With the rollout of iOS 15, Apple added the ability to store verifiable COVID-19 vaccination information as a tidy card in your Health app and digital Apple Wallet. If you’re tired of keeping track of that pesky index card but aren’t ready to have your vaccine record stored in a microchip implant just yet, having a digital record just a couple of taps away on your iPhone 13 might just be the perfect middle ground.
More official than snapping a quick pic of your vaccination card, this method gives you quick access to a verifiable record digitally signed by a vaccine or test result provider. Verifiable health records get a checkmark in the Health app. Of course, this doesn’t mean that everyone is going to accept your iPhone app vaccination record. We recommend keeping your physical copy close in case someone isn’t privy to the legitimacy of this process.
How to add your vaccination record to your Apple Wallet
Before you get started, make sure your iPhone is updated to iOS 15.1 or later.
You’ll also need access to a digital version of your vaccination record. Gaining access to a downloadable file or QR code for this information will look different depending on where you were vaccinated and which provider administered the vaccine. You may have received additional paperwork from your vaccine provider — instructions on accessing an online portal or some sort of extra record with a QR code. If you have something like that, you’re all set.
If you haven’t accessed your digital vaccine record before and don’t have the tools listed above, check out your state’s health department website to learn more about accessing your vaccination record. You can also contact your vaccine provider or insurance company directly and they should be able to share instructions.
- The easiest way to add your digital vaccination record to your iPhone is going to be using a QR code. You should be able to find a QR code somewhere in your records.
- Then, simply open up the camera app and point at the QR code. Yellow brackets will appear around the QR and a shortened URL will appear below the code. Tap on that URL.
- Once you scan the QR code, your vaccination records should immediately pop up on your screen and you’ll be prompted to add them to your Health app and your Apple Wallet. Tap the blue button that reads “Add to Wallet & Health.”
- Now that your vaccination record has been added to your iPhone, you can access it in two ways. To see your record in your Apple Wallet, quickly press the power button twice and scroll through your existing credit cards and passes to find your vaccination card. You can also find your vaccination info in the Health app by tapping “Browse,” finding “Health Records” in the menu, and tapping on “Immunizations.”
These records are not updated automatically in any way, so you’ll need to manually add new records like a COVID-19 vaccine booster. If you want to remove any health records from your Apple account, simply find the specific record in your Health app, scroll to the very bottom of the menu and choose delete. You can always add those records again later.
