Mike Peterson
Apple has announced an expansion of support for mobile student IDs in the iOS and watchOS Wallet app across several universities in the U.S. and Canada.
Users will be able to add student IDs to the Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch in Canada for the first time later in 2021. The first Canadian schools to introduce support will be University of New Brunswick and Sheridan College, Apple said.
Additionally, mobile student IDs will roll out to more U.S. Auburn University, Northern Arizona University, University of Maine, and the New Mexico State University, among others.
As Apple points out, many universities and colleges are transitioning away from plastic identification cards and toward a mobile-first approach. Students are also hopping onboard. In April 2021, more students used mobile student IDs in the Wallet app to access buildings and make purchases than they used plastic ID cards.
In the fall, the University of Alabama will become the first school to ditch plastic ID cards and issue mobile IDs to their 38,000 students.
Apple notes that mobile IDs offer increased security and privacy, since students don't worry about losing their cards and Apple never harvest or stores transaction history.
The company first rolled out student ID support in iOS 12 back in 2018. Apple works with campus credential companies like Transact, CBORD, TouchNet, Atrium, HID Global, and Allegion to bring mobile student IDs to schools.
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1 Comment
As someone who just added the mobile version of my drivers license to my phone, I do sort of wish it could be in my Wallet as opposed to a separate app.
But at the same time, I can see the advantages of the IDEMIA implementation as it generates a temporary QR code that only shows what I want to show them (either address or age) and only if they have an authenticator device.
But I do hope I don't have to have a separate app for everything that could go in my Apple Wallet...