This article provides a comprehensive guide to accessing and understanding the design settings in the PassKit Pass Designer.
Terminology
API (Application Programming Interface)
A set of protocols and tools for building software applications, used in this context to issue passes and manage link overrides.
Play Store
Google's official app store for Android devices, where alternative wallet providers can be downloaded.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
A lightweight data-interchange format used to represent the pass template (Template JSON) and Google Class design (Google Class JSON) for debugging and development purposes.
Timezone
An area that observes a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes (e.g., GMT, EST).
Accessing Design Settings
To access the design settings:
Click on the settings icon located in the left-hand menu of the designer.
The designer settings window will pop up, allowing you to view and edit your settings.
Design Settings Tabs
When the design settings window opens, you will see five tabs:
General Settings
Google Settings
Apple Settings
Template
Google Class
General Settings
From this tab, you can edit:
Organisation Name: Displayed at the top of the Google Wallet pass.
Template Name: A reference for the design template.
Pass Timezone: The default timezone where the pass is being used.
Default Language: The default pass language, which can be overridden by specific language translations based on the device language settings.
Pass Description: Displayed at the top of the Apple Wallet details page (back of the pass).
Google Settings
From this tab, you can edit:
Enable Link Overrides: Allows you to choose the links to display on the pass when issued, typically via the API.
Screenshot Suppression: When enabled, screenshots of the pass in Google Wallet will be blank.
Default Android Wallet Type: Choose another default wallet for Android if Google Wallet is unavailable in your country.
Alternative Wallet Provider: If the default Android wallet type is set to Alternative Wallet, you can choose your preferred alternative wallet here. These options can be downloaded from the Play Store and will render passes in the Apple Wallet Pass Style.
Apple Settings
From this tab, you can edit:
Allow Sharing: Enables the sharing icon at the top right of the Apple Wallet back page.
Sharing URL: If sharing is enabled, you can provide a URL for the share icon to point to when tapped.
Note: Disabling or Enabling sharing here will also disable/enable Google Wallet passes to be stored in more than one account. i.e When enabled, a Google Pass can be stored in multiple Google accounts, and disabled a Google pass can only be stored in one Google account.
Template
This tab displays the Template JSON, which holds the design of the pass. This is useful for debugging errors and assisting developers.
Google Class
This tab displays the Google Class JSON, which holds the design of the Google Pass. This is used to override the default Google Design and is useful for debugging errors and assisting developers.
Conclusion
By understanding and utilizing these settings, you can effectively design and manage digital passes for both Google and Apple Wallet, ensuring they meet your specific requirements and are user-friendly.