How to add your COVID-19 vaccination record to your iPhone’s Wallet, for Californians

Updated November 1st, 2022.

I am frequently asked about adding one’s digital COVID-19 vaccination record to an iPhone. If you’re in California this is really easy. Here’s all you need to do.

First, go to the California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record (DCVR) Portal. You can do this on your iPhone or on your Mac but the screenshots here are all from an iPhone.

You’ll fill out a very short form, providing only your name, your birthdate, and either a mobile phone number or an email address (this is where they’ll send a link with your digital vaccination record). I find using a mobile phone number to be easier and faster (see below).

Note: do not obsess over that 4-digit PIN. You aren’t trying to remember a PIN, you’re making one up right there in the form. You will make it up now, and use it exactly once in your life (a few minutes after you submit the form). So, make up any PIN you want, write it down on a scrap of paper, and after you use it throw the paper away. You will NOT need this PIN again.

Scroll down a bit and you’ll see a box to check, and a Submit button. Check the box and click Submit (you can’t click the Submit button until you check the box).

If you supplied your email address, look in your Mail app on your iPhone (or your Mac) for a letter from the State. It arrives in a hurry, so if you don’t see it in your Inbox look in the Junk mail folder. That’s where mine ended up. If you supplied your iPhone number you’ll receive a text message. Either way, there will be a link that takes you to your Digital Vaccine Record. Click it.

This is where you get to enter the PIN you made a few minutes ago (and it’s the only time you’ll need it– if you ever want to go through this process again, which you might, you’ll make up a new PIN). The PIN is there to make sure you are the only one who can get into your records.

Now you see a big QR code, which you could screenshot and save to your Photos app and have it to show when you need to, but even better, you can scroll down and find a nice Add to Apple Wallet & Health button. So do that– scroll down, see the Add to Apple Wallet & Health button, and tap it.

Here’s how it looks going into your Apple Wallet:

Scroll down a bit and you’ll see a big Add to Wallet & Health button:

Click that Add to Wallet & Health button, then Done, and you’ll see your COVID-19 vaccination record right there (scroll down to see more), but this is actually the Health app, and we want to view it in the Wallet. So tap the View in Wallet button to switch to the Wallet app.

When the Wallet opens up you’re taken directly to your COVID-19 vaccination record card, which as of right now is red, like this:

You’ll notice that when the card pops up your iPhone’s brightness will go to the maximum. This is done automatically, and it makes it easier for scanners to read the QR code. When you tap Done or switch to another app the brightness will go back down (also automatically).

Having your COVID-19 vaccination record in the iPhone’s Wallet is perfect because it’s quick to access, whether you’re needing to show it to someone or simply to review your own records.

NOTE: You might have to do this again. In fact you probably will, because the COVID-19 digital vaccination record isn’t “live.” It will not update; if you get another COVID-19 shot next year, that shot will not show up on the card in your Wallet. That’s not a problem: just go through the process all over again, and the new card will replace the old one, and it will have everything– the first shot, the second shot, the booster(s), everything.

BONUS TIP: add the Wallet to your iPhone’s Control Center for even quicker access. See this article (by me) for instructions.

Did this article help you?

Maybe you'd like to contribute to the
Christian Boyce coffee fund.

---

Want some some quick iPhone how-tos?
Visit me at iPhoneinaminute.com.

Looking for quick tips about Macs?
See my One-Minute Macman website!