Your iPhone Can Now Store a Digital ID From Your Passport

No REAL ID? Your iPhone May Have a Backup Option at the Airport

Even after nearly 20 years of delays and warnings, millions of Americans still had not upgraded to a REAL ID before enforcement began. But for some travelers, Apple now has another option.

It’s called Digital ID, and it lets iPhone users create an ID in Apple Wallet using a U.S. passport.

Just like concert tickets, boarding passes, and credit cards, the Digital ID is stored in the Wallet app. Once it is set up, travelers can use it at select TSA checkpoints in the U.S. for domestic flights.

Here’s how it works.

Open the Wallet app and tap the plus sign. Choose Digital ID, then select U.S. Passport. From there, you scan the photo page of your passport, tap your iPhone on the passport chip, and take a video selfie to verify your identity.

Apple says the information is encrypted and stored securely on the device. When you present the ID, you can see what information is being requested before you approve it with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

For travelers who don’t have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, this could be a useful backup. Because the Digital ID is created from a U.S. passport, TSA can accept it at participating checkpoints for domestic air travel.

There are a few important limits. Apple’s Digital ID does not replace your physical passport for international travel. It also does not mean every TSA lane at every airport will accept it. Apple says it works at select TSA checkpoints, so you should still carry a physical ID when you travel.

Apple is also beginning to use Digital ID for age verification in some of its services. Instead of uploading a copy of a driver’s license, the phone can simply confirm whether someone is old enough. No extra personal information has to be shared.

So is it safe?

In some ways, a digital ID may be better protected than a physical passport or driver’s license. If someone finds your wallet or purse, they can see your name, date of birth, and other personal information. A Digital ID stays locked behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

It may not replace your wallet yet. But it is another sign that forgetting your wallet may one day matter less than forgetting your phone.