USERS CAN NOW ADD PASSPORTS TO APPLE WALLET AND USE THEM AT OVER 250 TSA AIRPORTS
CUPERTINO, California — November 12, 2025. Apple announced the rollout of its long-awaited Digital ID system across the United States, enabling users to securely store and present government-issued identification — including passports and driver’s licenses — inside the Apple Wallet app.
The update, now live with iOS 19.2, expands Apple’s digital-credentials platform nationwide in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Department of State, covering more than 250 airport checkpoints.
Travelers at participating airports can now verify their identity simply by holding their iPhone or Apple Watch near an NFC scanner, eliminating the need for physical documents. The TSA confirmed the system complies with federal REAL ID standards and uses Face ID or Touch ID for biometric verification.
“Apple Digital ID represents the next step in making identification more secure, private, and convenient,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s VP of Apple Pay & Wallet. “Your personal data stays encrypted and accessible only to you.”
The expansion follows successful state-level pilots in Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, and Georgia, which began testing Apple’s ID technology in 2023. Apple says feedback from those programs led to improved verification speeds, new integration with border-control kiosks, and enhanced privacy settings.
Privacy advocates welcomed the convenience but cautioned against potential overreach, urging regulators to ensure the technology cannot be used for mass data tracking or surveillance. Apple maintains that verification requests never leave the device and that identity tokens are stored locally.
The update will roll out automatically to all iPhone 15 and later models, with older devices receiving limited functionality. The feature will initially support U.S. passports, state IDs, and TSA PreCheck credentials, with plans to expand to international travel documents next year.
Analysts say the launch underscores Apple’s ambition to make the Wallet app central to everyday life — from banking and boarding passes to digital identity. “This is Apple’s biggest move into public infrastructure since Apple Pay,” said Dan Ives, tech analyst at Wedbush Securities.
For travelers, it marks a milestone: fewer documents to carry, shorter security lines — and a glimpse into a future where your phone could truly replace your wallet.
