In the TAP app, sign in or create a TAP account. In the Cards section, press the add card icon at the top left. Press “Add a TAP Card on Your Phone.” Follow the prompts to add a “virtual” TAP card to your phone to use it to tap and pay.

Using your Los Angeles TAP card on your phone is a seamless process available for both Apple and Android users. For iPhone, you can open the Apple Wallet app, tap the "+" icon, select "Transit Card," and search for "TAP - Greater Los Angeles." You can either purchase a new digital card or transfer the balance from an existing physical card by using the TAP app to scan the card's NFC chip. For Android, the process is similar within Google Wallet. Once the card is added, you do not even need to wake your phone or open an app to pay; simply hold the top of your phone near the circular TAP target on buses or station turnstiles. In 2026, it is a peer-to-peer "pro-tip" to enable "Express Transit" settings, which allows you to pay even if your phone's battery has run out. Note that once you transfer a physical card to your phone, the plastic version becomes permanently deactivated and can no longer be used.