# Wave by OCTA — user reviews > 90 indexed App Store user reviews of Wave by OCTA by Orange County Transportation Authority, rated 1.86/5 from 155 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-by-octa/id6747179377/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-by-octa/id6747179377.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 21 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 8 · 1★ 76 ## What do users think of Wave by OCTA? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Easy to use - 💡 Needs NFC support **Cons** - 🐛 Can't sign in - 🐛 Not working - 🐛 Totally unable to sign in - 🐛 No free virtual on update - 🐛 Where's the free 15th-31st rides? **Commonly reported bugs** - Can't sign in - Not working - Totally unable to sign in - No free virtual on update - Where's the free 15th-31st rides? **Most requested features** - Free bus pass option - Easier college pass transfer ## Newest reviews (17 of 90) ### 2/5 — Sign Out *2026-04-17, version 1.3.0* This app keeps logging me out even though I have an account with them. The struggle is so real when I put in my password that is correct it keeps saying error so please fix this bug… ### 3/5 — Monthly Bus Pass *2026-04-01* I would say 5 stars however it was hidden knowledge to get a monthly bus pass you have to add $69 to the virtual card I was told when I called customer service. It’s my first day using it so far it still shows $69 balance so it seem like I was told accurate information however the app should be able to allow us to purchase the monthly or 90day or yearly rides instead of having to call in if this can be corrected this app would be 5stars! ### 1/5 — It keeps signing me out *2026-03-02, version 1.2.7* Why does this app keep signing me out I rather get a physical card then deal with this app again ### 1/5 — Horrible *2026-02-26, version 1.2.7* Logs me out and won’t send an email to reset my password seems like this app sucks in general ### 1/5 — App sucks <\3 *2026-02-25, version 1.2.7* App straight ASSS!!! ### 1/5 — Worse than physical passes *2026-02-24, version 1.2.7* The app kicks me out constantly, makes me reset my password, and kicks me out again the next day ### 1/5 — this app is terrible and octa sucks *2026-02-24, version 1.2.7* the paying button gets stuck and I spent half the trip trying to get it to allow me to pay. It logs me o ur every few uses and OCTA getting rid of the one day pass is a spit in the face. where does our money go in this city to destroy making transit possible for people. ### 3/5 — Keeps logging me out *2026-02-24* Why is there no remember me option?? Twice now I have opened the app to scan but I’m logged out. It’s so awkward just standing there logging in while the whole bus is waiting for me. Please fix this ### 1/5 — Not a good app. *2026-02-19, version 1.2.7* The last app was much easier. There are a million app developers out there, it shouldn’t be this bad. ### 1/5 — Can't activate my college to get free bus pass *2026-02-09, version 1.2.6* Not a successful app, it is a failure and a disaster app. ### 1/5 — 0 stars *2026-02-09* Took a perfectly fine app (OC Bus app) and shut it down for this garbage. Why?!? Its just extra steps from where we were before to get on the bus? Not to mention having the college free passes. Before, you just get the ticket in your account. Now, you have add the institution, then pass, then scan it, then realize it didnt even work and maybe you did something wrong, and then give up and pay your fare so you dont hold up the bus. This app blows. ### 1/5 — Unacceptable *2026-02-07* This has happened 3 times to me already since the app released. The app just signs me out randomly and then when I sign back in, my funds are gone and my progress for the bus fares reset. Besides this the app is fine but I don’t know what happens when the bus fare cap reaches 0 because again, it signs me out. Please fix this ### 1/5 — Can’t login in to password *2026-02-03, version 1.2.6* Oc bus app was better, this is too complicated and also i cant acces my account even tho I put in my correct password and email ### 1/5 — The most pointless update in history *2026-02-02, version 1.2.6* I see no reason for this app to replace the OC Bus app when it was working perfectly fine. I don’t even see the point in needing an account to get on the bus. The absurdity of that sentence cannot be put into words! “Ah, I have to get to school! Just let me sign in on my app so that I may climb aboard the bus!” All that you’ve done here is added an unnecessary extra step to what should be a very simple process: scan the QR code, get on the bus. I never even leave reviews. This is my first time ever writing a review for an app, because I was just so confused and frustrated by this thing’s existence! Whoever came up with this, go sit in the corner and think about what you’ve done. ### 1/5 — Not User Friendly *2026-02-01* If I could rate I lower I would. The other all was so much better, especially when it came to the passes updating passes for the new semester of community college. They tried being helpful with giving instructions but even then the app made it confusing. Why are there so many different options when trying to connect the account to an institution? Way more steps than necessary, if there were changes that wanted to be made it could have all been kept on the last app instead of making a new one. Instead of having direct access to a free pass from my school like normal, I had to spend money that I don’t have to spare on a ride. Extremely frustrating experience. ### 1/5 — QR code doesn’t work *2026-01-26, version 1.2.5* Loaded up my card with money, QR code won’t work on any of the readers. And I don’t have a crack on my screen so I have no idea why but now I am out of money because there is no way for a refund. ### 1/5 — This App Sucks D *2026-01-24, version 1.2.5* This is why the government is incompetent and just suck taxes from people like a parasite ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Ridiculously stupid *2026-05-19* So, I downloaded an app to purchase physical cards, that I subsequently have to pay to be mailed to me? The main purpose of installing an app on your mobile device is to pay for services without requiring any