Apple Digital ID: Add your U.S. Passport to Apple Wallet

The next time you line up at TSA, your most important travel document might never leave your pocket: Apple's Digital ID system now allows U.S. travelers to store government-issued identification directly in Apple Wallet. This includes two separate types of credentials: state-issued digital driver's licenses (available in 13 states) and U.S. passports (available nationwide). With a couple of taps on your iPhone or Apple Watch, Face ID verification and a quick tap to the TSA reader, you can breeze through security at over 250 airports for domestic flights.

It's important to understand that "Apple Digital ID" is Apple's marketing term for any government ID in Apple Wallet - not a new type of ID itself. The actual credentials come from either your state DMV (for driver's licenses) or the U.S. State Department (for passports), with Apple simply providing the secure storage and presentation technology.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look on Apple’s Digital ID. We are also going to answer the following questions:

• Who can use Apple Digital ID today and which documents are eligible?

• How to create a Digital ID in Apple Wallet using your U.S. passport?

• What technology (mDoc standard) and privacy protections Apple uses under the hood?

• What types of ID documents can you add to Apple Wallet, and which could come in the future?

• What are the upsides and downsides of digital identification?

• Why is the addition of passport to Apple’s Digital ID a breakthrough in the identification space?

Apple's Digital ID in Wallet is Apple's implementation of mobile government IDs: instead of pulling out a plastic card or booklet, you present a digitally signed credential stored in Apple Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch.

The system works with two types of government-issued credentials:

• State Digital IDs: Since 2022, residents of 13 participating states can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet. These use the mDL (mobile Driver's License) standard, an international ISO specification that Google and Samsung also support.
• U.S. Passport: As of iOS 26.1, all U.S. passport holders can add their passport to Apple Wallet for domestic use, regardless of which state they live in (Apple Support).

Crucially, this isn’t just a photo of your passport or a PDF scan you’ve stored in iCloud. It’s a cryptographically secure Digital representation of your physical ID. When you set it up, your device reads the chip embedded in your passport, checks that data for authenticity and links it to a selfie and short liveness check to make sure the person holding the phone is the legitimate passport holder.

Behind the scenes, the issuing authority still matters. For state-issued IDs in Apple Wallet, like driver’s licenses (mDL) and state IDs, the Digital credential is verified and issued by your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent agency), then signed and provisioned into a Wallet. For the new passport-based Digital ID, the underlying data comes from the U.S. Department of State via the chip in your physical passport. In both cases, you end up with an ID that can be checked electronically and validated against government records, instead of something that could be faked in Photoshop.

It's also important to be clear about what Digital ID is not. It doesn't replace your physical passport, and you cannot use it for international travel. While the underlying mDoc technology could technically support border control applications in the future, Apple's current implementation (as of November 2025) is strictly limited to domestic use cases. International border crossings still require physical passports, as customs and immigration agencies worldwide haven't yet adopted digital passport verification systems compatible with consumer devices.

Think of it as a highly secure, convenience-focused companion to your existing documents, starting with domestic airport security and gradually expanding to other contexts like age verification and online identity checks over time. The future may bring border control integration, but regulatory, security, and international cooperation challenges mean physical passports remain essential for international travel.

Digital ID is not just “your license on your phone”, it changes what identity is. In the physical world, you prove who you are by handing over an object: a card with holograms, micro-printing, and a photo that a human quickly inspects. In the digital world, identity becomes a set of cryptographic attestations that your phone can prove on demand. Instead of a security guard deciding whether a card “looks legit,” two devices perform a cryptographic handshake that checks signatures, keys, and issuer trust lists. Apple’s Digital ID is one of the clearest examples of this shift: the iPhone no longer just displays a picture of your passport, it actively participates in the verification protocol. Trust moves from visual inspection to mathematically verifiable proofs and that fundamentally changes how reliable, scalable, and automatable identity checks can become.

Let's start with a look at the current support.

Before diving into state support, it's crucial to understand these distinct but related concepts:

This is Apple's term for a new way for users to create an ID in Apple Wallet using information from their U.S. passport and present it with the security and privacy of iPhone or Apple Watch. As of November 2025, it only supports U.S. Passports (available to all U.S. passport holders nationwide since iOS 26.1).

