Apple Wallet will support IDs and driver's licenses in iOS 15

Apple is vastly expanding the types of cards and documents that can be added to Wallet, including IDs and driver's licenses in certain states and more types of keys.

The Cupertino tech giant unveiled the iOS 15 Wallet updates on Monday. The most significant new feature is the ability to add information from an ID card in certain supported U.S. states to Wallet on iPhone. Apple says it is working with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to support the digital identities at airports.

All of the information in Wallet will be stored in a secure and encrypted fashion. Like an actual ID, it will include a person's legal name, date of birth, photo, and Real ID status.

In addition to the support for IDs, Apple is also expanding the types of keys that users can add to Wallet. That includes keys to a smart home lock, keys to hotel rooms, and work badges that can be scanned to gain entry to a workplace.

For example, Hyatt is rolling out its support for digital keys in Wallet to more than 1,000 properties later in 2021.

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18 Comments

eightzero 3145 comments · 14 Years

About 3 years ago

There is no chance I will ever use the ID app to voluntarily hand my iPhone to a law enforcement officer.

StrangeDays 12959 comments · 8 Years

eightzero said:

There is no chance I will ever use the ID app to voluntarily hand my iPhone to a law enforcement officer.

In Louisiana we have a hands-off protocol (LEOs take a picture of your ID loaded on your phone in our state's app). It's kinda clunky. But if the ID was loaded into Wallet it would be even better, because the phone can remain locked while allowing review of a card inside it (double-click of Side Button).

boxcatcher 274 comments · 9 Years

Curious about:
- State support (could easily take years)
- How a grocery store clerk will accept / validate

boxcatcher said:

Curious about:
- State support (could easily take years)
- How a grocery store clerk will accept / validate

States are already moving. Louisiana has its own iOS app, and Mississippi uses Wallet w/ their own layout (QR code, license #, name, etc).

Our state has established it for official use. We're ready. Just need the tools to catch up.

StrangeDays said:
States are already moving. Louisiana has its own iOS app, and Mississippi uses Wallet w/ their own layout (QR code, license #, name, etc).

Our state has established it for official use. We're ready. Just need the tools to catch up.

A state that built its own app is probably more likely to resist, now, throwing its proprietary app (and supporting validation infrastructure) in the trash. LAWallet is made superfluous by Apple’s solution — it’ll be the same phenomenon we saw with Apple Pay when that first rolled out.

Anyways, the value is not needing to carry your ID, and that requires every possible use-case to be covered (bouncer at bar, grocery clerk validating alcohol purchase, police officer, etc.) … going to take a hot minute.

It’s a great step, but this one is going to be slow.