other physical instrument to process payment. Whose idea was this? Pay a consultant to hire a software developer from Upwork. Then a passenger could just purchase passes that can be added to their digital wallet. This is a ridiculous waste of time and resources when it is more convenient to just pay with cash when a person needs to take a bus somewhere. ### 1/5 — DIDNT WORK WHEN I NEEDED IT. *2026-05-13* If you expect this to work every time don’t. I always check my balance at least 10 minutes before I get on the bus, I check it five minutes before, I even leave the page open. When I needed to take the bus I opened it on my way to the bus stop and IT WOULD NOT LOG IN. It kept saying error or invalid. I even made a new account and it still wouldn’t work. The bus I needed doesn’t pass that often so I had to wait even longer to take the next one. Guess what. It still didn’t work, yes I know I can use cash but at that moment I didn’t have any this app is supposed to be reliable and make things easier but it didn’t. Please fix your app!! ### 1/5 — Missed bus due to errors *2026-04-16, version 1.2.7* I missed the bus 4 times already due to payment not letting me thru I never had this problem with older app ### 1/5 — terrible *2026-04-07, version 1.2.7* Everytime I tried loading money into my card, and I got on the bus it would always say “X” on the screen for no reason even when I had enough balance to ride it. I don’t know if it was a glitch but overall the old system was better. ### 1/5 — Ngl this app sucks *2026-04-03, version 1.2.7* This app is always having issues processing payments and when I try to logout and delete the app in an attempt to fix the issue, it says the actual bus card is linked to another device 💀 they need to bring back the old app cuz this one is booty cheeks ### 1/5 — Horrible *2026-03-24, version 1.2.7* If there was zero stars id select it. App is horrible not user friendly aswell as loggin is extremely fustrating. ### 1/5 — Downloadable Obstacle *2026-03-17* Wave by OCTA manages to accomplish something impressive: it takes what should be a simple task, paying to ride a bus, and turns it into a small logistical project. Based on the reviews, I’m clearly not the only one experiencing the same issues. The app sits at roughly a two-star rating, and after using it for a while it becomes obvious why. The entire thing feels less like a tool meant to help riders and more like a pointless middleman inserted purely so OCTA can track transactions. The biggest issue is reliability. The app absolutely refuses to stay signed in or remember login information consistently. That means when you’re actually standing at a bus stop and need to use it, you’re often locked out until you go through the login process again. If you’re lucky, that’s just a couple minutes. If you’re not, you’re resetting passwords and fighting with verification screens while the bus you were trying to catch drives away. Public transit apps should reduce friction. This one adds it. What makes it more frustrating is that the complaints in the reviews are almost identical to what you experience using it. That strongly suggests the designers either didn’t test the app in real commuting situations or simply didn’t prioritize the rider experience when building it. At the moment, the app feels less like a convenience and more like a downloadable obstacle placed between riders and the bus they’re trying to board. ### 1/5 — Can’t even register *2026-03-10, version 1.2.7* The app was so bad that I can’t even register for my account. Please fix it ### 1/5 — Trash *2026-03-08, version 1.2.7* Bring back the (OC Bus) app! It was so much easier and more efficient. Wave app has no daily passes or monthly passes that I can purchase! Y’all just made it worse and more frustrating to ride the bus! ### 1/5 — Stop logging users out! *2026-03-03, version 1.2.7* Constantly logging me out. No reason to do this whatsoever. Makes me not want to use it ever, and I won’t. I will pay with my credit card or cash. No thanks. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Disagreement *2026-02-10, version 1.2.6* Don’t listen to that guy/girl this app is easy to use ### 5/5 — i love it! *2026-01-22* i used the previous octa app; totally dated and old. wave by octa is so modern and sleek looking; easy to use and add funds! wave by octa also has the fare capping policy which is just so nice of them, i really appreciate it as someone who uses the bus to commute from college and back. one thing that i wish happened is that the transit app trip planner was integrated in the app but both of these apps are amazing! ### 5/5 — Finally got nfc! *2026-01-22, version 1.2.5* Needs support to add cards to apple wallet directly! ### 5/5 — The best app *2026-01-17, version 1.2.5* I have no problem with this service. ### 5/5 — Updated app still doesn’t fix login error *2025-11-07, version 1.0.3* FYI- UPDATE 11/07/25: Problem resolved. Wave App PW requirement of a ‘special’ character has limitations. DON’T use @ or %. Not sure what else but not all special characters work on this app. Updated app version 10/29/25 still doesn’t let Apple app version to login in. ### 5/5 — Easy to use *2025-10-14* This is the easiest transit app to use out Of all the counties in Southern California 🙏 ### 4/5 — Easy to Navigate *2026-04-11* The app is easy to navigate but keeps signing me off, after a while not using the app, I hope they can find a solution for it and add some new features for example Face ID overall very easy to use. ### 4/5 — Major improvements *2026-01-12* Seems to have major improvements since release. Makes it a lot easier. ### 4/5 — Needs nfc support *2025-10-14* Needs support to add cards to wallet directly to allow nfc **Developer response:** Starting November 1, you can use your Apple Wallet (or Google Wallet) to ride Wave using NFC. Just open your Wallet and tap on the validator. ### 3/5 — Random log outs *2026-06-07* App works fine but sometimes it has a bad habit of logging you out and at the worst time just before the bus comes. Not to mention that it won’t remember your password stored on your phone so the process takes longer and then the bus leaves --- *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 2026-09-05.*