# Metro Pulse — Track your bus or train

> Official Washington D.C. area transit trip planner with real-time bus and train information. (iPhone/iPad app by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-pulse/id6737127867 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533)
- Category: Travel, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.80/5 from 108 App Store ratings · 66 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 70 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-05-16
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-pulse/id6737127867/reviews.md

## What is Metro Pulse?

Metro Pulse helps you stay informed before you go and while you’re on the move. On bus or rail, across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, you can check real time arrivals, plan trips, save your favorites, chat with us, and get service updates — all in one easy to use app.

The official app of Metro, Metro Pulse has the up-to-the-second information you need to get where you want to go. 

Real Time Arrivals

See accurate, real time data for every train and bus. Know when your ride is coming and whether delays or service changes could affect your trip so you can adjust with confidence.

Explore Nearby Service

Use the Explore tab to view Metro service near your current location or anywhere you drop a pin on the map.

Save Your Favorites

Keep your most used lines, routes, stations, stops, and places within easy reach

• Favorite a rail line or bus route to preview arrivals at nearby stations or stops 
• Favorite a specific station or stop to see upcoming arrivals anytime 

Plan and Customize Your Trip

Find the best way to get from point A to point B using bus, rail, or both. 

• Compare route options 
• View fare estimates and travel times 
• Choose when you want to leave — now or later
• Customize preferences like travel modes, walking distance, access to elevators 

AI Powered Chat

Get quick answers about arrivals, delays, service changes, and more. If you need additional help, connect directly with a Metro customer service representative.

Service Alerts

Stay updated on delays, service changes, cancellations, track work, and emergencies so you can avoid surprises.

Designed for Metro Riders

Built for riders across the DMV and redesigned with your feedback, Metro Pulse gives you the information you need when you need it — helping you move through the region with less stress and more confidence.

Metro Pulse keeps your trip on track — before, during, and after your ride.

## Key features

- Real-time arrival times
- Nearby station information
- Trip planner with fare estimates
- Service alerts and notifications
- Offline route maps
- SmarTrip® integration
- Online chat support

## What do users think of Metro Pulse?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Informative app
- 💡 Great for transit enthusiasts

**Cons**

- 🐛 Inaccurate route and location data
- 🐛 Confusing and clunky UI
- 🐛 Laggy performance
- 🐛 Welcome screen cannot be closed

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Old bus route numbers displayed on iPad app
- Location permissions not working
- Inability to switch between train and bus

**Most requested features**

- Ability to plan future trips
- Fare data integration
- Scrollable and closable welcome screen

## Recent user reviews (10 of 66)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metro-pulse/id6737127867/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Daily user—Reliable info! ui needs some work

*2026-07-24*

I love this app so much, I use it multiple times a day. It’s definitely going through some ui changes right now but I think once the tweaking is done it’s going to be great. It’s a little hard to navigate after its most recent update, I definitely preferred having the first page (explore) organized by stop and not line. It requires a little finagling to get to the information you want to receive so it’s not super intuitive. The plan a trip section needs a little bit of work too, it’s not clear if you’re supposed to/able to type in an actual address or location or if you have to know what stop you’re headed to ahead of time. Overall though, very reliable when it comes to arrival times and as I said I use it at least twice a day if not more. Can’t wait for what comes next :)

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad to hear you’re enjoying the app. We’ll share your comments with our team as they continue making improvements. -RT

### 1/5 — Consistently wrong

*2026-07-18, version 2.0.3*

I rely on this app almost every day for bus arrivals. It’s consistently wrong by 3-4 minutes, causing me to consistently miss the bus and have to wait anywhere from 10-20 minutes for the next one. Either don’t have bus tracking or make it right. Inexcusable.

### 1/5 — Memory Leak

*2026-07-08*

There’s some kind of memory leak or issue with the current version of the app and the latest version of iOS. Every time, I open the app, do anything, and switch apps, it slows down my phone to a crawl after several minutes. I know it’s this app because I’ll remove it and a few minutes later, my phone is back to normal.

iPhone 13 Mini, iOS 26.5

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback.  Can you share your phone type/model? Our development team would like to explore what could be happening here. -SM

### 1/5 — Loss of functionality with update

*2026-07-03*

A focus on tracking only arrivals?  That theoretically works for most stations.  I’m even willing to forgive the hoops it takes you to now sort out the arrival times, instead of simply glancing at a screen.  BUT ARRIVAL TIME ALONE MAKES LITTLE SENSE FOR STATIONS AT THE END OF THE LINE.  End stations operate differently from other stations where arrival and departure times are basically the same.  For end stations, 99% of daily users would want to know when the next train will depart, not arrive.  It’s a complete guess as to when trains depart now.

