in a wallet app or their own app. Check the issuer’s instructions if you’re unsure.
• Passes without a visible barcode. Some cards may be designed to be used by tapping the phone on a reader (NFC) rather than by scanning a code. A browser can’t do that, so you’ll see the details but have nothing to scan.
• Damaged or incomplete files. If the email client or download changed the file, it may not open. Download the attachment again from the original email.
• It’s built for .pkpass files. A .pkpasses bundle with several passes also works: the viewer lists the passes inside so you can pick one. Other file types are not supported.

How it differs from other ways to open a pkpass file

• Apple Wallet on iPhone. This is what the format is made for. It stores the pass, can receive updates from the issuer and can bring the pass forward around the relevant time or place. It needs an Apple device. If you have an iPhone, use it.
• Wallet apps. Some wallet apps can import passes and store them, which is useful if you get passes often. It means installing an app and giving it your files. This viewer only displays the pass; it doesn’t import it anywhere.
• Renaming the file to .zip. A .pkpass file is a ZIP archive. You can unzip it and readpass.json by hand, but you won’t see a rendered pass or a drawn barcode.
• The issuer’s own app or website. This is often the most reliable source for an up-to-date pass, and it’s worth checking for travel.

This viewer is for the common case: you have the file, you’re not on an iPhone, and you just need to see it and show the barcode. Step-by-step guides: open a pkpass file on Android andopen a pkpass file on Windows.