In just a few months, showing the Green Pass to access many public and work places has become a natural gesture for millions of people. Part of the discussions in recent weeks, parallel to the government's reasoning on how to strengthen it, has concerned the taxation of controls, which in the experience of practically anyone can vary greatly depending on the context and place (up to not being there at all). But generally, when the Green Pass is checked it is a very quick operation, although there can be some slowdown when there is someone who cannot find the photo of the certification, saved somewhere on their smartphone, or who shows a worn print of the QR code (“which until yesterday was fine and now just won't go through”).
After all, there are many ways to keep your Green Pass handy, which have become more and more creative. Some are more practical than others, and may prove useful as we will likely continue to need them for a while longer.
Where to get the Green Pass The starting point for getting the Green Pass is the government's official website, which contains directions and instructions on the many ways available. It can be downloaded directly from that site via SPID or CIE, or by using the health card or the electronic health record (FSE), the Immuni application or the IO public administration application.
The Green Pass can also be requested through your family doctor or at the pharmacy. In this case it is sufficient to carry the health card with you to obtain the certification in paper or digital format.
Image The most popular way to take the Green Pass with you is to save it in the image gallery of your smartphone. You can do it directly from the IO app by choosing "Save" from the screen where the Green Pass is displayed and selecting the next (and for now only) option "Save as image in gallery".
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Immuni does not give the possibility to save the Green Pass in image format, but you can take a screenshot and save that in case you have an iPhone (on Android this functionality is often limited).
Image gallery The Green Pass in the smartphone gallery has the advantage of being always accessible, even if there is no connection. The problem is that many keep it in the midst of vacation photos or thousands of photographs of their newly born grandson: as new images accumulate, it becomes increasingly difficult to retrieve the Green Pass on the fly for a check, with the risk of provoking code while browsing the archive for the lost certificate.
To avoid problems of this type, it is advisable to insert the image of the Green Pass in the roll of favorites, where there are usually fewer images. Otherwise, you can create an album only for the Green Pass, and then indicate it as a favorite, so as to have it at hand every time you open the application with the collection of your photos. Here are the instructions for iPhone and here for Android.
Notes An equally valid, and perhaps even faster, system consists in saving the Green Pass in a note on your smartphone, then inserting it among the notes of your favorites. In this way, every time you have to show the QR code it will be enough to open the notes application.
It is a faster method than the favorites in the photo gallery, but it is necessary that there are not too many notes highlighted, otherwise you will end up having the same problem to recover the certification at each check. For the notes you can start from here for iPhone and from here for Android.
Screen lock Another option that many people have adopted is to insert the QR code as a wallpaper that appears when the smartphone is locked. This way it is sufficient to activate the screen and show it to the control, but there are some drawbacks to consider. The first is that if the phone shows the latest lost notifications these will cover the Green Pass code, the second is that you have to resign yourself to having an unattractive image as a background, even if you can create a little creative wallpapers that show other, in addition to the QR code. To change the lock screen image on iPhone, start here, and from here for Android.
Smartphone background Alternatively, you can set the Green Pass image as the background of your smartphone: it will appear behind the application icons, but it will be sufficient to organize them so that they do not cover the QR code. Also in this case the aesthetic effect is not the best, but it could be for those who use little smartphones and prefer pragmatic approaches.
Widgets The most recent versions of iOS, the operating system of the iPhone, and of Android also give the possibility to add widgets of various types to the main screen of your smartphone, which show previews of notes, images and contents from other applications. One possibility is therefore to use them to access certification more quickly. The instructions to follow vary according to the versions of the operating systems, here are those for iOS and here for Android in their most recent editions.
Google Drive Those with a Google account can save their Green Pass on Google Drive, the system for remotely storing documents, images and other files. First download the app (iPhone / Android) and upload the QR code image on it, then choose the option "Make available offline".
Then you enter the Google Drive site via Safari (iPhone) or Chrome (Android), open the image and choose the option from the browser to add a shortcut on the main screen of the smartphone. This way every time you touch the shortcut icon, your phone will open the saved image in offline mode on the Google Drive app.
It is a little complicated to set up, but once done it makes it much easier to recover the Green Pass. Alternatively, you can use a Google Drive widget, if available in the version of the operating system of the smartphone you are using.
Satispay With a recent update, the Satispay payment app has introduced an option to add various types of cards that also use QR codes. Just start the application and choose "Cards" from the first screen, then follow the instructions to add the Green Pass (you need to photograph it from another screen).
Stocard Even the app for having the cards in digital format Stocard gives you the possibility to add your own Green Pass.
Wallet / Google Pay Both iOS and Android have their own systems for storing card and credit card data, and potentially both could be used to store the Green Pass. At the moment, however, the IO application does not give the possibility to directly add the certification to those systems.
On the app stores there are applications that solve the problem and there are also sites that do the same, without the need to download an additional app. The most used is called CovidPass and claims to carry out the conversion entirely on the smartphone, without sending data elsewhere. It is good to remember that the Green Pass contains some personal data and it is therefore advisable to put it in circulation as little as possible, uploading it to external systems, especially if they do not inspire much trust.
Paper Smartphones download, often at their best. It is therefore advisable to print a copy of your Green Pass and keep it in your pocket, wallet or purse, so that you have a Plan B in case you turn off your phone.
Cover Some people choose to print the Green Pass QR code and stick it on the back of their smartphone, so they always have it at hand. The most methodical then cover it with transparent adhesive tape so that it does not wear out, fade or bleed. It can be a practical solution, but it poses some risk because the code is always exposed and could be photographed by someone, to find out your name, surname and date of birth, or to start using the Green Pass for you (trusting that the controls are not even asked for a document).