As millions of Americans gear up for holiday travel, a few may reach for their phones at the TSA checkpoint instead of their wallets, flashing a new kind of identification: the digital passport. Apple and Google now allow their customers to upload physical passports to their phone’s digital wallet, creating an electronic ID that can help streamline airport security lines — and potentially transform how we verify our identities online.
What Is a Digital Passport?
A digital passport is a mobile version of a physical passport that is stored on a smartphone, typically in a digital wallet like Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. It contains all the same information as a traditional passport — your name, photo, date of birth, and so on — but it’s encrypted and can only be shared with a user’s biometric authentication, like a thumbprint or face scan. Digital passports are currently only accepted at select TSA checkpoints, but they may eventually work across a range of online and in-person services.
Digital IDs themselves aren’t new. Apple introduced the feature in 2022 for driver’s licenses and state IDs, then Google and Samsung launched mobile driver’s licenses the following year. Google then rolled out digital passports in the fall of 2024. Apple recently followed suit, allowing users to create a Digital ID on their iPhone or Apple Watch. As of November 2025, 15 states and U.S. territories accept state-issued IDs in Apple Wallet, 11 accept Google Wallet and eight accept Samsung Wallet, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Nine states also offer their own mobile ID app.
Now, with digital passports in the mix, Apple and Google users in non-participating states can flash their digital ID at more than 250 TSA checkpoints, according to the agency’s website, but travelers are encouraged to carry their physical ID as well. A Digital ID is not a substitute for a passport, which is still required for international flights and border crossings.
How Do Digital Passports Work?
A digital passport is a government-issued passport that is stored on a smartphone or smartwatch. To create one, users must scan the chip on their physical passport and follow the instructions for a facial recognition scan. The data on the digital ID is then encrypted and housed locally on the device, meaning it cannot be accessed remotely by Apple, Google or any other company.
When a digital passport is presented at an airport security line, for example, the system verifies the ID using the device’s biometric authentication system. In many cases, users can control what information they share. More advanced cryptographic methods also allow users to prove specific facts (like their age) without having to expose all of their personal information.
What Are the Benefits of Digital Passports?
As of November 2025, digital passports can only be used by TSA. Still, Apple and Google both hope to roll out the technology to a much wider variety of uses, which would transform how we verify our identity in person and on the internet.
Faster and More Convenient
Digital passports are not yet accepted on international flights or border crossings, and the TSA recommends travelers still carry a physical form of ID. But in the future, digital passports and other electronic IDs could make identity checks far easier and quicker for all sorts of things — whether you’re buying products online or visiting age-restricted websites. Peter Horadan, CEO at identity verification company Vouched, said digital IDs offer a far more convenient and secure experience than retrieving a verification code from one’s email or identifying which CAPTCHA images depict bicycles.
“For the very first time, we have a very convenient way online to prove a person is exactly who they say they are,” Horadan told Built In. “This is going to revolutionize a lot of areas of society.”
Could Reduce Fraud
Digital IDs could also be a valuable tool for combatting fraud. When someone opens up an online bank account, for example, the bank typically asks customers to hold their physical ID up to the camera to be scanned. While identity verification companies like Vouched check to make sure the document is valid, Horadan warned that fake IDs are getting increasingly sophisticated. Digital IDs, meanwhile, cannot be forged or tampered with, as they can only be issued by the government and authenticated by the user’s biometric data.
Digital IDs could also be required for any password changes, which would prevent many phishing schemes, or for high-value e-commerce purchases, which would “completely eliminate order origination fraud,” Horadan said.
“My prediction is that, within 10 years, every time you change your password or do any high-value transaction on the internet, such as making a large e-commerce purchase or sending a wire transfer, it's going to be very common for them to say, ‘Show me your ID,’” Horadan said. “Then all you’ll really need to do is put your thumb on your phone, and that'll be the very easy way to provide your ID.”
