By KELVIN CHAN, Associated Press
Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, iPhone users can now add their passport details to their Apple digital wallets.
The company on Wednesday unveiled its new âDigital IDâ system for users to add their U.S. passport information to Apple Wallet, which can be scanned at airport readers if travelers donât have a Real ID.
Digital ID acceptance âwill roll out first in betaâ at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at more than 250 U.S. airports for âin-person identity verification during domestic travel.â
The company warned that Digital ID doesnât replace a physical passport and canât be used for international travel and crossing borders.
Apple already allowed people in 12 states and Puerto Rico to add their driverâs license or state ID to Apple Wallet, while TSA already accepts some form of a digital ID in at least 16 states and Puerto Rico.
âYou can breeze through more than 250 TSA checkpoints faster and more securely than ever before,â the agencyâs website says.
Hereâs a guide on how to add your passport:
Open your iPhoneâs Wallet app, tap the plus sign at the top and then tap the Digital ID option on the menu. If that doesnât work for you, type in âDigital IDâ into the appâs search bar.
Grab your passport and follow the instructions. Youâll have to use the camera to scan your passportâs photo page. Next, place your iPhone on the chip embedded on the passportâs back page to authenticate the data.
Finally, you will need to verify your identity, first by taking a selfie and then by carrying out a series of facial and head movements, such as turning your head or closing your eyes.
Once the verification procedures are done, the Digital ID will be added to the Wallet.
Using your iPhone to present your Digital ID is similar to using it to make a purchase.
Double-click the phoneâs side button, which calls up the Wallet app. On the stack of cards, tap on the Digital ID. When itâs your turn at the TSA kiosk, hold your phone or Apple watch up to the reader.
The machine will take your picture, and then your phone will let you review the information thatâs being requested, such as name and date of birth. In order to authenticate those details, youâll have to use the phoneâs face or fingerprint scanner.
Apple says your passport data is encrypted and stored on the device, and it canât see when or where users present their Digital ID or the data that was shown.
The use of a face or fingerprint scan makes sure that only the person who the ID belongs to can release the info.
The company says that iPhone users donât need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to present their Digital ID.
More than a dozen states already accept some form of a mobile ID at airport checkpoints, according to TSA.
The list includes: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as Puerto Rico.
Travelers can go to the TSA website for more details.