Apple Delays iOS 26's New U.S. Passport Feature

iOS 26 was widely released today, but the new feature that lets you add a digital version of your U.S. passport to Apple's Wallet app has been delayed.

ios 26 digital id passport wallet
Apple updated its iOS 26 features page today to indicate that the "Digital ID" feature for U.S. passports will be coming in a later software update:

Digital ID will be available in a software update with U.S. passports only.

Apple did not mention a specific version, but hopefully the feature arrives in iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2.

Until now, the feature had been listed on the iOS 26 page in the present tense.

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.

It will also be possible to use the Digital ID feature for age and identity verification in apps, online, and in stores, according to Apple.

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

Popular Stories

airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

MacBook Pro Buyers Now Facing Up to a Two-Month Wait Ahead of New Models

Sunday January 18, 2026 6:50 pm PST by
MacBook Pro availability is tightening on Apple's online store, with select configurations facing up to a two-month delivery timeframe in the United States. A few 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an M4 Pro chip are not facing any shipping delay, but estimated delivery dates for many configurations with an M4 Max chip range from February 6 to February 24 or even later. At...
Liquid Glass App Store Feature

App Store and Apple TV Experiencing Outage

Tuesday January 20, 2026 4:36 pm PST by
Apple's App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple TV service are experiencing an outage at the current time, according to Apple's System Status page. Apple says that some users may be experiencing issues with the App Store and iTunes Store. Apple also says some users may be seeing intermittent issues with Apple TV. The Apple TV Channels feature is down too, and users may be unable to access some...

Top Rated Comments

bailsafe Avatar
18 weeks ago

Absolutely no way would I travel without a physical passport. The fun of traveling to a rural hotel in Croatia when they ask for your passport and you show your iphone. Really bad idea. Even an American airport would probably freak.
That's not what this feature is intended for, and they're very clear about that.

"However, Apple says it is not a replacement for a physical passport, and it cannot be used for international travel and border crossing purposes."
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
18 weeks ago

The convenience is nice.

But in the current climate you would be a fool to hand, show or even unlock your device anywhere near a US law enforcement officer.

Paper boarding passes and passports all the way.
Please read and inform yourself about how this works.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
18 weeks ago

As cool as it is to live in the future, I have yet to go through a TSA checkpoint that was equipped to scan my digital ID. YMMV
This is how it was with Apple Pay in 2015. Now (except for evil Walmart) Apple Pay is ubiquitous.


Nothing of significant complexity is ever built in a day.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yukari Avatar
18 weeks ago

My state allows digital IDs on phones. I have one, but I will never ever use it in front of law enforcement officers. It's a bad idea to hand over your iphone to any leo. For example, during a traffic stop, you hand over your iphone to a leo. He may access not only your ID but also your photos, emails, and instagram. Since you've voluntarily handed over and unlocked your phone, it may be legal for them view its contents. This applies to digital passports.

I will keep a digital passport in my phone just in case, but I will never use it.
You do NOT hand over your phone. They are suppose to have a device where you simply tap (like using a credit card in Apple Wallet).

Why do people keep thinking you have to hand over the phone???
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
18 weeks ago

Disappointing Apple, very disappointing.
Do you know that the delay is on Apples dime or on the government's???
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
18 weeks ago
Absolutely no way would I travel without a physical passport. The fun of traveling to a rural hotel in Croatia when they ask for your passport and you show your iphone. Really bad idea. Even an American airport would probably freak.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)