In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly. It has been three and a half years since Apple first announced the feature in September 2021, and only nine U.S. states and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico offer it.
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect.
As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu.
Concept mockup from Majin Bu
Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Yes, my license has a scan code on the back that I suppose gives full information. Nevertheless, I'm confident Massachusetts will be the last state to enable digital ID. After all, we were last to allow right turn on red, and only when the Feds threatened to withhold highway funding.
That is a PDF417 barcode. It tells you what is on the front, but provides no validation mechanism (you could create a bogus license and create what ever you want in the barcode). The entire point of a digital license is that it be verifiable to anyone scanning it. Without that capability, they may as well just allow use of pictures of your license.
I know why but why is it taking so long to offer a digital ID in all states. The info is already digital when the license is printed and handed over, just make the data available for secure platforms.
Years and years and years of “don’t unlock your phone around cops”, and now everyone wants to have to unlock their phone to show ID. I dunno, just seems weird to me.
Apple says this about drivers licenses: "You’ll always see which data you’re sharing, and your information will only be shared after you authorize with Face ID or Touch ID. Neither Apple nor your state issuing authority can see when or where you share your information."
That you do not have to unlock your phone, just verify with face or touch ID.
This is from Apple: "When you present your ID, you can review the information being requested and who is requesting it. When you present your license or ID in person, after you authenticate using Face ID or Touch ID, your ID information is presented digitally through encrypted communication between your iPhone or Apple Watch and the identity reader, so you don’t need to unlock, show, or hand over your device. If your device is locked when you present your ID, it stays locked after you present your ID." https://support.apple.com/en-us/118260
If police don't have a reader (I'm not sure which police departments in which states have the readers, if any do), the digital ID isn't implemented fully so you should have a physical ID with you when driving.
Because that’s how government works. Apple is not scratching the right backs to make it happen. The a guy that’s selling the blank cards for the drivers license donated $100k to representative Billy Bob. Why would Billy Bob hurt his friend’s business? Now, if Tim Apple were to donate $250k to Billy Bob well then he would just push his friend out of the way.
Either way, thinking about it why would anyone want to hand their unlocked smart phone to a police officer. At that point, you are consenting for him to do whatever he wants with your phone. Just keep the little piece of government issued plastic on you and everything is good. It’s not like they’re not going to charge you the same price for your NFT identification card.
You dont need to unlock the phone to show items in wallet unless you turn the double-click ability off. Even when you do authorize the wallet, the phone itself is locked just like it is when you authorize a card for ApplePay. I need to hand my phone to someone at a drive through window at times which I dont like to do but I'm not too worried because the phone wont allow them to see anything else.
I do get where you're coming from though. It potentially opens you up for abuse but not having to carry a physical wallet or to at least have a backup would be a nice option that allows me to make the personal choice for use.
Interesting that Virginia is not on the list The VA DMV has been telling residents that it’s coming this spring (2025). We currently have an app based digital DL, but not Apple or Android Wallet integration.