Less Information Is Shared
With digital IDs, users can choose how much information they share — or put another way, they can choose whether they will authorize the release of data that’s been requested. Instead of providing a copy of their entire driver’s license or passport with all of their information on it, users could, for example, share their name without sharing their date of birth or license number. But again, verifiers may still ask for more information than is necessary without giving users the chance to refine the scope of the request.
There are even stronger protections when digital IDs leverage a cryptographic method called zero-knowledge proof, which allows one party to confirm a piece of information to another party without revealing the actual data. Zero-knowledge proof is particularly useful in situations where an organization is trying to answer a yes-or-no question, like whether a person meets a certain age requirement. For example, a bartender might scan digital IDs into a device that verifies whether patrons are of legal drinking age — without ever sharing the person’s age or date of birth.
These tools have been touted as a potential solution for the growing number of states and countries that have passed age verification laws for adult-oriented websites. Many users are reluctant to upload their government ID directly to these sites, leading to increased VPN usage and reductions in web traffic. By using its zero-knowledge proof capabilities, a digital ID could confirm a user is 18 without sharing the person’s name or date of birth.
Are Digital Passports Safe?
Both Apple and Google say their digital passports are encrypted, stored locally on the device and protected by biometric authentication, such as a face scan or thumbprint. They also say they cannot see when or where users present their ID or what data is shown. As discussed above, users can review and authorize what information they choose to share with the requestor.
Still, data privacy advocates have raised several concerns about digital passports and digital IDs — particularly for their potential uses beyond the airport.
Increased Identity Checks
Once the infrastructure for digital IDs has been built, the scope of their use could expand into all sorts of situations, similar to the way every website asks for permission to use tracking cookies. Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the ACLU’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, wrote in a blog post that ID checks could one day be required by any party for virtually any purpose — from logging on to a social media site to paying for parking. He warns that it could completely transform how we navigate the internet, as confirming a user’s identity would increase the value of their tracking data.
“This new identity system threatens to create an entirely new locked-down internet — one that is licensed, gated, and subject to identification checks, qualification tests, and blacklists at every turn,” Stanley writes. “Once a site or service has proven your true identity, you can never escape your relationship with them or their memory of your every click and keystroke.”
Experts have also noted that widespread digital ID requirements could further disenfranchise people who don’t have government-issued IDs or access to a smartphone.
Government Tracking
Some digital IDs have the ability to contact the issuer of the ID to confirm an aspect of the holder’s identity. This capability, known as “phone home,” means the government could be notified every time someone presents their ID — whether they’re entering a bar, visiting an adult website or making an online purchase.
More than 80 organizations and experts, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation, have signed a statement opposing the use of phone home features.
Digital IDs can, however, be designed to not phone home. Apple has said that “presentment history” — like when and where a user has presented their ID — cannot be seen by Apple or the issuing authority. And in Utah, lawmakers prohibited anyone, including governmental entities, from using digital IDs to track or monitor people.
“Creating a system through which the government can track us any time we use our driver’s license is an Orwellian nightmare,” Stanley said in a news release. “There is a broad consensus among those who work, think, and innovate in the digital identity space that privacy needs to be built in to any digital identity system. This is not a partisan issue and it’s one states must act on before it’s too late.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a digital passport for international travel?
No. As of November 2025, digital passports cannot be used for international flights or border crossings. You must still carry your physical passport for any international travel. Digital IDs currently work at more than 250 TSA checkpoints in the United States.
Will the government track me every time I use my digital ID?
According to Apple and Google, they cannot see when, where or what information you share from your digital ID. However, this depends on how the technology is implemented. Some digital ID systems have “phone home” capabilities that notify governments when IDs are used, though privacy advocates strongly oppose this feature.
Can I choose what information to share from my digital passport?
Yes, in theory. Digital IDs are designed to allow selective information sharing, so you could verify your age without revealing your exact birthdate or address. However, verifiers may request more information than necessary, and they may not allow you to edit the scope of their data request.
