I was riding the MRT on Sunday when I came across this thread on Reddit, where it states that Express Mode in Apple Wallet now works for some MRT stations.
I have been waiting for Express Mode in Apple Wallet to come to Singapore ever since Apple Pay became available in Singapore in 2016.
I use Express Mode when I am traveling in Japan, where I can use the Suica card in my Apple Wallet. Similarly, in Hong Kong, you can use Express Mode on the Octopus Card for traveling.
What is Express Mode? Normally, when you want to use Apple Pay, you need to double-press the side button to trigger the Face ID for authentication before you can use the cards in your Apple Wallet.
Express Mode works by just tapping your iPhone against the reader. There is no need to wake, unlock, or authenticate with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode on your iPhone.
Since public transport in Singapore accepts cards, I normally double-press the side button, authenticate with Face ID, and then tap the iPhone on the faregate reader.
Now with Express Mode, I can just tap my iPhone on the faregate reader without waking my iPhone for authentication. I tested it, and it works at Cantonment MRT Station. I heard it might not work for buses yet.
To enable Express Mode, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay > Travel Cards.
Tap Express Travel Card, then choose the Payment Card you want to enable for Express Mode.
