Summary:
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Apple introduces Digital ID for U.S. passport holders in Apple Wallet, usable at domestic TSA checkpoints.
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Digital ID process involves scanning passport, taking selfie, facial movements for verification, stored locally encrypted.
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Apple’s Digital ID not a replacement for physical passport, usable domestically, not internationally at over 250 TSA checkpoints.
Today, Apple introduced Digital ID, a feature within the Apple Wallet app that allows U.S. passport holders to create a digital credential that can be used during domestic travel. According to the company’s official announcement, the credential can be presented from an iPhone or Apple Watch.
The process to create the Digital ID begins with the user tapping the “Add” button in Wallet, selecting “Digital ID,” then scanning the photo page of their physical passport and reading the embedded chip. The user is then asked for a selfie plus a short series of facial and head movements for verification. Once added, the credential is stored locally on the device, encrypted, and access is governed by Face ID or Touch ID. Apple says it cannot see when or where the ID is used or what information is shared.
Apple has officially launched Digital ID, a new way to add an ID such as a U.S. passport in Apple Wallet in the United States 🚨
At launch, users will be able to use Digital ID at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports in the U.S. for domestic travel pic.twitter.com/WN6Mli1j2i
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub) November 12, 2025
At launch, the feature will be accepted in beta form at over 250 airports in the U.S., at checkpoints operated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for domestic travel. Apple emphasises that the Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel or crossing borders.
The rollout builds on Apple’s earlier work, allowing eligible driver’s licenses or state IDs to be stored in Wallet in 12 states plus Puerto Rico. Though the new Digital ID uses the passport as the credential source, it is available only to U.S. passport holders.
The timing reflects broader trends in identity verification and mobile wallets. By enabling a passport-based digital ID, Apple is positioning the iPhone and Apple Watch as more than just wallets for payments or boarding passes—they are now hubs for personal identity. Analysts say the move extends Apple’s play in the “wallet-free” lifestyle, but also highlights the constraints of infrastructure and regulation when it comes to mobile IDs.
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From a traveler’s perspective the benefit is real: users whose state driver’s licenses may not be REAL ID-compliant (or whose state doesn’t yet support digital IDs) now have a passport-backed route to digital identity verification.
But limitations remain. The technology depends on compatible identity readers at airports, the user’s device, and verifying that staff at the checkpoint accept the credential. As Apple itself notes, until broader acceptance is in place, travelers should still carry their physical documents.