• This is the technical standard that defines how digital driver's licenses work
• It's not an Apple product - it's an industry standard used by Apple, Google, Samsung and state apps
• Think of it like how "PDF" is a standard that different apps can read

• These are digital versions of driver's licenses or state IDs (e.g. issued by state DMVs)
• States choose which platforms to support:
  • Some states support Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and/or Samsung Wallet
  • Some states have their own proprietary apps (like LA Wallet or NY MiD)
  • Some states support multiple options
  • Many states don't offer digital IDs at all yet

This table shows which states have digital ID programs and which wallet platforms they support:

States with mDL (ISO standard) support: These states use the international mDL standard and typically support multiple wallet providers:

• Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, Puerto Rico (MacRumors)

States with proprietary Mobile ID systems: These states have their own digital ID systems (some also support wallet providers):

• Louisiana (LA Wallet only)
• New York (NY MiD app only)
• Utah (GET Mobile ID app only)
• Virginia (VA MiD app only)

Apple Wallet support: 14 states/territories currently allow their digital driver's licenses to be added to Apple Wallet:

• Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia, Puerto Rico (Apple Support)

Universal Passport Feature: Even if your state doesn't support digital driver's licenses, all U.S. passport holders can still add their passport to Apple Wallet (iOS 26.1+) and use it at selected TSA checkpoints for domestic flights. This passport feature works independently of state DMV systems (Apple Newsroom).

TSA Acceptance: Digital IDs are accepted at over 250 TSA checkpoints for domestic flights (TSA.gov).

Yes! Arizona was one of the first states to support Apple Digital ID. Arizona residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and use it at Phoenix Sky Harbor, Tucson, and other Arizona airports.

Yes! California fully supports Apple Digital ID. California residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet, and all major California airports including LAX, SFO, San Diego, Oakland, and San Jose accept Apple Digital ID at TSA checkpoints. California also offers the CA DMV Wallet App as an alternative.

Yes! Colorado fully supports Apple Digital ID. Residents can add their Colorado driver's license or ID to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and use it at Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs.

No, Florida has not yet implemented Apple Digital ID for driver's licenses or state IDs. Florida residents can use the passport-based Digital ID feature if they have a U.S. passport, which works at all Florida TSA checkpoints including Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale.

Yes! Georgia was one of the first states to support Apple Digital ID. Georgia residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet and use it at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and other Georgia airports.

Yes! Hawaii supports Apple Digital ID through Apple Wallet exclusively. Hawaii residents can add their driver's license or state ID and use it at Honolulu, Maui, Kona, and other Hawaii airports.

No, Idaho does not support Apple Digital ID for driver's licenses. Idaho residents can add their U.S. passport to Apple Wallet for use at Boise and other Idaho airports.

Yes! Illinois now supports Apple Digital ID. Illinois residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet and use it at Chicago O'Hare, Midway, and other Illinois airports for TSA verification (MacRumors).

No, Indiana has not implemented Apple Digital ID for state IDs. Indiana residents can use passport-based Digital ID at Indianapolis and other Indiana airports.

Yes! Iowa supports Apple Digital ID alongside its own Iowa Mobile ID App. Residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and use it at Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and other Iowa airports.

No, Louisiana does not support Apple Wallet for digital IDs. However, Louisiana has its own LA Wallet app that residents can use for digital driver's licenses and IDs. Louisiana residents with U.S. passports can still add their passport to Apple Wallet for TSA use.

Yes! Maryland fully supports Apple Digital ID. Maryland residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet and use it at Baltimore/Washington BWI, Ronald Reagan Washington National, and other Maryland airports.

No, Massachusetts has not yet implemented Apple Digital ID. Massachusetts residents flying from Boston Logan or other state airports can use the passport feature if they have a U.S. passport.

No, Michigan does not currently support Apple Digital ID for state licenses. Michigan residents can use passport-based Digital ID at Detroit Metro and other Michigan airports.

No, Minnesota does not currently support Apple Digital ID. Minnesota residents flying from Minneapolis-St. Paul can use the U.S. passport feature in Apple Wallet.

Yes! Montana supports Apple Digital ID through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Montana residents can add their driver's license or state ID and use it at Bozeman, Billings, Missoula, and other Montana airports.

No, Nevada has not yet implemented Apple Digital ID. Nevada residents and visitors to Las Vegas McCarran and Reno airports can use the U.S. passport feature in Apple Wallet.

No, New Jersey has not adopted Apple Digital ID for state licenses. New Jersey residents can use passport-based Digital ID at Newark, Atlantic City, and other airports.

Yes! New Mexico supports Apple Digital ID through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Residents can add their driver's license or state ID and use it at Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and other New Mexico airports.

