Malcolm Owen
Apple has laid the groundwork to include driver's licenses in the second iOS 15.4 developer beta, with the discovery of a reference to the feature in its code.
Apple released the second developer beta of iOS 15.4 on Tuesday, with the main discovery being elements relating to the just-announced Tap to Pay on iPhone feature. After further examination of the beta, it seems Apple is preparing to bring another item to the operating system soon.
A code reference found in the beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser and posted to Twitter includes the line "Find out when your driver's license or state ID is ready to use and get important updates."
Initially announced as part of the iOS 15 Wallet updates at WWDC 2021, the feature expands the kinds of items the Wallet can hold. Along with information from ID cards supported in some U.S. states, this was also to include driver's licenses as a commonly-accepted form of ID.
Apple was also working with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to support digital identities at airports, enabling an iPhone user to verify their identity before flying.
"Find out when your driver's license or state ID is ready to use and get important updates
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) February 8, 2022
about vour ID." pic.twitter.com/mmIe6zg0a4
In November, Apple updated its iOS 15 webpage to indicate the feature was being pushed back into early 2022.
Apple is also reportedly keeping tight control over the feature, with Apple having "sole discretion" over its rollout and the technology powering it. A document leak in November revealed states also had to agree to "allocate reasonably sufficient personnel and resources to support the launch" of the feature, and to bolster its adoption by "key stakeholders in federal and state government," such as the IRS and law enforcement.
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13 Comments
Will 15.4 correct the problem for iOS Safari not able to downloading Wallet files? I can't enter my new vaccine certificate.
I recently moved to a state that Apple announced will have support for digital IDs. I’m hoping this happens sooner rather than later. It would be even better if the airport that’s closest to me also starts accepting it at security. Hopefully this rollout goes faster than POS terminals that accept Apple Pay did.
Honestly, I don’t know that I would ever make use of this if it involved me having to hand over my phone to a law enforcement official to get my license info. I would never trust them not to try and access my personal information without my consent.