Apple is set to launch a groundbreaking digital passport ID feature in Apple Wallet, developed in collaboration with Bill Gates, to be unveiled in 2026. Announced at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), this feature will enable users to securely store and present digital passports for select domestic travel and identity verification.
The iOS 26 update, rolling out this fall, marks one of Apple’s most significant advancements, integrating passport-based digital identification into Apple Wallet. This innovation aims to streamline travel and verification processes, offering a secure, user-friendly solution for managing identity on the go, with far-reaching implications for digital security and convenience.
Naturalnews.com reports: Apple emphasized that the feature is not a replacement for physical passport, but it will function as an official ID at participating Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints and in apps that require proof of age or identity. The TSA confirmed its readiness to accept digital passports for security screenings on domestic flights.
According to Apple, the end-to-end encryption ensures that passport data is secure and never leaves the device without explicit user consent. Information is stored in iPhone’s Secure Enclave, the same hardware-backed storage used for sensitive data like Apple Pay and Health records. Face ID or Touch ID is also required for every use of the Digital Passport.
Privacy advocates express reservations over a “digital-first” approach
The company envisions this as the next step toward a frictionless digital ecosystem where identity, navigation and travel logistics are handled seamlessly within a single device. But as digital credentials grow more capable and more accepted, privacy advocates warn of potential trade-offs.
“Embedding identity tools in these conveniences risks masking the deeper issue: The transition from physical autonomy to digital traceability. As digital ID becomes more embedded in daily infrastructure, the distinction between voluntary use and de facto requirement continues to erode,” Ken Macon wrote in his article for Reclaim the Net. “The question is no longer whether digital ID will be part of daily routines, but how far its reach will extend once it becomes normalized on millions of phones.”
Similarly, Alexis Hancock of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) expressed reservations about the implications of a “digital-first” approach to identity documentation.
In an email statement, Hancock highlighted concerns that such integration may overlook scenarios where individuals prefer not to tie their identity documentation to their devices. “The main privacy concern I have is how ‘digital-first’ will overlook the scenarios in the near future where people don’t want to tie identity documentation to their devices if they do not wish to,” she wrote.
Hancock acknowledged the convenience of the feature but warned that TSA or other enforcement entities might overstep with this technology. “I want people to have nice things, but there’s a lot of factors in a digital-first world [that] we have to consider at each step,” she concluded.