No, New York does not support Apple Digital ID directly in Apple Wallet, but offers the NY MiD App for digital driver's licenses. New York residents can also use passport-based Digital ID at airports like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Buffalo.

No, North Carolina has not adopted Apple Digital ID yet. Residents can use the U.S. passport feature at Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and other North Carolina airports.

Yes! North Dakota fully supports Apple Digital ID. North Dakota residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet and use it at Fargo, Bismarck, and other North Dakota airports (MacRumors).

Yes! Ohio supports Apple Digital ID exclusively through Apple Wallet. Ohio residents can add their driver's license or state ID and use it at Cleveland Hopkins, Cincinnati, Columbus, and other Ohio airports.

No, Oregon does not support Apple Digital ID for state IDs. Oregon residents flying from Portland or other Oregon airports can use the passport-based Digital ID feature.

No, Pennsylvania does not currently support Apple Digital ID for state-issued IDs. Pennsylvania residents can use the U.S. passport feature in Apple Wallet at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other Pennsylvania airports.

No, Texas does not currently support Apple Digital ID for state-issued licenses. However, Texas residents with U.S. passports can still add their passport to Apple Wallet and use it at Texas airports like DFW, Houston IAH, Austin, and San Antonio for domestic flights.

No, Utah doesn't support Apple Digital ID directly but offers the GET Mobile ID App. Utah residents can also use passport-based Digital ID at Salt Lake City International Airport.

No, Virginia doesn't support Apple Digital ID directly but offers the VA MiD App. Virginia residents can use passport-based Digital ID at airports like Washington Dulles and Norfolk.

No, Washington state does not currently support Apple Digital ID for driver's licenses. Washington residents can use passport-based Digital ID at Seattle-Tacoma, Spokane, and other airports.

Yes! West Virginia supports Apple Digital ID alongside its WV MiD App and Samsung Wallet. West Virginia residents can add their driver's license or state ID to Apple Wallet and use it at Charleston, Huntington, and other West Virginia airports (MacRumors).

Apple Digital ID meets and exceeds REAL ID requirements for domestic air travel. Both Apple Digital ID (whether passport-based or state-issued) and REAL ID are TSA-accepted forms of identification. The key difference is that Apple Digital ID offers enhanced privacy through selective disclosure and biometric authentication, while REAL ID is a federal standard for physical IDs. The REAL ID enforcement deadline has been repeatedly postponed - travelers should check DHS.gov for the current enforcement date, as they will need either a REAL ID-compliant physical ID, a passport, or an approved digital ID like Apple's for domestic flights once enforcement begins.

Apple has announced plans to expand Digital ID support internationally, but as of November 2025, the feature remains primarily limited to the United States. While some countries are developing their own digital identity frameworks, integration with Apple Wallet for official government IDs outside the U.S. has not been widely implemented yet.

Australia does not currently support Apple Digital ID in Apple Wallet. While Australia has been exploring digital identity solutions through its myGovID and Digital Identity systems, these are separate from Apple's ecosystem. Australian citizens cannot yet add their driver's licenses or passports to Apple Wallet for official identification purposes.

The UK has not implemented Apple Digital ID support. While the UK government has been developing its own digital identity framework through the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), integration with Apple Wallet for official government IDs is not yet available. UK citizens traveling to the U.S. can still use the U.S. passport feature if they hold dual citizenship.

Canada does not currently support Apple Digital ID for government-issued identification. While some Canadian provinces like Ontario and British Columbia are exploring digital ID solutions, none are integrated with Apple Wallet yet. Canadian citizens cannot add their driver's licenses or passports to Apple Wallet for official use.

Most European countries do not support Apple Digital ID in Apple Wallet. The EU is developing its own Digital Identity Wallet framework under eIDAS 2.0, which will be a separate system from Apple's solution. The EU Digital Identity Wallet will be a government-issued app that EU residents can install on their phones, and it most likely won't be integrated into Apple Wallet in the foreseeable future. This means EU citizens will need to use their country's official EUDI Wallet app rather than Apple Wallet for digital identification.

The setup process for adding government IDs to Apple Wallet varies depending on whether you're adding a state-issued driver's license/ID (only available in 13 states) or a U.S. passport (available nationwide). Below we'll walk through both setup processes and show you exactly how to use these digital credentials at TSA checkpoints and other locations.

Note: This only works if you live in one of the 13 states that support Apple Wallet for digital IDs (see table above).

