How to Use Your IPhone As an Official ID
Why do we still have physical IDs in this digital age? When I can use Apple Pay, I don’t need a credit card; I no longer need my MetroCard for Express Transit; but still I need to take my entire wallet with me wherever a driver’s license is required. Fortunately, it looks like this will change with iOS 15 as Apple allows you to add an official ID to your Wallet app.
The new feature is tied to iOS 15, so it doesn’t work yet. But we already know a lot about this; Apple will let you add your driver’s license or state ID to your wallet if your state supports this feature. Once added, you can use it when passing new safety lanes at participating airports. While this is the initial use case, we hope that in the future this wallet ID will be used in other forms, such as when buying alcohol or other age-restricted items.
How to add your ID to the Wallet app on iPhone
Once iOS 15 is released and the wallet ID is activated, it will be a relatively straightforward process to set up. This is the same initial process for adding other types of cards to the application; just click the (+) button at the top of the wallet home screen and follow the instructions to add a license or ID. If you have an Apple Watch, you will also be prompted to add an ID to your watch.
IOS will then ask you to scan your ID and ask you to take a selfie. According to Apple, your iPhone will then safely send a selfie into your state to verify your identity and, as an added layer of security, make you record a series of face and head movements. Once your status verifies your identity, your ID will be added to the Wallet app.
How to use your ID in the wallet
While there are certainly many potential uses for an ID in a wallet, Apple’s core idea at the moment is to provide your license or TSA ID when passing through airport security. All you have to do is place your iPhone on the ID reader. When you do, you will see a prompt that displays the information that the TSA is requesting. This information is only passed to TSA after you authenticate yourself with Face ID or Touch ID.
Apple strongly believes this feature is secure; all of your identification information is encrypted on your device, so no third parties can access it. When you share this information with the TSA Identity Reader, this process is also encrypted, so the data is protected during transmission.
States that will allow you to use the ID in the wallet
Currently, the ID in the wallet is not active yet, as it is exclusive to iOS 15. There is no timetable for when the function will be launched; Apple has not confirmed if this will be a day one feature for iOS 15 or if it will take a while. Until then, Apple has confirmed that Arizona and Georgia will be the first states in the country to sign up for an ID in Wallet.
However, other conditions are confirmed; they simply will not use this feature until after they have passed through Arizona and Georgia. They are:
- Connecticut
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Oklahoma
- Utah