Frequently Asked Questions
Find quick answers below, or email us directly if you're still stuck.
No, they're separate benefits. PBS Passport is extended streaming access tied to your local station membership. Press Pass is specific to PBS News, and includes the newsletters, podcasts and dashboard covered on this site. One doesn't include the other.
No. Press Pass comes with donations made directly to PBS News. A donation to your local station doesn't include it, even though the organizations are affiliated. If you're not sure which yours was, reach out to Donor Care and we'll check.
You'll get an initial welcome and donation confirmation email right away. A second email with your sign-in link usually arrives within a few minutes, though it can take up to 24 hours. We're actively working to shorten that. If it's been longer than 24 hours, check the questions below.
Press Pass has no password. Enter your email and we send a one-time sign-in link from PBS News Press Pass. If it hasn't arrived after a minute or two, check your spam or junk folder, and make sure you're looking in the inbox for the address your Press Pass is under. The link works once and expires 10 minutes after it's sent...check your spam or junk folder, and make sure you're looking in the inbox for the address your Press Pass is under. If the link landed in spam, add noreply@pbsnews.org to your safe senders list (or your contacts, depending on your email app) so future links arrive in your inbox.
Sign-in links work once and expire shortly after they're sent, for security. Request a fresh one. Only the newest link will work.
It's a one-time secure link tied to your inbox, so there's no password to create, remember, or have stolen. You'll need to request a new link each time you want to sign in, though your browser may keep you signed in for a while afterward depending on your device.
Not necessarily. We show that message for every address, whether or not we recognize it. That keeps people from using the sign-in page to discover who's a member. If nothing arrives within a few minutes, the most likely reason is that we have a different address on file for you, or your access is still being set up.
On an iPhone or iPad, tap Open in app on your dashboard. That's the easiest route.
To add it by hand instead, copy your personal feed URL from your dashboard, then:
- Apple Podcasts on iPhone or iPad: Library → the … menu (top right) → Follow a Show by URL → paste.
- Apple Podcasts on Mac: File → Follow a Show by URL → paste.
- Overcast: tap the magnifying glass (top right) → Add URL → paste.
- Pocket Casts: go to Discover, paste the URL into the search field, then subscribe to the show that appears.
- Most other apps: look for "add by URL," "add custom feed," or "subscribe by RSS."
On Android and on desktop browsers the "Open in app" button won't do anything. Use the copy-and-paste steps for your app instead.
Unfortunately you can't. Spotify doesn't let listeners add private podcast feeds. This is a Spotify limitation and applies to every publisher, not just us. To listen without sponsor messages you'll need a different podcast app; Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Pocket Casts all support private feeds and are free.
That button only works on devices with a podcast app registered to handle it, mainly iPhone, iPad, and Mac. On Android, Windows, and in most desktop browsers it does nothing. Use "Copy URL" and add the feed manually in your app instead, using the steps in the question above.
Please don't. That URL is tied to your Press Pass and is how we know to serve you full episodes without sponsor messages. Anyone you share it with is listening on your account.
Yes. Paste the same URL into your podcast app on your phone, tablet, and computer.
As long as your recurring donation stays active, your Press Pass access continues automatically. There's nothing to renew manually. If a payment fails or your giving pauses, access may lapse until it's resolved.
Email us from the address you'd like to use and tell us the address currently on the account. We'll move it over. There isn't a way to do this yourself yet.