A newly announced iOS 17.2 feature lets users share passes and tickets from the Wallet app simply by bringing two iPhones together, like the recently added NameDrop feature.
You can see Apple's full description of the ability in the screenshot below, taken from the iOS 17.2 release notes.
This is how it works: selecting a pass in Wallet and then positioning your iPhone head-to-head with another now brings up a big Share button at the bottom of the screen. Tapping this will then AirDrop that pass to the other iPhone.
The one notable limitation is both iPhones need to have the iOS 17.2 update installed. So you may need to persuade your friends and family to upgrade promptly if you want to start using this regularly.
Sharing Wallet passes was entirely possible in the past, be it via AirDrop, a message attachment or some other method. This new ability should be quicker though since you don't need to search your contacts for the right person once you've picked the file you want to send — as they'll be stood right in front of you.
This is slightly different from regular NameDrop, as that automatically suggests trading contact details when you move two iPhones together. Having the extra step of picking a pass to transfer isn't too much of a burden, but it's not quite as slick. That's made us wonder if Apple may in the future offer a menu of sharing options when bringing two iPhones together, rather than automatically assuming you'll want to trade contact details. Perhaps it's something that iOS 18 could fix.
You'll definitely want to install iOS 17.2 once it's available on your iPhone. Other than this pass-sharing feature, the update brings a brand new Journal app for tracking your days and thoughts, plus a telephoto camera performance upgrade for the iPhone 15 Pro, and Qi2 wireless charging support for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 series.
