# Pop for Tyne and Wear Metro — Tyne and Wear Metro App

> Official app for Tyne and Wear Metro travel planning and live service updates. (iPhone/iPad app by Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-for-tyne-and-wear-metro/id1169044288 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571291892)
- Category: Travel, Navigation
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 86 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 25 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2016-11-05
- Data updated: 2026-09-18
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-for-tyne-and-wear-metro/id1169044288/reviews.md

## What is Pop for Tyne and Wear Metro?

The official Tyne and Wear Metro app makes it easier for you to get around Tyne and Wear by Metro. As well as incorporating official timetable and connection information, the app pulls live data direct from Tyne and Wear Metro Control, giving you live updates on the service and travel advice during periods of disruption.

Use the official app to get live information and plan your journey. You can also use the app to set your favourite stations and journeys.

Metro Connect - The Pop App can now connect you to free public Wi-Fi in applicable Metro Stations.

## Key features

- Live service updates
- Official timetable information
- Journey planning
- Travel advice during disruptions
- Favorite stations and journeys
- Connect to station Wi-Fi

## What do users think of Pop for Tyne and Wear Metro?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Real-time train tracking (when it works)
- 👍 Useful for planning (as a rough guide)
- 👍 Notifies about delays
- 👍 Helpful for visually impaired users

**Cons**

- 🐛 Inaccurate live times
- 🐛 Unreliable service
- 🐛 App crashes/doesn't load
- 🐛 Poor UI/UX
- 🐛 Difficult login/signup
- 🐛 Outdated interface
- 🐛 Map feature is unhelpful
- 🐛 Can't specify platform
- 🐛 Journey planner issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent with station boards
- 🐛 Delays/gaps not updated
- 🐛 Useless for payment/card management
- 🐛 Lacks essential features
- 🐛 Overly complex after updates

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Live times are frequently inaccurate
- App crashes on launch
- App fails to load
- Login/signup process is difficult
- Updates introduce new bugs
- Map feature is unhelpful and takes up too much space
- Cannot specify platform for train times
- Journey planner does not show fastest route or multiple options
- Times on app differ from station boards
- Delays and service gaps are not updated in real-time
- Cannot manage or top up Pop card via app
- No digital Pop card option for iPhone
- App does not respond to accessibility text size changes
- Live times fail to update correctly
- Separating departures by destination is unhelpful
- Service status not fully visible due to scrolling issues
- App loads webpages that do not fit screen
- Links in app do not function
- Balance on app differs from station machine

**Most requested features**

- Add digital Pop card to Apple Wallet
- Enable ticket purchasing/topping up via app
- Integrate Apple Pay for top-ups
- Improve journey planner functionality
- Allow specifying platform for times
- Revert to previous app design/features
- Improve UI/UX and intuitiveness
- Add manual refresh button
- Allow adding multiple journey results
- Make app compatible with accessibility text size changes
- Provide timetable information
- Improve customer service responsiveness

## Recent user reviews (10 of 86)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pop-for-tyne-and-wear-metro/id1169044288/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Useless app

*2026-04-06*

I thought getting POP payg would save me money, but the app is useless to an iPhone user,  so far as top ups, balance checks and tapping in and out is concerned.  
iPhone is the most popular make in the world, surely POP should work without me carrying a physical card!
Why can’t I check my balance?
And why doesn’t it credit the moment I pay, instead of ‘maybe’ two days later?
And as for tracking trains, this is only mildly useful when the trains are off, or late.  Which seems to be a lot of the time.  
If car drivers, like me, are to be enticed onto public transport, there is a long way to go. I thought this new mayor was going to sort all this out.  Had plenty of time now.  No excuse for such a major transport network.

### 1/5 — Terrible, quirky!

*2026-03-07*

This is one of the worst apps I’ve ever used. Sometimes shows the top up button sometimes doesn’t sometimes the card works sometimes it doesn’t sometimes let you login sometimes doesn’t you get the gist?

