Wave by OCTA

Name: Wave by OCTA
Rating: 1.9 (151 reviews)
Author: Orange County Transportation Authority

By: Orange County Transportation Authority

The easiest way to pay & ride

Features & Capabilities

The Wave by OCTA app makes OC Bus travel easier, faster, and smarter. It automatically caps fares so you’ll never overpay and uses a virtual Wave card for quick boarding, plus features like auto-reload and cash top-up at participating retailers. You can manage up to eight Wave cards, view real-time bus information, and apply reduced fare status to your Wave card.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App Navigation & Mapping Payments Privacy & Security

By:

Orange County Transportation Authority

Rating:

1.90

(151)

Version:

1.3.0 Last updated: 2026-04-16

Version code:

884283551

Creation date:

2025-09-19

Compatible devices:

Size:

23.10MB

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Apple Apps Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-07

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 179,276 ▼ 197

Other platforms

Wave by OCTA (v1.3.0)

42,609 3.61

(149)

For Developers

Monetize with App Pass Boost with Extension Booster

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Apple app. Please use these information below to contact the Apple app developer.

Developed by:

Orange County Transportation Authority

Apple Apps Store

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wave-by-octa/id6747179377

Website:

https://wave.octa.net/

User Reviews

User reviews show Wave by OCTA is plagued by reliability and payment friction. The most recurring complaints are frequent login/out issues, payment/top-up failures, and balance resets after sign-in. Users also lament the absence of daily/monthly passes and the clunkier transition from OC Bus to Wave. A smaller number praise basic usability and a modern UI. Overall sentiment is negative due to stability issues and onboarding friction at boarding.

Pros

Easy to use and navigate (user-friendly UI)
Easy to add funds/top up within the app
Modern, sleek interface compared to the old OC Bus app

Cons

Frequent sign-out / not staying signed in (login friction)
Payments/top-up frequently fail or are slow (stuck payments, QR reader issues)
Funds balance can disappear or reset after sign-in/out
No daily/monthly passes within the Wave app (passes missing or require calling)
Poor transition from OC Bus to Wave (old app was easier, more steps, more friction)

Recent reviews

The app keeps logging me out at random times before hopping onto the bus.

by Sw*****, 2026-05-26

App randomly signs you out at the worst possible times, so as you’re boarding the bus, the app forces you to create a new password before you can use the virtual card, as the driver looks at you like you’re crazy. A big inconvenience!

by gu*****, 2026-05-24

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.