Apple says U.S. passport digital IDs are coming to Wallet ‘soon’

Apple says it volition soon present an Apple Wallet diagnostic that volition let U.S. users to make a integer ID utilizing their passport, which volition past beryllium capable to beryllium utilized astatine prime TSA checkpoints for home travel. The feature, antecedently announced arsenic portion of the iOS 26 release, comes connected the heels of Apple’s enlargement of Wallet arsenic much than a outgo mechanics oregon summons holder, but besides a unafraid spot to store a user’s integer identity.

Currently, enactment for authorities IDs successful Apple Wallet has rolled retired to 12 states and Puerto Rico, oregon astir a 3rd of U.S. licence holders. However, the passport-tied Digital ID diagnostic didn’t get with the debut of iOS 26, arsenic Apple said it would travel successful a aboriginal bundle update.

While the caller integer IDs won’t regenerate a U.S. passport, they could let travelers to determination done TSA checkpoints much quickly, alongside Wallet’s existing enactment for integer boarding passes.

The alteration is peculiarly urgent fixed the Real ID rules, which began enforcement successful May, rendering galore authorities IDs insufficient for TSA checkpoints.

The coming motorboat of passport-associated Digital IDs was announced connected Sunday by Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, at the Money 20/20 USA conference, wherever the exec besides shared different stats astir Wallet’s adoption.

For instance, she noted that Apple Pay was present unrecorded successful 89 markets astir the world, with much than 11,000 banks and networks supporting Apple Pay, including 15 home networks. In addition, 90% of U.S. retailers enactment Apple Pay, up from 3% astatine motorboat 11 years ago.

Bailey besides pointed to different non-payment features for the Wallet app, similar the quality to prevention car keys, transit passes, edifice keys, and more. Transit options are supported crossed much than 250 regions and 800 cities globally, and implicit 2 cardinal edifice country keys person been provisioned, supporting much than 65,000 edifice rooms. In addition, 29 car manufacturers and implicit 300 models present enactment Car Key successful Wallet, according to the exec.