### 3/5 — 2.01 majorly improved, still needs work

*2026-06-20*

Writing a new review after the 2.01 update. This update was hugely needed and allowed the app to pass a major milestone : it is now often faster to check the arrival of your train on metro pulse than on google maps. I’m very happy that WMATA is investing resources in this. The favorites section is useful now and allows you to see the arrivals at your most used stations very quickly. I also love the new design language. One perplexing issue that I hope is fixed very soon is that the amount of arrivals shown for each station is only 2. This means if a station services multiple lines, you can easily end up in a situation where your train is 6 minutes away, but two arrivals on the other line prevent you from being able to see that. I really don't think saving vertical screen space is an issue here. When I open the app I am usually only interested in the arrivals at one station, so if it took up my entire screen I still would not mind. Also, being able to select the default tab that shows up on the homepage would be amazing (I would prefer to always see the favorites tab first instead of the explore tab, if I am exploring I would probably choose google maps, but where I see this app really shining is during the daily commute)

**Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback.  We're passing this along to our development team for their awareness.  - MS

### 1/5 — From decent to terrible

*2026-06-19*

The old app worked it was a bit glitchy but now it’s terrible I have to change the selection to bus to see bus stops the mix doesn’t work at all and now when I click a bus stop I can’t physically see where the busses are if it works at all. The former UI was way better than this one. It is almost non-usable. Also the long opening scene often freezes when I’m trying to make quick decisions on bus options. Please at least go back to the usable but not great option before. And yes I am sure it’s the most recent version.

**Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. Could you share the device and model you’re using, and confirm your app version? You can view bus stops and rail stations near your location by selecting the “All” tab, which should autopopulate when you open the app. -RT

### 1/5 — App is Retrograde at best

*2026-06-13*

Among all my fellow multi-decade paying Metro users, I’m sure I’m no standout in praising Metro’s current GM (who imho is exponentially an improvement over the system’s last, nicely rather shown himself after 5yrs increasingly incompetent). But, this app truly bites. Said to “simplify”, it’s devolverd Trip Planner to, perhaps accurate in leaving, seemingly wholly unusable for planning one’s destination arrival. Look Developers, you’ve might have buried that feature somewhere down into multiple sub- menus but why not make that as easy as it was to find in Metro’s old website: it’s Trip Planner clearly on its first page? Ofc, we recognize you cannot please all the people all the time and am asking you, esp in convert with GM Clarke’s very many welcome improvements, you reconsider this app’s layout so what may have been some try at simplification redevelopment so it actually is real/world useful. Thank you for affording me your listening.

**Developer response:** Thanks for sharing your feedback.  We've provided your comments to our development team for their review.  The Trip planner tool is accessible s by clicking "Plan" on the bottom row menus.  Once there options like setting starting points and destinations, with arrival and departure times are still available to edit.  Have more feedback to share?  Feel free to drop additional comments here: https://www.wmata.com/help/help-topics/customer-support/website-feedback.html - MS

### 1/5 — Made a bad app worse

*2026-06-12*

Well WMATA has done the impossible. They’ve made the previously glitchy app now entirely inoperable. For one, when you open the screen, it takes a few for the screen to show you a whole song and dance before getting to what you are there for. What a great use of time for all us riders. Second, the app now is unbelievably unreliable as it fails to connect to the internet 50% of the time I try to open it the first time around. Again, great feature for a transit app. 
Third and perhaps the worse of it all is that the app does not seems to be designed to help commuters actually gauge information. For trains, you can no longer see multiple trains in your direction of choice when it comes to the countdown. Additionally, the app does a horrendous job indicating the directionality of the trains. As for buses, the app is totally unhelpful bc of these same issues. But to make it worse, this app update seems to have broken the track a bus feature. These issues barely scratch the surface of what’s wrong with this app and people have made their complaints to WMATA to no avail. I highly recommend not relying on this hot garbage until WMATA takes people’s complaints more seriously.

**Developer response:** Thanks for sharing your feedback with us. Can you check if you're using the most updated version of the app? We just recently made enhancements that address some of your concerns. Feel free to chat in the app, so one of our team members can further assist you. - TP

### 4/5 — Tired of bouncing between apps

*2026-06-11*

I kept bouncing between Transit and DC Metro & Bus for years but neither of them ever felt fully reliable because they’re pulling data secondhand. Switched to Metro Pulse a while back and the alerts are faster, arrivals feel more accurate, and I can actually chat with someone in the app when something’s off instead of rage-googling. Still has rough edges but it’s the official app and they’re clearly working on it, so I’m sticking with it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

**Developer response:** We're so glad to hear that the app is helping to make travel easier! -KB

### 3/5 — Getting better

*2026-06-08, version 2.0.0*

The app is a lot better, however, if I’m trying to schedule trips to plan my day out, the arrival function isn’t working properly. It will plan me leaving at 11 AM instead of arriving at 11 AM.

