Apple officially confirmed that iPhones would support digital U.S. passport storage by the end of 2025, where identity could be verified without carrying physical documents. Apple expected the update to arrive with iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2. It designed the feature to allow travelers to pass through TSA checkpoints using only their iPhones.
Apple first announced the feature in its updated iOS 26 roadmap after leaving it out from the main software release. The company said the feature would first be available for domestic air travel only, and at selected airports in 11 U.S. states and territories. For international trips, travelers would still need to carry their physical passports.
Apple said digital passports would be REAL ID–compliant and protected by Face ID or Touch ID, allowing secure and private verification through Apple Wallet. The company’s confirmation followed a similar move by Google Wallet in December 2024, placing Apple as a strong but later participant in the digital identity race.
Apple first introduced its Digital ID project during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025. At that time, the company showed how iPhone and Apple Watch users could create a passport-based credential in Apple Wallet. The goal was to make travel and identification more secure, more convenient, and eventually paperless.
Apple said it did not design the feature to replace physical passports but to act as an additional digital option for domestic use. “It will give travelers a simple and private way to verify their identity at airports,” Apple’s official statement explained. “The data will remain on your device and will not be shared with anyone without your permission.”
After the public release of iOS 26, many users noticed the missing Digital ID feature. Websites like MacRumors and pcmag pointed out that Apple’s passport-based Digital ID was delayed. Apple later updated its website and confirmed that the rollout would happen later in 2025 once testing and TSA coordination were complete.
When launched, Apple planned for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to accept its Digital Passport at checkpoints in selected airports. The TSA had already been testing digital driver’s licenses and state IDs at multiple security lanes across the country. Apple’s passport system was set to work in the same way.
TSA officials had said that travelers could use their digital ID at security lanes. However, they should still carry a physical ID as backup. The digital system would connect securely between Apple Wallet and the TSA’s database. This allows instant verification without showing or handing over any physical document.
Apple repeated that the passport credential would not work for international border crossings. It would only serve for identity checks in U.S. airports. The company said the goal was to make travel smoother and faster, especially for domestic flyers. The availability would depend on the TSA’s expansion plan and airport readiness.
Apple had always promoted itself as a company that values user privacy, and this new system followed the same rule. The user’s iPhone would store all passport data locally and protect it with hardware-level encryption. Verification would happen securely between the iPhone and TSA systems, without sending personal data to Apple servers.
“Your identity belongs to you,” Apple said in its announcement. “No government agency or third party can access your Digital ID without your consent.” Apple had used the same security model in Apple Pay and Health Data. It designed both to process sensitive information privately and safely.
At the time of the announcement, Apple had not shared the full list of supporting airports or devices. It was still unclear how the rollout would arrive. It could come through a server-side update or as part of a minor iOS 26 update. Apple planned to share more information. Apple also did not mention any timeline for international travel support. The company continued to recommend that users carry their physical passports for now.
