OC Bus

Orange County Transportation Authority

About this app

Welcome to the new release of the OC Bus App, a complete replacement of the previous mobile ticketing app by the Orange County Transportation Authority. The new OC Bus App gives you everything need to plan, pay, and ride using your smartphone. Purchase a single ride, a day pass or a 30-Day pass then activate your pass when you’re ready to ride. The new OC Bus App makes travel by bus in Orange County easier with more user-friendly features and navigation including color coded passes for each rider type, a larger QR code for easier scanning and in app notifications for bus changes. Simply download this free app, register your credit or debit card in our secure system and you’re ready to ride. For a smooth transition use the same email address used for the last OC Bus App version.

Full versions of the mobile app are now available in Spanish and Vietnamese!

WHY THIS APP MAKES RIDING EASIER:
1. Eliminates paper passes.
2. No need for cash or exact change.
3. Store multiple passes for future use.
4. Add fare instantly using a credit or debit card.
5. Large QR code for quicker boarding.
6. Color-coded passes by rider type.
7. Activate a single fare or multiple fares for a group of riders.
8. Streamlined purchasing through the app or on the OCTA website.

Ratings and reviews

Update: changed my modern password with 17 characters and many special characters and cases to a vintage password with only 9 characters with only 2 special characters and 2 upper cases: app logs in now. Previously, app had an error message "Something went wrong, please try again" when attempting to login or create an account. The app should provide the user with a list of illegal special characters and other constraints for passwords. App error handling should have more precise messaging.

It works, but I have to make sure to start opening the app minutes before the bus shows up because the app is so slow. Edit for 2025: The website where you set your password accepts longer and more complex passwords than the app itself. If you find yourself locked out, keep trying shorter and simpler passwords until it works. Knocking off another star since it's clear OCTA really needs to start caring about usability.

It gets the job done... most of the time. The app crashes right before I go and scan my ticket, which leads to angry passengers and annoyed bus operators seeing me as i try to reload the app. This app has always been buggy on android, but not on iPhones. I've tried this app on multiple devices and even on phones that are considered good and expensive, this app still crashes. In the end, it's mostly unreliable but it 'works.'