The Official MTA App

Name: The Official MTA App
Rating: 4.4 (12250 reviews)
Author: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

MTA transit and map info

Free

12K Ratings
Ages

4+
Years
Category

Travel
Developer

Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Language

EN
English
Size

140.4
MB

Get live transit updates straight from the source. The official MTA app is the best way to get real-time arrival info for subways and buses, plus service status updates, maps, a live customer service chat, and more. • Know exactly when the next train or bus is coming with our up-to-the-minute arrival board for every station and stop in the system. • Reliable real-time information from the MTA, with a new Status tab to quickly see on any service issues. • Save a subway line or bus route for easy and quick access to arrival info and status updates for your frequently used stops and stations. • See real-time service updates, planned service changes, and information about elevator and escalator outages. • Our live customer service chat connects you with an MTA employee who can help you with your ride. The MTA app is built by MTA riders for MTA riders. We update the app regularly based on your feedback.

Ratings & Reviews

4.4

out of 5

12K Ratings

Looks nice, but old app was much easier and more reliable/accurate
04/06/2024

asnow1190
The layout of this new app is far busier and requires more taps to get the same information as the old app/web platform. For a tourist not in a hurry, that information can be useful, but for a native NYer who needs to get someplace now, fumbling through an app to find the same information can mean missing a train, bus, or transfer.However, the worst part is that estimated arrival times are more often than not, completely wrong. Trains and buses in the app that don’t exist, arrival times being 3-5 minutes off, and travel times between stops completely incorrect (too long or too short). Cross checking with the train arrival signs in stations or at bus stops and checking the web app show me that this app is the issue and somehow is working off different algorithms or data sets to estimate timing. The web app has become quite good and overwhelmingly is the most reliable for arrival times.I’ve resorted to using the web app, because while not perfect, it’s by comparison 5 stars over this. I look forward to some fast updates to fix, at the very least, the missing and incorrect arrival times.

Developer Response
Thank you for your comments. Your feedback is important to us as we continue to improve the product in future releases.
Looks nice, but old app was much easier and more reliable/accurate
04/06/2024

asnow1190

The layout of this new app is far busier and requires more taps to get the same information as the old app/web platform. For a tourist not in a hurry, that information can be useful, but for a native NYer who needs to get someplace now, fumbling through an app to find the same information can mean missing a train, bus, or transfer.However, the worst part is that estimated arrival times are more often than not, completely wrong. Trains and buses in the app that don’t exist, arrival times being 3-5 minutes off, and travel times between stops completely incorrect (too long or too short). Cross checking with the train arrival signs in stations or at bus stops and checking the web app show me that this app is the issue and somehow is working off different algorithms or data sets to estimate timing. The web app has become quite good and overwhelmingly is the most reliable for arrival times.I’ve resorted to using the web app, because while not perfect, it’s by comparison 5 stars over this. I look forward to some fast updates to fix, at the very least, the missing and incorrect arrival times.
Developer Response 04/18/2024
Thank you for your comments. Your feedback is important to us as we continue to improve the product in future releases.
Absolutely Terrible Update
Apr 8

Adam Mella
I don’t know what compelled the MTA to release this update, but whoever was responsible for this should be fired immediately. This update is horrendous and should never have seen the light of day. If the goal was to disrupt, anger, and inconvenience the thousands of New Yorkers who relied on this app for travel, then congratulations because you’ve succeeded in doing just that. This is only time I can think of in recent memory where an update has less practical functionality than the previous version. Opening the app to a tab of all my favorited train stations and bus stops? Gone. An easily navigable and simple user interface? Gone. The only two things I appreciate in this update is the swap direction button for the subways and the layout of the subway tab in the status page, but at the expense of everything else that made this app great to use, I’d rather have the old version back. This is what happens when you design apps for the approval of your corporate stakeholders instead of the people who use the app everyday. Do better next time.Edit: The times for the trains and buses aren’t even accurate anymore. I nearly missed my train multiple times because the app would say 5 minutes but the train was already approaching the station. Luckily I was close enough I could run. You should be ashamed of yourselves for releasing something so terrible.
Absolutely Terrible Update
Apr 8

Adam Mella

I don’t know what compelled the MTA to release this update, but whoever was responsible for this should be fired immediately. This update is horrendous and should never have seen the light of day. If the goal was to disrupt, anger, and inconvenience the thousands of New Yorkers who relied on this app for travel, then congratulations because you’ve succeeded in doing just that. This is only time I can think of in recent memory where an update has less practical functionality than the previous version. Opening the app to a tab of all my favorited train stations and bus stops? Gone. An easily navigable and simple user interface? Gone. The only two things I appreciate in this update is the swap direction button for the subways and the layout of the subway tab in the status page, but at the expense of everything else that made this app great to use, I’d rather have the old version back. This is what happens when you design apps for the approval of your corporate stakeholders instead of the people who use the app everyday. Do better next time.Edit: The times for the trains and buses aren’t even accurate anymore. I nearly missed my train multiple times because the app would say 5 minutes but the train was already approaching the station. Luckily I was close enough I could run. You should be ashamed of yourselves for releasing something so terrible.
If it ain’t broke…
04/06/2024

Nelluv
Why would you completely change the app? I used to be able to open the app, click on the subway line I needed, scroll down and see when the train was coming. Now there are so many added steps. I have to keep switching to my favorites tab instead of my favorite lines just being there when I open the app, click past a service change alert page and change the direction I need to see EVERYtime. Then I have to push the stop times up to fill the screen because for some reason they added a huge unnecessary map on the subway page. Also the train times are gone. It used to say the scheduled time a train was coming as well as how many minutes away it was. Now it just says how many minutes. We have limited time when trying to catch a train. I just need to open it, make 1 or 2 clicks and see when the train is coming. I used to be able to do that. This new app takes too much to navigate. The whole user interface is just unnecessarily clunky and not user friendly. Simple is always better. I never used the bus part of the app for this same reason and always chose to use the web browser. Now you’ve ruined the subway part. The only positive is that it now supports dark mode. I wish I’d never updated. Please change it back.

