Sometimes even the iPhone with the longest battery life can turn off after a long day of heavy use, an unreliable internet connection, or very hot temperatures. In this case, your device still has a key feature that can get you home safely, provided you have Express Mode and an Express Pass with a designated payment or transit card. This feature was introduced years ago and is available on a wide range of iPhones, meaning that even when you’re out of battery, for a while, you can still use your iPhone’s NFC sensor to use your city’s transit card (like Paris’s Navigo card or London’s Tap-to-pay feature).
More interestingly, Express Mode also lets you use some touches and passes, meaning you just hold your iPhone close to the sensor, completely ignoring Touch ID, Face ID, or a passcode. According to Apple, Express Mode can run for up to five hours for cards, passes and keys with this feature thanks to its power reserve feature. To check which cards and passes are available, simply press the side button when you are out of power, then a battery icon will appear to indicate that Express cards can still be used.
How to enable express mode before you need it
To enable Express Mode on your phone, you can add a transit card via Wallet or check Wallet and Apple Pay in your iPhone settings. In order to simplify this process, let’s focus on the iPhone Settings option. There you need to scroll down to the Transportation Cards option and then it depends on where you live. After all, the Transit Card is available in Paris, the Greater Toronto Area in Canada, several Chinese cities, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and a few cities in the United States.
Make sure to activate your transit card, then you can select one of your payment cards whenever you are in a city that does not have a proper transit card but accepts a regular card to pay the fare. With these added cards, you’ll be prepared if your phone suddenly dies and you still need to get home. That said, don’t forget to add and authenticate your cards on Apple Pay by following the on-screen instructions, depending on your bank (as there are three useful features you should use), to ensure you won’t literally be left alone if your battery dies. Still, it’s never a bad decision to take a look at simple iPhone settings to help the battery last longer.
