Apple has launched a new Digital ID feature for Apple Wallet, allowing users in the U.S. to create a digital identification card using their U.S. passport. The feature is rolling out in beta and will first work at TSA checkpoints in more than 250 airports across the country for domestic travel.
Digital ID acts as an alternative for those without a REAL ID–compliant driver’s license or state ID. It won’t replace a passport for international travel but offers a secure way to prove identity using an iPhone or Apple Watch.
“With the launch of Digital ID, we’re excited to expand the ways users can store and present their identity — all with the security and privacy built into iPhone and Apple Watch,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, in a statement on Wednesday. “Since introducing the ability to add a driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet in 2022, we’ve seen how much users love having their ID right on their devices. Digital IDs brings this secure and convenient option to even more users across the country, as they can now add an ID to Wallet using information from their U.S. passport.”
Setting it up involves scanning the passport’s photo page and embedded chip, taking a selfie, and completing facial-movement verification. Once verified, the digital ID appears in Wallet and can be shown at checkpoints or readers with Face ID or Touch ID confirmation. You basically just hover your iPhone or Apple Watch over the TSA identity reader and it will authenticate your ID, just like using Apple Pay. Now that’s pretty cool.
Apple says all data is encrypted and stored on the device, meaning it cannot track when or where IDs are used. Only the requested information is shared during verification.
Currently, Apple Wallet supports driver’s licenses and state IDs in 12 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, along with Japan’s My Number Card. More uses—such as ID and age verification at businesses and apps—are planned for future updates. No word on any Canadian digital IDs being supported inside Apple Wallet. But this new feature looks to make it easier for Americans travelling domestically.