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The situation of the digital Covid vaccine card, the barcode we keep on our phones and present to businesses and venues as proof of vaccination, is chaotic.

While some states like California and New York accept digital records as proof of vaccination In states like Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida to allow entry to restaurants and other businesses banned their use. This means that anyone planning to travel to the United States this holiday season should research policies at their destination.

Still, it’s undeniable that a digital card is much more useful than a physical one. For many, the thought of misplacing a paper record can be of great concern, so it’s nice to have our vaccination data on devices we carry everywhere. And like companies Apple and Google we have found convenient ways to store and retrieve our vaccine IDs.

Many things remain unclear to travelers. Omicron variant. To help you plan safe escapes this holiday season, I’ll review some of the simplest ways to carry your Covid-related health data, including vaccine passports and test results.

Here’s what you need to know.

Best practice: Apple and Google wallet apps

Everything in order. To find your state’s policies regarding digital vaccine credentials, check the health department’s website.

Some states, including California, Utah, Washington, and New York, offer what are called SMART Health Cards. These are digital credentials linked to an official database containing your records of vaccination or test results. They come in the form of QR codes, which are essentially barcodes that look like a group of black and white squares and contain information about your vaccines or test results.

States that work with SMART Health Cards (a complete list can be found online) allows you to visit a web portal to add your credentials directly to the official wallet apps on iPhone and Android phones. These wallet apps are the default place to store data and can be opened immediately by pressing the phone’s power button for quick access to your health document.

Here is an example of how to do this on an iPhone in California:

• Check that you have installed the latest software update (version 15.1.1) for iOS. To do this, open the Settings app, tap General, then Software Update.

• Once you have the vaccination card, tap the button labeled “Add to Apple Wallet and Health.” You can now access your vaccination card by opening the Wallet app or pressing the power button twice.

And here is an example of how to do it on an Android phone in New York:

• Check if you are running Android version 5 or higher. To do this, open Settings, tap on System and select Advanced followed by system update.

• After receiving the vaccination card, tap the button labeled “Save to phone” and follow the instructions to save a shortcut to your home screen. You can now access your vaccination card by opening the shortcut. Or you can open the Google Pay app by holding down the power button and selecting your vaccination card there.

For Covid test results, you add the document to your mobile wallet using a digital barcode similarly obtained from your state’s health department or your healthcare provider.

The most basic method: save a photo

Residents in states that do not provide digital vaccine credentials can carry a digital copy of their Covid vaccine or test records by taking a photo of it. The next step is to make the photo easier to find. I recommend saving the photo in a note-taking app that allows you to tag the note so it can come up easily using a keyword search.

On iPhone, you can save the recording in the Notes app like this:

• Open your photo. Tap the button in the lower left corner, which looks like a square with an arrow pointing up. Scroll to and select the Notes application in the Applications row. Here, save the picture to a new note.

• Now open the Notes app and select the note you just created. Rename the note to “Vaccination Record” or “Covid test results”.

And here’s how to do the same on an Android phone with the Google Keep note-taking app:

• In Keep, tap “add picture” at the bottom. Then select “pick image” and select the photo of your vaccination card or test result.

• Tag the note and hit the back button.

Sometimes it’s best to carry the real thing

Digital health cards are useful where they are accepted, but leisure travelers will still need to research their destination’s specific requirements.

Some states require travelers to upload their health data to their databases for entry. Hawaii, for example, requires people to upload proof of vaccination or negative test results on the Safe Travel health form to receive a QR code that allows them to bypass quarantine.

After exiting an airport, rules can vary from business to business, including some hotels that require health documentation. If this feels overwhelming, especially when visiting a foreign place, the perfect thing to do is: moving the original, physical document. Be sure to store it in a safe place like a money belt or a plastic bag.