Developer Response
Thank you for your feedback. We just updated the app so that you can now set your preferred default tab. Go to More > Tab Settings to set which tab displays when you come back to the app later. The app now also remembers where you were within the Explore and Status tabs. We appreciate your patience as we continue to make updates to the app.
If it ain’t broke…
04/06/2024

Nelluv

Why would you completely change the app? I used to be able to open the app, click on the subway line I needed, scroll down and see when the train was coming. Now there are so many added steps. I have to keep switching to my favorites tab instead of my favorite lines just being there when I open the app, click past a service change alert page and change the direction I need to see EVERYtime. Then I have to push the stop times up to fill the screen because for some reason they added a huge unnecessary map on the subway page. Also the train times are gone. It used to say the scheduled time a train was coming as well as how many minutes away it was. Now it just says how many minutes. We have limited time when trying to catch a train. I just need to open it, make 1 or 2 clicks and see when the train is coming. I used to be able to do that. This new app takes too much to navigate. The whole user interface is just unnecessarily clunky and not user friendly. Simple is always better. I never used the bus part of the app for this same reason and always chose to use the web browser. Now you’ve ruined the subway part. The only positive is that it now supports dark mode. I wish I’d never updated. Please change it back.
Developer Response 04/18/2024
Thank you for your feedback. We just updated the app so that you can now set your preferred default tab. Go to More > Tab Settings to set which tab displays when you come back to the app later. The app now also remembers where you were within the Explore and Status tabs. We appreciate your patience as we continue to make updates to the app.
Not great anymore
Apr 1

codecblack
Yeah, I’ve been using this since moving to NY. I’ve been here over a year now and what I loved about the app was that it saved locations for you so you could tap the app and it’ll go from your current location. I LOVED that. Now you go in and everytime you have to press your location and then where you want to go. There are no save route options. I’d like to point out I had about 13 destinations saved that were places I went to very regularly. When you go to pick your route it is hard to read. It looks bad. It used to say how much time to transfer between stops without having to click it and everything. I also loved that I could actively watch my bus and where it is so make sure what I can catch and can’t catch. I have to click three separate pages to get there now. This is a lot and not in a good way. I know there were many notices saying the app was getting a big change but you would’ve thought for the better…not whatever this is.
Not great anymore
Apr 1

codecblack

Yeah, I’ve been using this since moving to NY. I’ve been here over a year now and what I loved about the app was that it saved locations for you so you could tap the app and it’ll go from your current location. I LOVED that. Now you go in and everytime you have to press your location and then where you want to go. There are no save route options. I’d like to point out I had about 13 destinations saved that were places I went to very regularly. When you go to pick your route it is hard to read. It looks bad. It used to say how much time to transfer between stops without having to click it and everything. I also loved that I could actively watch my bus and where it is so make sure what I can catch and can’t catch. I have to click three separate pages to get there now. This is a lot and not in a good way. I know there were many notices saying the app was getting a big change but you would’ve thought for the better…not whatever this is.

All-new subway and bus experience, redesigned from the ground up. The essential companion for riding the MTA subway and bus system just got even better. - Performance and reliability improvements throughout the app.

Version 4.4.0 Apr 8

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Contact Info
- User Content
Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Location
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Supported Features
- VoiceOver
- Larger Text
- Dark Interface

Information

Seller: MTA/New York City Transit
Size: 140.4 MB
Category: Travel
Compatibility: Requires iOS 15.1 or later.

iPhone
Requires iOS 15.1 or later.

iPad
Requires iPadOS 15.1 or later.

iPod touch
Requires iOS 15.1 or later.

Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
Languages: English
Age Rating: 4+

4+

Learn More

Developer Website

Privacy Policy

More by Metropolitan Transportation Authority

MTA TrainTime

Railroad tickets and trips

You Might Also Like

NYC Transit: MTA Subway & Bus

Live Times, LIRR, Metro-North
New York Subway MTA Map NYC

Live NY Routes & Transit Times
NYC Ferry

Explore NYC like never before
Subway Time NYC

Subway & bus arrivals
RidePATH

Official PATH Train App
NJ TRANSIT Mobile App

Travel
NY Waterway

Travel
New York Mobile ID

NY official digital ID
New York City Subway

Offline maps and route planner
Citi Bike

NYC’s own bike share system

The Official MTA App

Ratings & Reviews

Looks nice, but old app was much easier and more reliable/accurate

Absolutely Terrible Update

If it ain’t broke…

Not great anymore

What’s New

App Privacy

Data Linked to You

Data Not Linked to You

Accessibility

Supported Features

VoiceOver

Larger Text

Dark Interface

Information

More by Metropolitan Transportation Authority

MTA TrainTime

You Might Also Like

NYC Transit: MTA Subway & Bus

New York Subway MTA Map NYC

NYC Ferry

Subway Time NYC

RidePATH

NJ TRANSIT Mobile App

NY Waterway

New York Mobile ID

New York City Subway

Citi Bike