1. Open the Wallet App on your iPhone
2. Tap the (+) icon at the top right
3. Select "Driver's License or State ID"
4. Choose your state from the list
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to scan the front and back of your physical ID
6. Take a selfie and complete head movements for liveness verification
7. Wait for your state DMV to verify and approve (can take a few minutes to 24 hours)
8. Once approved, your digital ID appears in Apple Wallet

1. Open the Wallet App

2. Tap the (+) icon at the top right of the screen

3. Tap on Digital ID

4. Scan your U.S. passport photo page with the camera

5. Find the barcode on the inside back cover of your U.S. passport and place your iPhone on the chip as shown on the screen of your phone

6. Confirm your identity by taking a photo of your face

7. Complete the face verification by following the head movements shown on screen (similar to the creation of a Face ID profile)

Adding U.S. passports to Apple Wallet is more than just another document type, it changes the power dynamics behind Digital ID. Driver’s licenses and state IDs require Apple to go state by state, integrate with individual DMVs, and work through intermediary vendors, which has led to a slow and uneven rollout. A passport is different: it is a federal document issued by a single authority, the U.S. Department of State. By letting users scan the passport and read its chip directly, Apple effectively bypasses the state-by-state bottleneck and gives millions of U.S. citizens a nationally recognized Digital ID for domestic air travel, regardless of whether their home state supports mobile IDs yet. This has the potential to accelerate user adoption significantly and shift more influence from fragmented state systems toward a more unified, passport-backed Digital ID experience.

1. Double-click the power button

2. Select your driver’s license state ID or Digital ID from your stack of cards

3. Hold your iPhone near the TSA reader

4. Confirm the requested ID info presented to you on the screen with a double click of the power button

5. Complete the process by using Face ID

It is possible to use the ID saved in your Apple Wallet when at a bar, at a restaurant, purchasing alcohol, at a concert etc.

1. Hold your iPhone near the business iPhone

2. Double click the power button to allow the requested ID info to be used

3. Complete the process by using Face ID

Apple’s role in digital identity is to provide the secure platform and user interface, not to issue the ID itself, so it acts as the infrastructure layer that allows governments to place official credentials inside a trusted, widely deployed ecosystem.

Because Apple controls both the hardware (Secure Enclave, biometrics) and the software (iOS, Wallet), it can offer a polished, consistent experience that governments usually cannot deliver on their own. This centralized control also affects adoption: institutions are more willing to support digital IDs when they know the underlying platform is secure, standardized, and already in the hands of millions of users, but adoption still depends on government partnerships, regulatory approval, and cross-platform availability. The pace of new features is similarly split: Apple can build and ship technical capabilities rapidly, but real-world deployment is slowed by the need for government certification and legal alignment.

Once created, the Digital ID lives on your device in the same secure hardware that powers Apple Pay. The data is encrypted, stored locally and protected by Face ID or Touch ID. Apple states they cannot see when or where you present your Digital ID or which data fields you share. When you hold your iPhone or Apple Watch up to a TSA reader, only the specific pieces of information requested (for example, your name, date of birth and document number) are released after you explicitly approve the request on-screen.

To ensure this maximum safety Apple stores your data in the Secure Enclave, a dedicated chip in your iPhone that even Apple can’t access. Also, data never goes to Apple servers or iCloud. And if you erase your device remotely, the Digital ID is automatically removed.

For businesses, Apple Digital ID turns the iPhone into a high-assurance identity token that can finally make identity a growth and UX lever instead of just a compliance cost. Onboarding flows that currently rely on clunky "upload your ID + selfie" steps can collapse into a single, Face-ID-gated consent screen, improving conversion while reducing spend on traditional KYC vendors and manual reviews.

From a technical integration perspective, businesses won't directly call Apple APIs but will instead implement mDoc verification through standards-compliant readers and verification services. This approach ensures interoperability across different wallet providers while maintaining security and privacy standards. The same infrastructure unlocks smoother in-person experiences: age checks at retail or stadiums that reveal only “Over 21 = true,” car rentals and hotels where license verification and keys live in Wallet so customers genuinely skip the counter, and workplaces where HR remotely verifies a Digital ID once and then issues a corporate badge to the same device. Because mDoc-style credentials support selective disclosure and explicit, on-device consent, companies can position these flows as both more secure and more privacy-preserving, which is valuable in regulated industries and for privacy-sensitive users. Over time, if Apple brings Digital ID into web and app flows, businesses gain a unified identity layer across channels, online, in-app, and in-store, that supports fast lanes (“pre-verified” users), new high-trust products (e.g., instant financial services, higher-value marketplaces), and richer risk and fraud insights, as long as they consciously design around platform dependence, inclusivity for non-iPhone users, and responsible use of the identity data they receive.

