# Translinks mLink — user reviews > 28 indexed App Store user reviews of Translinks mLink by Corethree Ltd., rated 4.52/5 from 142 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translinks-mlink/id915339454/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/translinks-mlink/id915339454.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 112 · 4★ 12 · 3★ 7 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 9 ## Newest reviews (8 of 28) ### 2/5 — Crashes regularly *2022-01-15* When trying to buy tickets, the app will regularly crash or glitch out to the point where you have to attempt to buy the ticket 3/4 times and reload it for as many times before it actually goes through. Will also temperamentally decline payment sometimes. Two stars for the times when it does work. The panic of trying to buy the ticket before your bus drives off on you lol ### 2/5 — Appalling badly designed app *2019-01-01* This app seems designed to make travelling in Northern Ireland easier. However it is poorly designed and offers no selection on what dates and times you want to travel so for example I was pre planning and paid for metro ticket to use the following day however it doesn’t allow this and is automatically activated so can only use on day. In that case better to just pay cash on trains and buses on the day until this is more effectively designed. Maybe of better use to residents and people who purchase monthly tickets. Maybe. ### 1/5 — Absolute trash avoid at all costs *2018-12-22* Downloaded this app to make the purchasing of tickets simple and more straight forward as the current website is a disaster. The app trumps the website by a mile. As another reviewer mentions, without warning, after you buy tickets, it auto activates then instead of putting them into the “ready to use” section. So within 6 hours of purchasing your tickets they are void (even if the trains aren’t running over night) so I lost out on £38 without warning. Do yourself a favour and pay at the station. ### 1/5 — Frustrating *2018-11-08* The new version of the Translink app is incredibly frustrating - it is clunky and not very user friendly. It is particularly irritating when you select the station you are due to depart from and you are given the minutes to your departure and not the actual time the train is due to leave. This matters because the minutes round to the nearest minute and when you are a regular commuter, sometimes one minute is the difference between you making your regular train or not. Bring back the actual time please and simplify the UI. ### 1/5 — An amazing achievement *2018-10-03* I would have thought it possible but you managed to make your app even worse. Yes, I know the bar had been set pretty low but you've managed to dig underneath it. This has to be one of the most unusable, user antagonistic apps available. You'd almost think that you weren't trying to sell tickets. Take a look at the service selection page. Is NI Railways really the least used service? I'll bet it's not, so why is it at the bottom of the list? Now, you've already set the record for the most unnecessary clicks to complete a transaction so why introduce unnecessary scrolling for what is likely a majority of users? ### 1/5 — Not fit for purpose *2018-08-02* One of the worst app in this technology era developed for the translink. I had a worst experience recently depending on this app. I brought 4 tickets for my family members thinking that it will save the hassle of using cash for our holiday in Belfast. App allowed me to purchase 4 tickets and instantly activated automatically (not an option). But the bus driver did not allowed us to travel other 3 persons telling us that translink will allow 1 ticket per phone. Very much offended in front of a packed crowd and to get out of the bus and took cash for the further travel. Why the app allowing to purchase multiple tickets and automatically activating immediately, if translink allows only 1 ticket per phone. Why this is not mentioned on their terms and conditions. Definitely challenge this, took a copy of the T&C. Worst one, and sorry to say translink uses these. ### 1/5 — Error *2015-01-19* Would not allow me to register - kept displaying an error message ### 1/5 — Very bad *2014-11-06* This app ask to to join with email personal details & make a password then it just keeps throwing you out of the app & does nothing. I have all my details thinking it was a public transport app for it just to be nothing ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Translink mLink NI transport app - very poor! *2024-05-18* The app has multiple little bugs and some big shortcomings. When you click travel / route planner it asks you download another app. It doesn’t auto flip between bus and train even when you select the desired option. There is no way to reserve a seat or even to book a ticket for a specific day. And the biggest major defect - if you purchase a ticket the day prior to travel, ie planning your travel in advance, the ticket expires at 0400 on the day of travel and is therefore invalid. And there is no mechanism to get a refund by phone or on the app. Really very poor! It’s 2024 Translink, not 2004. Get