Apple Wallet Digital ID expands with new uses
▼ Summary
– Apple’s Digital ID feature, created using a U.S. passport in the Wallet app, is now accepted for age verification when creating an Apple Account or using Apple services.
– Digital ID was initially launched for acceptance at TSA checkpoints in over 250 U.S. airports for domestic travel.
– Apple introduced Digital ID as an alternative to state-issued digital driver’s licenses, which have been slow to roll out.
– Users may encounter age verification prompts for actions like creating a new Apple Account, updating software, or purchasing 18+ apps.
– Digital ID provides a secure and private method for age verification, avoiding the need to share more sensitive forms of ID.
Apple’s Digital ID feature in the Wallet app has taken a significant step forward. Originally launched last fall, it can now be used for age verification in select scenarios on iPhone. Here’s a closer look at what has changed and why it matters.
From the outset, Apple’s Digital ID was designed for TSA checkpoint acceptance at over 250 U. S. airports for domestic travel. The company promised additional use cases would follow, and that expansion has now begun.
Apple Wallet has supported IDs and driver’s licenses for years, but adoption by U. S. states has been slow. To bridge that gap, Apple introduced Digital ID in iOS 26. This feature lets users create a secure, private ID using information from their U. S. passport, viewable on iPhone or Apple Watch. While states continue working on digital driver’s licenses, this solution is available to any iPhone user with a passport.
Apple’s original promise hinted at broader applications: “In the future, users will be able to present their Digital ID at additional select businesses and organizations for identity and age verification in person, in apps, and online.” That future has arrived for one key area.
Digital ID is now officially accepted as an age verification method for Apple Account and Apple services. This comes amid growing legislative and public attention on age verification, including the UK’s Online Safety Act and Discord’s controversial rollout. In the U. S., similar activity is underway at both state and federal levels.
According to a recent Apple support document titled “If you’re asked to confirm that you’re an adult,” users may encounter age verification prompts when creating a new Apple Account, updating device software, changing certain safety settings, or downloading apps with an 18+ rating. The document confirms that “regardless of your country or region, Digital ID in Apple Wallet created using a U. S. passport can also be used to confirm that you’re an adult.”
This update means users can avoid sharing more sensitive forms of identification. Instead, they can rely on the secure, private Digital ID stored in their Apple Wallet.
For now, the number of users who both have a Digital ID and need to prove their age to Apple is likely small, since the earliest policy changes have occurred overseas. But given current trends, wider adoption seems imminent.
Have you tried Apple Wallet’s Digital ID at an airport or for age verification? Share your experience in the comments.
(Source: 9to5Mac)
