Apple launched a new feature this week that lets iPhone and Apple Watch users store their U.S. passport information on those devices for use at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at hundreds of airports across the country.
Called Digital ID, the feature works by securely uploading a copy of your unexpired passport or other TSA-approved, government-issued identification (such as a driver's license) to the Apple Wallet app on your device.
When presented at TSA checkpoints in "more than 250 airports in the U.S.," according to Apple, the Digital ID will get you through security for domestic air travel.
Note that Apple's Digital ID will not be accepted for border crossings during international travel. You'll still need a physical passport for that.
Where is Apple's Digital ID accepted for domestic air travel?
Neither Apple nor the TSA has released a list specifying which U.S. airports, exactly, are accepting Digital ID during its initial rollout, but these are the states where a valid ID stored in Apple Wallet is currently accepted for domestic air travel, according to the TSA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, and Ohio.
Puerto Rico accepts Digital IDs carried in Apple Wallet, too.
How to create a Digital ID on your Apple device
To create a Digital ID on your Apple device using your U.S. passport or valid driver's license, you'll need, reports USA Today, "an iPhone 11 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later, with the latest version of iOS or watchOS."
The device's Face ID or Touch ID should be turned on, and you'll need an Apple Account with two-factor authentication.
To add a Digital ID, open the Apple Wallet app on your device and tap the Add button (+) at the top of the screen. Select the option for "Driver’s License and ID Cards" and then follow the onscreen instructions to complete setup and verification.
For adding a passport, you'll need to use your iPhone to scan the physical passport booklet's photo page and to read the chip embedded on the back of the booklet to ensure authenticity.
You'll then need to take a selfie for verification and complete a series of prompts to make various facial and head movements.
Once verified, your Digital ID will be stored in Apple Wallet.
For Digital ID instructions geared toward adding a driver's license to Apple Wallet, click here.
How to present a Digital ID at a TSA checkpoint
Presenting a Digital ID at a TSA checkpoint is similar to using Apple Pay to buy something in a store.
Simply double-click the device's side button or Home button to access Apple Wallet and select Digital ID. Then hold your iPhone or Apple Watch near an electronic reader at the TSA checkpoint and use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate.
According to Apple, "Digital ID data is encrypted. ... Apple cannot see when and where users present their ID, or what data was presented."
Additionally, users will always have the opportunity to review and authorize what information is being requested and sent via the electronic readers. Travelers using Digital ID "do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to present their ID."
The new feature for passports joins the similar one for adding driver's license details to iPhones as commercial aviation inches toward becoming a digital-only enterprise.