## Frequently asked questions about Metro Pulse

### What does MetroPulse do?

MetroPulse is the official transit app for the Washington region, offering real-time information for Metrorail and Metrobus. It helps users plan trips, check arrival times, receive service alerts, and find nearby stations and stops.

### What are the key features of MetroPulse?

Key features include up-to-the-second arrival times, real-time crowding and delay indicators, practical info on nearby stations (including elevator status), a trip planner with fare estimates, live performance metrics, service alerts, offline maps, and SmarTrip® integration.

### Is MetroPulse free to use?

Yes, MetroPulse is a free application. The description does not mention any costs, in-app purchases, or subscription fees associated with its use.

### What areas does MetroPulse cover?

MetroPulse provides transit information for the Washington region, specifically covering D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

### How can I plan a trip with MetroPulse?

To plan a trip, simply enter your destination into the trip planner feature. The app will provide multiple route options combining rail and bus, along with estimated fares and total travel times.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.4 — 2026-08-04

- Card icon updates - Line/route card, Station/stop card
- Mode filter – Filter Options, Interactions behavior, Variants
- Location Detail – Plan Trip, Page & Cards styling
- Favorites – Page structure, filters, Buttons (Addition/Rearrange)
- Navigation Bar – Container style, Removal of Transparency
- Rail disc – Route ladder
- Visual Fix - Text alignment, Clean Icon search
- GPS Button - Current location button design update
- Various fixes, Visual & Performance Optimization

### 2.0.3 — 2026-07-14

Map stop selection updates address bar
Dropped pin used as the default Explore location when GPS is turned off
Stops show all directions, including terminal locations
Map stop selection shows scheduled data on first click
Only one enlarged stop circle at a time
Multiple clicks needed to display stop-level arrivals
Stops not consistently highlighting or enlarging in Explore view
GPS icon should show off when GPS is turned off

### 2.0.2 — 2026-06-23

Enhanced real-time bus arrivals data in Explore and Favorite Views
Bus Route Labels updated to show bus route labels
Map re-centering when returning to Explore page
Route lines display's when clicking on bus, stop, route.
Added button to rotate map back to North if orientation has changed.

### 2.0.1 — 2026-06-11

Improved performance
Enhanced location tracking on map
Improved vehicle animations on map
Improvements to Explore and Favorites views
Advisories now included
Support for closed / skipped stops
Trip Planning settings update

### 2.0.0 — 2026-05-31

Streamlined user experience based on customer feedback
Next generation chat experience with interactive AI services and Live agent support
Multi-lingual support for English and Spanish speakers
Improved accessibility and various bug fixes

## Apps similar to Metro Pulse

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [ANC Explorer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anc-explorer/id562937243) | 3.0 (55) | Free | Travel |
| [CharmPass](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charmpass/id1411574150) | 4.9 (31,366) | Free | Travel |
| [Capital Bikeshare](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/capital-bikeshare/id1233403073) | 3.4 (636) | Free | Travel |
| [VRE Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vre-mobile/id984707579) | 4.1 (649) | Free | Travel |
| [ParkDC Permits](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkdc-permits/id1557292714) | 1.4 (82) | Free | Travel |
| [ParkRTC](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkrtc/id1114413585) | 3.7 (787) | Free | Travel |

## More apps by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

- [SmarTrip](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartrip/id1516539463)

All apps by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: https://appshunter.io/developer/1257235533

## Related topics

[wmata metropulse](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-metropulse) · [metropulse](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metropulse) · [wmata pulse](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-pulse) · [dc metropulse](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dc-metropulse) · [wmata metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-metro) · [wmata bus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-bus) · [bus schedule metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bus-schedule-metro) · [wmata](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata) · [wmata smartrip](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-smartrip) · [wmata trip planner](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wmata-trip-planner) · [app with dc metro route planning](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/app-with-dc-metro-route-planning) · [brownsville metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/brownsville-metro) · [metro bus dc](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metro-bus-dc) · [washington metro app](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/washington-metro-app) · [washington dc metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/washington-dc-metro) · [dc metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dc-metro) · [smartrip dc metro](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/smartrip-dc-metro) · [smartrip dc](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/smartrip-dc) · [metro rail dc](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/metro-rail-dc) · [dc next bus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dc-next-bus)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*