Your iPhone Just Got a Super Convenient Feature That Makes Travel Easier

If you’ve gotten on a plane in the last several months, you know that airports don’t accept a driver’s license as a form of ID anymore — the TSA started enforcing the rule in May. This means that to get past security and to your gate, you need either a Real ID or a passport.

This has become somewhat of an issue because, well, Real IDs can be difficult to get due to strict documentation requirements. (If you’re somebody like me whose name appears spelled slightly differently on various documents, it’s very difficult.)

So, this has meant more people have been forced to travel with their passport (which had previously been required only for international travel), and few want to do this at the risk of losing it.

But it seems that an unlikely source — Apple — has come out with an unexpected fix.

Apple’s Digital ID

Apple

This week, Apple announced that it’s launching the Digital ID, which will take the information from your passport and function as a legit ID that TSA will accept. The Digital ID will live in your Apple Wallet and be accessible from your iPhone or Apple Watch.

This means that when going through security, you’ll no longer have to show a physical ID — you can show your iPhone, where your boarding pass and Digital ID will be located in your Apple Wallet.

“Digital ID gives more people a way to create and present an ID in Apple Wallet even if they do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID,” reads Apple’s press release.

Predictably, the Digital ID is designed solely for domestic travel in the US. It does not act as a replacement for a physical passport and therefore won’t get you past security when traveling internationally.

Apple

Available now

For those flying domestically in the near future, you can actually add the Digital ID to your Apple Wallet right now. All you need is your iPhone (running the latest software) and your passport, as you’ll have to use your iPhone’s camera to scan it.

Then:

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Add (+) button at the top of the screen.
3. Select Driver’s License and ID Cards.
4. Tap the Digital ID and follow the onscreen instructions.

Photo by Tucker Bowe for Gear Patrol

Once added, you’ll be able to access your Digital ID right from your Apple Wallet. To quickly do this, simply double-click your iPhone’s side button or Home button (on older iPhones).

Apple says that “more than 250 airports” currently have the technology to accept the Digital ID. This means that, even though it’ll probably work at the airport you’re going to, it’s still a good idea to bring your Real ID or physical passport as backup.

To learn more about the Digital ID, check out Apple’s press release.

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