Apple Wallet Digital ID expands to more use cases
▼ Summary
– Apple’s Digital ID in Wallet, created using a U.S. passport, can now be used as an approved age verification method for Apple Accounts and Apple services.
– Previously, Digital ID was only accepted at TSA checkpoints in over 250 U.S. airports for domestic travel.
– Users may encounter age verification prompts when creating a new Apple Account, updating software, changing safety settings, or purchasing 18+ apps.
– Other approved age verification methods include driver’s licenses, government-issued IDs, and credit cards, but not passports, debit cards, or gift cards.
– The feature expands Apple’s promise of future use cases for Digital ID beyond airport security, though current usage is limited as related policy changes are mostly overseas.
Apple Wallet’s Digital ID feature, which debuted last autumn, has officially expanded beyond airport security. The tool can now serve as a secure age verification method for several iPhone-based scenarios, marking a significant step in its real-world utility.
When Apple first introduced Digital ID, it was primarily accepted at TSA checkpoints across more than 250 U. S. airports for domestic travel. The company promised broader applications were on the way, hinting at future use for identity and age checks at select businesses, within apps, and online. That promise is now partially fulfilled.
The core idea behind Digital ID is straightforward. While many U. S. states have been slow to adopt digital driver’s licenses, Apple created an alternative using a U. S. passport. Users can generate a secure, privacy-focused ID in the Wallet app, then present it via iPhone or Apple Watch. At launch, this worked only at TSA checkpoints. Now, it works for Apple Account and Apple services age verification.
Age verification has become a hot-button issue. Legislation like the UK’s Online Safety Act and Discord’s recent age-check rollout have pushed the topic into public view. In the U. S., similar activity is accelerating at both state and federal levels. Apple’s latest support document, titled “If you’re asked to confirm that you’re an adult,” explains how Digital ID fits into this landscape.
According to Apple, users may be prompted to confirm they are an adult when creating a new Apple Account, updating device software, changing certain safety settings, or downloading apps with an 18+ age rating. Several verification methods are supported, including a driver’s license, government-issued ID, or a credit card. Passports, debit cards, and gift cards are not accepted as standalone methods. However, a Digital ID created from a U. S. passport is explicitly approved.
This is a meaningful shift. Instead of sharing a more sensitive form of ID, users can rely on the private, encrypted Digital ID stored in Apple Wallet. For now, the number of people who both have a Digital ID and need to prove their age to Apple is likely small. Most early policy changes affecting age verification have occurred overseas, not in the U. S. But given current trends, wider adoption seems inevitable.
Have you used Apple Wallet’s Digital ID at an airport or for age verification yet? Share your experience in the comments.
(Source: 9to5Mac)
