Apple Expands Wallet With Digital ID
It’s a digital world and we’re just traveling through it. Apple is expanding its Wallet app with a new Digital ID feature designed to make air travel easier. Travelers can use their iPhone or Apple Watch to show ID at more than 250 TSA checkpoints nationwide.
The feature, part of iOS 26, lets users create a Digital ID using their U.S. passport or driver’s license. It’s for domestic flights only and doesn’t replace a physical passport. The intent is to speed up security lines.
Apple says all passport data is encrypted and stored on the device. The company says Face ID or Touch ID makes sure only the owner can access it. According to Apple, users who want to use the feature must upload a photo page of their physical passport “as part of the process.”
Users will then be prompted to comply with specific commands, including using their iPhones to scan the chip embedded in the back of their passports to verify the data’s authenticity. Apple plans to expand the feature for use at businesses and online age checks.
The following states and Puerto Rico currently accept Digital IDs stored in your Apple Wallet:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Montana
- New Mexico
- Ohio
This does raise some questions.
How secure is the Digital ID compared to a physical passport or ID?
What happens if a user loses their iPhone or Apple Watch with a Digital ID stored on it?
How does the TSA verify the authenticity of the Digital ID?
Are there privacy concerns about Apple tracking or storing user ID usage?
What else will the Digital ID be used for in the future?
Apple Expands Wallet With Digital ID was originally published on wibc.com
