iOS 26's New U.S. Passport Feature is Still Not Available

iOS 26 will be widely released tomorrow, but the new feature that lets you add a digital version of your U.S. passport to Apple's Wallet app is still not available.

ios 26 digital id passport wallet
The "Digital ID" feature is not functional in the iOS 26 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, despite being listed on the iOS 26 features page in the present tense. Hopefully, it is either enabled with a server-side update when iOS 26 is released tomorrow, or Apple provides an update on when it will be available.

Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

After creating a Digital ID in the Wallet app, you will be able to present it in person at TSA checkpoints in select U.S. airports for identity verification purposes during domestic travel. However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes.

Apple says the Digital ID feature is secure, private, and compliant with REAL ID.

The passport-based Digital ID can also be used for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

Apple said the feature would also be available on the Apple Watch, starting with watchOS 26.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...

Top Rated Comments

jole Avatar
13 weeks ago
As long as digital IDs continue to have "you should still carry physical ID card" or something along those lines in the terms of service, the value remains 0.

For example: I do have a digital California DL (both the Apple Wallet and DMV app versions). They sometimes are accepted at TSA checkpoints. Sometimes they are not. With this, I would never go to airport without a physical ID.

Either it is accepted 100% of the time or it is useless.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jaytv111 Avatar
13 weeks ago

As long as digital IDs continue to have "you should still carry physical ID card" or something along those lines in the terms of service, the value remains 0.

For example: I do have a digital California DL (both the Apple Wallet and DMV app versions). They sometimes are accepted at TSA checkpoints. Sometimes they are not. With this, I would never go to airport without a physical ID.

Either it is accepted 100% of the time or it is useless.
No one is saying you can go without a physical ID card. It’s not useless because sometimes it can be used; however since the tech is new it still has times when the readers aren’t working, or the TSA agents don’t know the system, or whatever.

This is like going back to 2015 and saying if Apple Pay isn’t accepted 100% of the time it’s useless. And it still isn’t accepted at Walmart! Stupid Walmart.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
13 weeks ago
This is such an awesome new feature that Apple has added to iOS 26

I currently live in Rhode Island, and we don’t have the mobile drivers license feature (as of yet) but the ability to use a passport in place of a drivers license at the airports that do accept this feature will be great to have

I fly to Cleveland Hopkins airport pretty regularly to visit my relatives so I’ll be able to use this when I fly there in the future
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
al256 Avatar
13 weeks ago

As long as digital IDs continue to have "you should still carry physical ID card" or something along those lines in the terms of service, the value remains 0.

For example: I do have a digital California DL (both the Apple Wallet and DMV app versions). They sometimes are accepted at TSA checkpoints. Sometimes they are not. With this, I would never go to airport without a physical ID.

Either it is accepted 100% of the time or it is useless.
You can also use it for apps and web apps to verify your age.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gtmead09 Avatar
13 weeks ago

Well, iOS 26 Developer Beta and Public Beta have been nightmares, and the Release Candidate is nowhere near being ready for release.
This is not accurate, been using it since beta 4 and currently on the RC. Some things here and there, but is is no where near a nightmare. It is ready to go tomorrow and I would imagine a .0.1 will follow in a week or two.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ZipZilla Avatar
13 weeks ago

My Pixel has this capability for years now
I've thought of buying a Pixel just for fun
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)