Although your Costco card won’t work, as TSA humorously had to reminds us, Apple’s latest technology, Digital IDs, can be used to board domestic flights, TSA confirms.
Apple’s new Digital ID offers users a new way to store and present their ID information privately and conveniently in their Apple Wallet. This Digital ID will give travelers another alternative, beyond a REAL ID, for identity verification at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights.
TSA’s website even confirmed such is true, stating “[passengers] can now use your Digital ID at more than 250 airports to verify your identity at TSA checkpoints through platforms such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, and Samsung Wallet or a state-issued app.”
However, Apple’s Digital ID is not a replacement for a physical passport. A Digital ID will not be accepted for international trips or border crossings, and travelers will need to present their physical passports for such.
“While not a replacement for your physical passport, digital ID can be used for domestic travel and at supported TSA checkpoints,” an Apple representative further clarified at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Users will need their passport anyway to create a Digital ID.
Apple also announced its new refreshed boarding pass feature with Live Activities. Live Activities will be a shareable function that provides real-time flight updates to you and your friends and family.
Travelers will be able to access other features like Find My to track their travel items, Maps to get around various airports and explore new cities, in addition to key airline services, standby lists and seat upgrades. The first airlines to use refreshed boarding passes include Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Jetstar, Lufthansa Group, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Australia.
Still not sure if you already have a REAL ID? Consult our guide to understand if you do, and if not, how to get one. Keep in mind that a REAL ID is not the same as an Enhanced Driver’s License. You can find the differences between the two here.