Digital IDs are generally quite secure due to the use of advanced encryption, biometric authentication (like facial recognition or fingerprints), and strong security protocols built into devices and systems. They reduce risks of forgery, theft, and impersonation compared to traditional IDs by encrypting data locally on the user’s device and requiring biometric or multi-factor authentication to access and present identity information.

Apple's Digital ID stores encrypted identity data on the device and uses Face ID to ensure only the owner can present it, and the data cannot be accessed by Apple or any other third party without consent.

Potential vulnerabilities of Digital IDs include security breaches, data privacy concerns, loss or theft of the device containing the digital ID, and the misuse of biometric data.

Centralized digital ID systems can be susceptible to data breaches or misuse of personal information whereas decentralized systems can mitigate some risks by giving users control over their data (most current systems still rely on centralized storage)

Digital ID is just the beginning of Apple's vision for a future where your iPhone replaces your entire wallet. Currently, Apple is working with the IATA (International Air Transport Association) to explore future applications for digital travel credentials. While border control integration remains a complex challenge requiring coordination between countries, immigration authorities and technology providers, the groundwork is being laid through initiatives like ICAO's Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) standards.

Apple is focusing on unifying hardware, software, and services around a secure, user-centric experience to have all your Digital credentials just one click away in your Apple Wallet such as:

• Digital passports (in testing with U.S. State Department)

• Student IDs with campus access and payments

• Health pass integration (e.g. vaccination records, medical IDs)

• Corporate badges for office and data center access

• Event tickets with identity-linked entry

Apple therefore plans for users to have their iPhone as the single secure key to your identity, access and payments.

Once a trusted Digital ID lives in Apple Wallet, the most interesting opportunities can also appear outside the airport. In financial services, Digital ID can compress a complex KYC flow (“upload your ID, take a selfie, wait for approval”) into a single step: a bank app requests verified attributes, the user approves with Face ID, and the account is opened in seconds with lower fraud risk and fewer drop-offs. In workplaces, HR can remotely verify a new employee’s Digital ID and then issue a corporate access badge bound to that verified identity on the same device. In all of these scenarios, Digital ID turns the phone into a unified onboarding and access tool, not just something you tap at TSA once a year.

When states issue digital driver's licenses that work in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet, they're all using the same underlying technology: the "mDoc" (mobile document) standard. This standard is formally defined in ISO 18013-5 for in-person/proximity verification (where you tap your phone on a reader) and ISO 18013-7 for online/remote verification (for web and app-based identity checks).

Think of mDoc like the "PDF" of digital IDs - it's a standard format that different apps and readers can understand. This is why a digital driver's license from Arizona works whether you store it in Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or Samsung Wallet. Apple doesn't create the standard; they implement it in their Wallet app.

The mDoc/mDL standard ensures global interoperability and sets guidelines for secure structuring, encoding, and transmission of digital identity data through these key features:

• Selective disclosure: You can choose to share only necessary parts of your ID, for example, proving you are over 21 without exposing your full birthdate. This supports strong privacy principles.

• PKI-based trust: Digital signatures and public key infrastructure (PKI) are used for credential authenticity and preventing fraud or cloning.

• Offline and online verification: mDocs allow for verification both in-person and online, supporting a flexible range of use cases.

Apple’s platform binds each mDoc credential to the device, using device signatures and biometric authentication (e.g. Face ID) for user verification, helping to prevent unauthorized sharing or replay attacks.

If this move from Apple to go into unifying identity verification feels familiar, it should. We’ve seen this pattern from Apple before: First it was credit cards with Apple Pay. Then it was passwords with passkeys. Often times the technology for these features was developed way before Apple decided to introduce them in their ecosystem. Other companies tried to bring these features to the mass market before Apple, however it never quite worked out. Apple shines in these feature rollouts because they have a massive user base and always accentuate on building the most consumer-friendly products. Now it’s government-issued identity. In each case, the underlying rails already existed (card networks, FIDO/WebAuthn, years of standards work on mobile IDs), but it took a default-on experience, deeply integrated into iOS, to make them feel normal to mainstream users.

