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Apple has introduced a new feature allowing users to store digital versions of their passports within the Apple Wallet app on iPhones. This Digital ID functionality enables users to scan the photo page and embedded chip of their physical passport, verify their identity with a selfie, and add the digital passport to their device. The feature is currently accepted at over 250 TSA checkpoints across the United States, providing a convenient way for travelers to prove their identity for domestic flights.
Despite the convenience, the digital passport stored in Apple Wallet does not replace the need for a physical passport, especially for international travel or border crossings. The digital version is intended as an additional form of identification, particularly useful for those without a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or state ID. This rollout follows Apple's earlier support for digital driver's licenses and state IDs in select states, further expanding the capabilities of the Wallet app for secure digital identification.
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Follow-up coverage highlighted potential privacy and security risks of keeping passport data on an iPhone, framing the new Wallet capability as convenient but potentially risky. This reflects public and media scrutiny after the feature's rollout.
Apple introduced support for storing a digital version of a passport in the iPhone Wallet app for use at TSA checkpoints. Multiple references describe this as a newly available feature and discuss how users can add and use it.
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Apple announced the integration of digital passports into Apple Wallet with iOS 26, expanding the use of digital IDs on mobile devices. As digital IDs and mobile driver’s licenses become more widespread, security experts warn of new risks, including threats from malicious apps, malware, inconsistent privacy protections, and potential data misuse. While these digital credentials offer cryptographic security and selective disclosure features, their adoption raises concerns about safeguarding sensitive personal information. Organizations and users are advised to consider both the convenience and the emerging security challenges associated with mobile digital IDs.
Jun 29, 2026
UK and US government agencies are expanding digital identity programs, but with uneven adoption and growing scrutiny. In the UK, the Government Digital Service reported that just over **15,000** veterans have applied for a digital veterans ID since its October launch—under **1%** of the roughly **1.8 million** eligible former service members—highlighting slow uptake and limited utility compared with the physical Veteran Card. The digital credential is stored in the *GOV.UK One Login* app (planned to be rebranded as the *GOV.UK Wallet*), and currently has constrained use cases, including not being accepted as photo ID for domestic flights or for some veteran benefits, and not yet being usable online. In the US, Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration are accelerating deployment of **facial biometric** identity verification for travelers, with CBP requiring biometric verification for **all non-citizens** entering or leaving the US (with US citizens able to opt out for manual checks). Officials described facial biometrics as foundational to vetting and border security operations, while lawmakers and civil society groups continue to raise privacy and civil-rights concerns; TSA’s use of facial recognition has also drawn oversight attention, including a Department of Homeland Security watchdog investigation. Together, the developments reflect a broader shift toward mobile and biometric identity systems, alongside adoption, usability, and governance challenges.
Jun 29, 2026
Apple introduced **Apple Reference Image**, an opt-in photo-authenticity capability for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. In Reference mode, the phones’ new Main camera sensor signs image data at the pixel level during capture; Private Cloud Compute then develops that data into an unalterable reference image intended to serve as a digital negative. The Photos app displays the reference image beside the corresponding photograph, enabling users to compare it against later edits, and APIs for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27 will let third-party applications display the reference asset. The feature arrives with Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup, which runs iOS 27 and is scheduled to be available beginning September 18, 2026. Apple plans to add **SynthID** support later in 2026 to help identify AI-generated or AI-edited images. Reference Image will not be available at launch in China, while capture will be unavailable at launch in the EU; EU users can nevertheless develop and view existing reference images on Apple operating systems version 27.
Sep 10, 2026