yourselves updated. For example, have a look at CityMapper or Trainline or Transport for London and see what a half decent app looks like. This is not rocket science or anything new. ### 1/5 — Absolutely useless app *2024-05-12* I just booked 2 tickets, costing 24 pounds sterling, with no available choice of a departure date. So I reckon there is no fixed date. Oh no, I must use them TODAY even though I need to travel tomorrow. USELESS APP, DO NOT USE IT!!! ### 1/5 — Confusing UX, and tickets that expire. *2024-03-21* Possibly the most confusing UX I’ve experienced in an app so far. Not only do you need to find the service you need to take through the app (you can’t search by start or destination) but you have to “activate” your ticket for it to work. Tickets are only valid for a limited time after activation, which means money can be wasted if your bus doesn’t turn up (it happens frequently with the service I take). Some tickets also auto-activate upon purchase. Whenever somebody comes to visit me, I have to help them to use the app if they want to use the bus. ### 1/5 — Designed by a child? A rare zero-rated app *2024-02-24* Zero rated across every aspect of functionality. Absolute rubbish. This app is like something a primary school child might have designed on their first attempt at coding. It is far and away the worst app by a wide margin out of literally hundreds I’ve used over the years. A one star rating is a way better rating than this app deserves. I went to login and found that IOS unusually did not populate login fields and didn’t have a password saved against an Mlink or Translink app. Then tried to set up an account but was told I already had one. Entered email, selected forgot password and was directed to Corethree to reset. How are users to remember to search for Corethree when logging in? Instead of being asked to enter departure and destination details and then being presented with travel options, users are greeted on logging in with a wide range of services, the names of which generally give little clue as to what routes they serve. There is no option for Smartpass users to book tickets. FAQs are not searchable. ### 1/5 — Translink Website .. Start Again, please *2023-08-12* I travel from Belfast to the other capital City in Ireland, it’s called Dublin and it’s only 100 miles away. Can I buy a rail ticket online .. No, I don’t think so, no trains available it says Can I reserve 1st class seat online ..No definitely not. I am a person with TMBs, and I can’t book a seat or pay to upgrade my concession pass assisted seat either. So standing in line for half an hour to be sure of a seat is well behind in my thinking compared to taking the car as a good option. The Belfast website designer and the Top Man responsible for the beloved and increasingly busy Enterprise Service both need to Start Again to refresh their reputations. Or just align with the “ Irish Rail App “. It’s good. By the way the Wi fi on the train usually doesn’t work either. And this is nearly quarter way through the 21st century. R. ### 1/5 — Ridiculous *2023-06-22* Travelling with my sister & we used the Translink busses to get from the Dublin Airport to Warrenpoint. They don’t have ticket machines at the airport, so we went online to buy tickets. Can’t buy them there as the website refers us to the app. We download the app. Routes are for Northern Ireland/Belfast only! Can’t even buy tickets to guarantee that we will make it to our Airbnb & back to make our flight in a few days, yet they have services to and from the Dublin airport???? ### 1/5 — Rubbish. *2023-05-15* Super unfriendly app needs a complete rebuild. ### 1/5 — Absolutely useless *2022-08-21, version 3.106* Trying to buy a ticket from Dublin airport to nearby park and ride. Can’t find the route. Refers you to the OTHER Translink app. That app doesn’t allow you to add and purchase tickets Worthless. ### 1/5 — WARNING - hold off updating app until tickets expire *2019-08-13* TLDR - App updated and appears to have caused my ticket to expire. App Is crippled due to crashing Fix - App keeps crashing daily(IPhone XR). Placing phone in airplane mode(no internet connection at all) try and buy a few tickets , It will crash. After a few attempts it should tell you there is no internet connectivity. Turn off airplane mode and buy a ticket. Oddly this fix needs to be done daily. I followed my normal routine, walked to the bus stop, opened the app to get ticket and I was greeted with a warning that the time or something(can’t really remember error message) had changed on my phone and as a result my ticket could not be verified so my weekly ticket was set as expired. Not only that but it just disappeared from the app. If it stayed I could at least use that along with my receipt to prove purchase. The app then continuously crashed on me. Restarting my phone helped but still crashed numerous times before just magically started working again. Never had this issue before and I’ve been using the app for about 1 year , however I did notice my phone updated the app automatically with the new version sometime since yesterday evening. Now I have to waste time getting my money back for my