### 3/5 — Worse than useless at times

*2026-02-03*

Used to be good but now totally unreliable. Times in the app bear little relationship to times displayed on the platform boards. You will often be heading for a train and the time suddenly shrinks 3 or 4 minutes so you miss it. This morning I nearly missed two trains because of it - one disappeared completely from the app, only reappeared when it was 1 minute away. Desperately needs work to make it more reliable otherwise it’s junk.

### 1/5 — Poor at displaying correct times

*2025-12-02*

If this app’s primary aim is to provide accurate information on when a train is due at a station then it fails miserably. For example too often it will say train is due 10 minutes time only for you to check 2 minutes later and instead of saying 8 minutes time it says 2 minutes or so! If that is simply due to the decrepit state of the whole system then maybe Nexus needs to explain why but you have to take with a pinch of salt any times it does display.

### 1/5 — inaccurate

*2025-11-21, version 2.2.6*

the times and live metro tracking is so inaccurate sometimes and it has caused me to be late to work many times

### 1/5 — Awful service

*2025-07-30*

The ‘live’ tracker on this app only works about 50% of the time, the other times it will say a metro is 10 minutes away and one turns up a few minutes later or will say it’s 2 minutes away and not turn up for another 15 minutes. Then don’t get me started on the metro service as a whole. More days than not at the minute there is gaps in service or delays in service considerably affecting my commute to work. The worst part is when there is gaps or delays in service it says to check the pop app for live times which like I said isn’t even right half the time. Inconvenience after inconvenience making me late for work

### 1/5 — The Worst Travel App

*2025-07-24, version 2.2.6*

Useless. The departure and arrival times are not accurate at all. I don’t even want to start with all the delays and gaps in service that also are not updated in time.

### 1/5 — Joke of an app

*2025-07-18, version 2.2.6*

What a joke of a app.
Downloaded and tried to get a pay as you go card. Set up an account then it won’t let me apply for a card as it says there’s already an account attached to my details!
Yes the ones I’ve just entered as requested by the app.
Then go round in circles and get nowhere.
Try going through the website and get stuck in a cycle of repeating errors.
Genius!!!

### 2/5 — Not great really…

*2025-07-07*

As a daily commuter. The map, which is rather useless takes up more screen space than the actual list of train times. You can’t specify which platform you need times for, so you end up with a long lists of trains in a really small space (see South Gosforth station).

All we need is list of trains leaving the specified station, platform and their destination.

### 1/5 — Update made it bad

*2025-04-29, version 2.2.6*

App used to be good, but with the update the live times of the trains aren’t correct.

## Frequently asked questions about Pop for Tyne and Wear Metro

### What does the Tyne and Wear Metro app do?

The official app helps you navigate the Tyne and Wear Metro system. It provides official timetables, connection details, and live updates directly from Metro Control. You can also plan your journeys and receive travel advice during service disruptions.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include live service updates, official timetable and connection information, journey planning capabilities, and travel advice during disruptions. Users can also set favorite stations and journeys, and connect to free public Wi-Fi at applicable Metro stations.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, this is the official and free app for the Tyne and Wear Metro. There are no costs associated with downloading or using its core features for travel planning and live updates.

### What kind of information can I get about my journey?

You can get live information about your journey, including real-time service updates and travel advice during periods of disruption. The app also offers official timetable and connection information to help you plan your route effectively.

### Can I save my frequent routes?

Yes, the app allows you to set your favorite stations and journeys. This feature makes it easier and quicker to plan your regular commutes or frequent trips on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3.2 — 2026-08-14

This update includes general maintenance and improvements to keep things running smoothly.

### 2.3.1 — 2026-08-06

This update includes general maintenance and improvements to keep things running smoothly. We've updated and added links throughout the app, refined several features, and made behind-the-scenes enhancements to improve overall stability and performance.

### 2.3.0 — 2026-06-04

No release notes.

### 2.2.8 — 2026-02-15

Update to enable customers to report antisocial behaviour directly to Metro control using WhatsApp or SMS.

### 2.2.7 — 2025-12-10

Metro Connect - The Pop App can now connect you to free public Wi-Fi in applicable Metro Stations.

---

*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 2026-09-18.*
