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Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon

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You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.

ios-26-digital-id-passport-wallet.jpg

Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday.

On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year."

Apple's website previously said a software update would be required to use the feature, but it no longer mentions that. As a result, it is unclear if the feature will require an update like iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2, or if it will be enabled with a server-side update.

After creating a digital passport in the Wallet app, you will be able to present it in person at TSA checkpoints in select U.S. airports for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID feature is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

It will also be possible to use the Digital ID feature for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

Apple says the feature will be compatible with U.S. passports only. However, perhaps it will expand to additional countries in the future.

Other details mentioned by Bailey:

  • Apple Pay is available in 89 countries and regions
  • Apple Pay is accepted by 90% of retailers in the U.S.
  • Apple Wallet's car key feature is available in more than 300 vehicle models across 29 brands
  • Apple Wallet app's hotel key card features works with more than 65,000 hotel rooms
  • Tap to Pay on iPhone is live in 48 countries and regions

Article Link: Apple Says U.S. Passport Feature on iPhone is Coming Soon
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/10/27/apple-says-iphone-passport-feature-coming-soon/
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I have had a state issued digital ID for two years now that I haven't used once. I tried last time I flew at TSA because they said they took them but then their machine wasn't working and after 3 tries I just handed them my physical ID because I was holding up the line.

It might be cool if they ever get the system worked out.
 
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I think the most interesting thing about this is using it for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores. I feel like the average person would be more likely to use it for these reasons as opposed to travel, which they may do 1-3 times a year.

If they could somehow make something similar to Apple Pay where you are able to give this completely anonymized verification, in contrast to the current methods of face or ID scanning that have been spreading recently, it could be a huge win for Privacy.
 
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Bringing that and the ability to add my driving licence to the UK would be nice as we don't need to carry our driver's license by law anyway, so having it in my digital wallet would be great. It would be nice to know what the holdup is, Apple or our pathetic government.
 
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nikhsub1 said:
Waste of time if it is ONLY useful in the USA.
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I felt the same at first, but this is the step to getting digital ID to actually be useful in the US.

Since not all states (and therefore airports) accept the digitalID its useless since I still need to present the physical one, but adding the passport gives all airports incentive to accept it and therefore a path toward a future where it’s widely accepted.

Just like ApplePay when it first came out being useless until it became ubiquitous in the early 2020s
 
emlarsen said:
I felt the same at first, but this is the step to getting digital ID to actually be useful in the US.

Since not all states (and therefore airports) accept the digitalID its useless since I still need to present the physical one, but adding the passport gives all airports incentive to accept it and therefore a path toward a future where it’s widely accepted.

Just like ApplePay when it first came out being useless until it became ubiquitous in the early 2020s
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ApplePay as originally designed is still not working. Mostly because Apple wanted a cut of the transactions. ApplePay was supposed to be like inserting your card, Chip and PIN in the rest of the world. What we call ApplePay now is nothing more than NFC tap transaction, subject to the same $$ restriction.

Digital ID is interesting, but I don't see it anytime soon. Every agency will need to equip frontline workers with compatible scanners. Which first requires, at least, a NA wide standard. Preferably a world wide standard, like passport data. Because, if my DL is on my phone, I want the cops to scan it, not giving them my device to take back to their cruiser. I still cringe when I'm in a US restaurant and I have to give the server my CC to process.
 
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Do not put digital IDs on your phone, for any reason.

""But if you hand over your unlocked phone to a police officer and offer to show them something, “it becomes this complicated factual question about what consent you’ve granted for a search and what the limits of that are,” Brett Max Kaufman, a senior staff attorney in the ACLU’s Center for Democracy, told The Verge. “There have been cases where people give consent to do one thing, the cops then take the whole phone, copy the whole phone, find other evidence on the phone, and the legal question that comes up in court is: did that violate the scope of consent?”"
 
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I am afraid that this is as useless as digital drivers license:

Every time I fly I try to use digital drivers license first. Almost every time TSA tells that "the machine is broken".

Unless a digital ID is _required_ to be accepted by organization like TSA, it will never work reliably. Just positioning it as a convenience feature and requiring you to carry physical ID as well has not worked this far.
 
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FlavorfulTreat said:
Do not put digital IDs on your phone, for any reason.

""But if you hand over your unlocked phone to a police officer and offer to show them something, “it becomes this complicated factual question about what consent you’ve granted for a search and what the limits of that are,” Brett Max Kaufman, a senior staff attorney in the ACLU’s Center for Democracy, told The Verge. “There have been cases where people give consent to do one thing, the cops then take the whole phone, copy the whole phone, find other evidence on the phone, and the legal question that comes up in court is: did that violate the scope of consent?”"
Click to expand...

Never hand over your phone. Ever.

(Digital ID does not require nor imply handing over your phone)
 
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FlavorfulTreat said:
Do not put digital IDs on your phone, for any reason.

""But if you hand over your unlocked phone to a police officer and offer to show them something, “it becomes this complicated factual question about what consent you’ve granted for a search and what the limits of that are,” Brett Max Kaufman, a senior staff attorney in the ACLU’s Center for Democracy, told The Verge. “There have been cases where people give consent to do one thing, the cops then take the whole phone, copy the whole phone, find other evidence on the phone, and the legal question that comes up in court is: did that violate the scope of consent?”"
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Which is where a standard for NFC transfer is needed. Cop stops you, tap your phone to transfer DL, registration and insurance and keep your phone. Of course, registration can get interesting in a multi car household.
 
Pretty damn useless if it's only accepted at "select* airports, for *domestic* travel, *and* you still need to have your physical passport handy in case you're not at one of those select airports or the machine that reads digital passports is on the fritz. A lot less hassle to simply show physical passport (or a Real ID license you already have).
 
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212rikanmofo said:
Enough with all this SATANIC digital ID, AI crap. It's just leading us one step closer to mark of the beast. All this crap under the guise of "convience, quick, for our safety, etc.". Yeah right, the truth is much further than that.
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Hail satin.
It's so much nicer than silk.
 
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Radeon85 said:
Bringing that and the ability to add my driving licence to the UK would be nice as we don't need to carry our driver's license by law anyway, so having it in my digital wallet would be great. It would be nice to know what the holdup is, Apple or our pathetic government.
Click to expand...
We have real privacy laws in the UK, same as EU. Most of us don’t want this.
 
In Apple’s software release world, “soon” has morphed into…between today and the Second Coming
 
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