day ticket as I still had to use the bus. If a refund is unsuccessful I would be very concerned about using this app for any monthly tickets now, let alone weekly. ### 1/5 — Far too buggy and glitch ridden to be dependable. *2019-08-02* It’s a great idea to purchase your tickets and show them via app but the execution of the app is so bad that you’re far better using their smart card to top up your journeys. Continual issues such as tickets disappearing and then reappearing, tickets prematurely expiring and the most recent ‘clock tampering’ error/glitch makes the app so unreliable that you have to carry cash or a smart card around with you anyway because you’re petrified of now being able to show your ticket to a driver (who are merciless in the face of issues and demand payment). Translink will reemburse you for tickets bought because of known issues but who wants to take a picture and email it every time plus, isn’t the point not to worry about having cash to pay for tickets. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but it’s not worth the pain and risk for so many ongoing errors and I’ll be going back to my smart card. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Perfectly good app *2024-06-22* I would start by saying all the people gurning about this app need to learn how to use apps, and smart phones, properly, first. This ticketing app works fine. My only complaint would be buying multiple tickets on it (eg if I'm with the kids) isn't possible. You have to send them to another user or something which is daft. But this doesn't happen that often so it's fine. ### 5/5 — Mr: Ali *2023-11-26* Make my travel easier ### 5/5 — App works fine *2023-09-30* Just remember to buy your ticket a day before you plan to travel, then activate the ticket before boarding the bus. You only have a certain amount of time to use the ticket once you click activate before that ticket expires, so make sure your bus is there in front of you. I purchased a return ticket yesterday on the app (via Apple pay) and used the outbound and return tickets today with no issues. ### 5/5 — Great app *2019-11-06* Really handy app to have and good improvements have been made since I first downloaded it. Way better for keeping rail tickets on hand when leaving the platform, as opposed to trying to find a paper ticket! My only bug bear is that I can’t purchase a yLink Goldline ticket (273 route) - if this was resolved the app would be perfect! ### 5/5 — Love it *2018-09-20* I find this app very handy and so far for me has operated really well . My first purchase did not go well as I did not read clearly the information. However when contacting by email the customer services they came back quickly and reimbursed me within 2 days . So good customer service and a great app for me . Timetables within the app and the range of tickets available with cost to make your choice easy . ### 4/5 — Good for individuals… not so good for families *2021-12-04* Have used this app a couple of times now and it has definitely made me more likely to use public transport. My only problem is the hassle of travelling as a family as the app doesn’t allow the purchase of child along with adult tickets together… Unless I’m missing something?! ### 3/5 — Wish I didn’t need this *2023-11-15* Did you just Google “Belfast bus contactless,” see a result that says you can tap to pay on the buses, but get told by my the driver that’s not true? This is the app for you. This app assumes you know what line your bus is on. Want to figure that out? You need another app. Also, requires full account registration to buy a ticket instead of just using the app as a guest. In the end, I was still able to buy a ticket, so I guess it works. ### 3/5 — Needs changes *2022-09-13* It’s very frustrating that you cannot gift a child a ticket in advance and then they can activate it 45 mins before travel. It is hard to get out of work to buy the ticket at the right time for my daughter getting out of school since I only have a 45 minute window. Also when gifting why do you need to enter the phone number every single time - surely there could be saved contacts that you can send to if you are gifting tickets to the same child account regularly. ### 3/5 — Good but not great *2019-03-14* The app offers the convenience of being able to purchase tickets without queuing or carrying cash. Unfortunately it’s just too slow, when you go to my tickets and tap on a active ticket, it takes 15-30 seconds to load, it should be almost instantaneous, holds queues up and is just not necessary. Long know issue with 24+ student monthly tickets not showing free weekend travel on valid tickets hasn’t been sorted for over a year ### 3/5 — Warning when buying multiple tickets *2018-03-24* Bought two Airport returns (one for me, one for wife) but you can only have one active ticket at a time on app. Thankfully driver let us on but there should be some info/warning about this when buying multiple tickets. No option to transfer ticket to another device like some other apps have. Hoping return journey driver is sound! Apart from that app works well. --- *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 2026-06-10.*