Apple announced its new Digital ID initiative back at WWDC in June, but the capability didn’t ship as part of iOS 26—it was one of the very few announcements that took a little longer to reach our iPhones. Now, Apple has made Digital IDs available to anyone running iOS 26.1. No further software update is available; Apple enabled the capability with a server-side switch.
The Digital ID is essentially a copy of your passport, and has limited availability and use. It currently requires a U.S. passport that has not expired, and once your Digital ID is created, you can only used it in a beta test as your ID for the TSA in about 250 airports, and only for domestic travel.
Eventually the goal is to allow it as your ID at other locations and businesses, including online, to verify your age or identity. Apple explicitly notes: “Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport, and cannot be used for international travel and border crossing in lieu of a U.S. passport.”
Creating your Digital ID
You must have an iPhone running iOS 26.1 or Apple Watch running watchOS 26.1.
- Open Wallet
- Tap the + button at the top of the screen.
- Select Driver’s License and ID Cards.
- Select Digital ID.
- Choose whether to add your Digital ID to iPhone and Apple Watch or iPhone only.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to scan your passport, place your iPhone against the chip embedded in the back of your passport.
- Follow the prompts to take a photo of yourself, and additional live movements—this is similar to setting up Face ID.
- You will then submit your info for verification, and when complete, your passport will be added to your Apple Wallet.
This can be a convenient form of ID for those in the United States who are flying domestically but don’t have a state-issued ID with Real ID or whose state hasn’t added support in Apple Wallet. But it cannot be used everywhere that your passport may be required, especially international travel, so you’ll still want to keep your physical passport handy.
Author: Jason Cross, Senior Editor, Macworld
Jason has written about technology for more than 25 years - first in the gaming press, then focusing on enthusiast PCs and general technology. He enjoys learning how complicated technology works and explaining it in a way anyone can understand.