E-ticket screenshots work (and don’t work)

E-tickets are everywhere: Gone are the days of phoning around looking for fancy ‘paper’ tickets. No more printing movie tickets at home to “save time” before going to the cinema. Everything is scannable and that’s fine —Unless otherwise. If your mobile phone starts to fail, or if the internet connection at the venue is unstable, your tickets will not be able to load. This means you can’t access live entertainment.

One workaround that people use is to take a screenshot of the e-ticket. This Reddit thread User at r/lifeprotips wandering bilby We recommend taking a screenshot of your e-ticket before heading into the crowded venue. The idea here is to eliminate the risk of the ticket app malfunctioning or being unable to load tickets due to the number of people accessing the network.

In theory this is a great idea. A static QR code is the same whether it’s in the app or part of a screenshot. In these cases, it’s not the app that matters, but the QR code itself. So you can print the QR code from your phone or computer and scan it in the real world as well.

However, many ticketing companies no longer rely on traditional QR and barcodes for ticketing purposes. Old code is easy to use—that too simply, actuallyIt is not impossible to imagine did not do it Use it to buy a ticket.In fact it is very As such, organizations are beginning to crack down on this practice. Without backup verification such as identity checks, the code will be scanned no matter who presents it.

Ticketmaster says “enhancement ticket,” is smarter than simple code. Instead of relying on static images, extension tickets update the code on a regular basis.

This is the same process used for two-factor authentication (2FA) apps. Like Google Authenticator, or iCloud Keychain: When a ticket is generated, it shares a secret “key” with the issuer’s server. Only the server and your ticket know this key, so no one else can steal it or use it. To verify that the ticket is valid, the ticket takes the private key and combines it with the current time to generate a unique code. The server looks for that code when scanning. If the barcode passes, you can go to the concert. If not, you’ll be back to the overpriced car park.

That secret code is playing all the time. It is not something that can be learned once and reused. The frequency with which tickets change their code varies. 2FA codes typically change once every 20-30 seconds, while ticket codes can last several minutes. However, the end result is the same. If you take a screenshot of the extension ticket, it won’t help if the code is updated. It’s pointless unless you screenshot the code and use it immediately.

Then there is another aspect of the enhanced ticket: moving parts. This can be seen on the train e-ticket I purchased. This uses not only code, but also a travel timestamp at the bottom of the ticket. In many cases the moving part has nothing to do with the digital authentication of the ticket (scanners pay no attention to moving timestamps). Rather, it is designed by the issuer so that the person receiving the ticket will instantly know if the ticket is genuine. completely Eventually it was taken over.

Screenshots are absolutely useless in this case. The ticket taker can’t see the moving parts of the ticket, and they know right away that they’re not using the app.But in theory you could do can Log the ticket on the screen to get around it. Of course the code should be static, but When The data being moved must always be relevant, or the retriever may not have to look too closely, but it is possible.

How to know if an e-ticket has static code

The easiest way to tell if an e-ticket has static code (and if you can get a screenshot of it) is if the issuer tells you so.Ticketmaster is not shy about its ticket facts that is No Cool to have their picture taken. No ambiguity here: YEither present ever-changing legal code, or present GTFO.

However, not all extended tickets are so outspoken. Some warn against taking screenshots of tickets, others have obvious moving elements, but others are more subtle. If there is no clear information on the ticket, pay attention to the barcode. After a while the barcode will change and you will see that the code doesn’t work as screenshot.

Another way is to pay attention how The ticket is now in your possession. If you received your e-ticket by email, it is almost certainly static. especially If it is passed as a PDF. A PDF is really just an image, so it’s as good as a screenshot. These codes can be safely saved to your phone as screenshots, even if you don’t have the mobile wallet option.

Likewise, if the issuer offers the option to print the ticket, this is also a good sign. To the scanner, there is no difference between a printed code and a digital code, but in order for the printed ticket to work, the code must have: Be static.

Don’t be afraid to rely on technology

However, you may not even want to bother taking screenshots of your tickets or risking being denied entry. If the issuer supports adding tickets to mobile wallets. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, your phone has a “wallet” app that accepts hardened tickets. Tap “Add to Wallet” and the ticket will be stored there until you scan it. these purses Supports automatic updates. So the barcode matches what the scanner is looking for (unlike the screenshot). Best of all, your ticket is already in your phone or wallet, so you don’t have to worry about an internet connection.

If you don’t want to add tickets to your wallet, try accessing them in the app beforehand. Some apps help you avoid internet-related issues at the venue if you download your ticket to your phone. Become. Before trying this trick, make sure the app doesn’t kill the ticket if you get early access to it.

keep the screen bright

If you dislike e-tickets as they are unreliable, make sure your screen is as bright as possible. If the display is too dark, scanners can have a hard time reading codes on your phone, so increasing the brightness to 100% is usually the safest bet.

Some apps are aware of this fact and automatically open the ticket to brighten it up. However, if the app is a bit lazy and doesn’t adjust the brightness for you, remember to do so yourself before scanning your ticket.

Papers back, baby

Even in the futuristic world of 2022, many venues still operate on paper tickets (although e-tickets are often the default). If you don’t want to deal with it, head to Will Call or your venue’s equivalent (or airport or train station kiosk) and request a physical ticket. Many walk away with conventional tickets that don’t crack, break, or die.