September 2, 2021

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Driver's license on your iPhone? These are the states where you can add ID to your Apple device

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Eight states will be among the first to allow residents to add their driver's license or state identification card directly to their iPhone or Apple Watch.

On Wednesday, Apple announced the feature allowing iPhone owners to store their ID within the Wallet app will first debut in Arizona and Georgia. They will be followed by Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah.

According to Apple's release, the primary use for having your state ID on your phone is for traveling, popping out your phone at airport security checkpoints. Apple said the Transportation Security Administration will enable security checkpoints and lanes and participating airports to use the ID in Wallet.

"The addition of driver's licenses and state IDs to Apple Wallet is an important step in our vision of replacing the physical with a secure and easy-to-use mobile wallet," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, in a statement.

Apple said customer's identity data is encrypted, and users won't need to unlock, show or hand over their device when using IDs on their phones.

Participating and the TSA will share more details at a later date on when driver's licenses and state IDs will be available to add on Apple devices.

Driver's licenses or state IDs is one of several new options users will soon have on Apple Wallet. The tech giant said the app will also soon support home, apartment and car keys, as well as corporate badges.

Apple is expected to launch a new iPhone as soon as this month, along with the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 15. Among the key features include updates to FaceTime and notifications.

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