Apple’s real strength is not inventing entirely new concepts, but packaging complex infrastructure into simple, polished flows. They are exceptionally good at turning hard security and identity problems into two or three clear screens, a Face ID prompt, that just works. That UI and UX layer is where user education happens almost invisibly: users don’t have to understand cryptographic proofs or standards documents, they just learn that “when I tap here and look at my phone, my identity is verified.”

On top of that, Apple operates at a scale that few others can match. A single platform decision instantly puts Digital ID in front of hundreds of millions of iPhone users, pre-installed in Wallet. Not only does Apples iOS ecosystem have access to millions of users, but also iPhone users are often already familiar with the general concept of Apple Wallet and adding their cards to it. That combination of tight OS-level integration and massive distribution means that one product launch doesn’t just add another Digital ID app to the store. It can fundamentally shift what people perceive as the “default” way to prove who they are, both online and at the airport.

As U.S. citizens, it’s worth setting up and using the digital ID feature in Apple Wallet, as it represents convenience in identification and will soon support many more issuers and document types. With Apple continuing to push this initiative and expanding digital IDs across states, and eventually other countries, mass adoption is expected to happen quickly.

At the same time, it's important to consider the business cases and practical use cases behind digital identity, since it can significantly reduce costs and speed up processes such as identity verification.

For organizations that want to accept mDoc-based credentials, like the Apple Digital ID, in their own app or website, Corbado can help on the verifier side: Instead of building the entire verification stack yourself, you connect to Corbado and get standards-compliant validation of Digital IDs as part of your normal login, onboarding or KYC flows.

While Apple doesn't provide a public API for Digital ID verification directly, the mDoc standard enables third-party verifiers to validate credentials through standardized protocols. Corbado provides developer-friendly APIs, SDKs and components that handle the complexity of mDoc verification, certificate validation and selective disclosure requests - essentially serving as the bridge between your application and users' Digital IDs without requiring deep expertise in cryptographic protocols or ISO standards.

On top of that, we provide telemetry and integration tooling so deployment doesn’t become a black box. Corbado gives you detailed insight into how often digital IDs are used, where users drop off, which devices and credentials are involved and how changes in UX impact completion rates.

Digital IDs are helpful, but often times passkeys are better for day-to-day authentication. Corbado lets you combine both: use Digital ID when you really need to prove “who someone is,” and use passkeys when you just need secure, low-friction sign-in.

Finally, for organizations that don’t just want to accept digital ids but also issue their own, Corbado can support the issuing side as well. We help you create your own Digital Credentials in a standards-compliant way, so they can be used across wallets and verifiers that speak mDoc/mDL.

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Apple's Digital ID is a clear signal of where identity verification is heading. By combining government-issued credentials, strong cryptography and hardware-backed security like the Secure Enclave, Apple turns a traditionally cumbersome process (showing a plastic card) into a controlled, auditable and privacy-preserving Digital interaction.

While current implementations focus on domestic applications like TSA checkpoints and age verification, the underlying technology has the potential for much broader use. Future developments may include international travel applications as border agencies explore digital credential systems, though this requires significant coordination between nations and standardization efforts through organizations like ICAO and IATA.

Users keep fine-grained control over which data fields they share, while relying on the same security model that already protects their payments. If Apple continues to expand support across states, countries, and use cases (from airports to bars, offices, and online services), Digital ID has the potential to become the default way people prove who they are. In this article we also answered the following questions:

• Who can use Apple Digital ID today and which documents are eligible? People with U.S.-issued passports can add them as a Digital ID.

• How to create a Digital ID in Apple Wallet using your U.S. passport? In Wallet, add a Digital ID, scan your passport, then verify your face with a short liveness check.

• What technology and privacy protections Apple uses under the hood? Apple uses the mDoc standard with cryptographic signatures, device-bound credentials and Secure Enclave storage to keep IDs private.

• What types of ID documents can you add to Apple Wallet, and which could come in the future? Apple Wallet currently supports adding state-issued driver's licenses and state IDs, along with the US passport for domestic travel

• What are the upsides and downsides of digital identification? The upsides of digital identification include enhanced convenience, security, and user control over shared data, while the downsides involve risks of security breaches, dependence on a device (e.g., battery life), and exclusion of digitally limited groups.

• Why is the addition of passport to Apple’s Digital ID a breakthrough in the identification space? The addition of the passport to Apple's Digital ID is a breakthrough because it leverages Apple's massive iOS user base and established Wallet feature, creating a potential path for rapid, widespread user adoption of secure digital travel credentials across millions of devices globally.