Key Takeaways
- Google Wallet now supports adding US passports as a digital ID, but people still need to carry their physical passports in some scenarios.
- US passport holders can use the digital ID at certain TSA checkpoints in the US, but it won’t work while passing through border control and immigration.
- Google says this feature will roll out to eligible users in the “coming weeks,” although it was first announced in September.
Google Wallet can already store multiple forms of IDs to save you the trouble of finding the physical version each time. In July, a leak shed light on Google’s plans to support storing digital versions of US passports in Wallet, which the company confirmed in September, along with details on how it would work. Google didn’t provide a release timeline for this feature back in September, though, saying only that it would begin beta testing passport-based digital IDs soon. Now that a few months have passed since that announcement, Google is finally ready to roll out this functionality to Wallet users.
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According to reporting by The Verge, Google Wallet users can now add their US passports to the app, following the same steps as the ones detailed in September. However, as the company said back then, this is still in its “early stages,” and users may still need to carry their physical passport when traveling. A Google spokesperson told the publication that this form of digital ID cannot be used at border control or immigration.
But it will still come in handy
It’s not all bad, though, as US passport holders will be able to use the Wallet app to pass through certain TSA checkpoints. The TSA website has a detailed map showing each airport that supports digital IDs. Not all US states and airports currently support them, though that should change eventually. The VP and GM of Google Wallet, Jenny Cheng, told The Verge that the functionality will appear to “all eligible users in the coming weeks,” suggesting that it may not be available to everyone immediately.
Google also has plans to go beyond airports, with the company talking about potentially using digital IDs for “account recovery, identity verification and even car rentals.” When available, adding your passport to Google Wallet should take a few minutes, as the process involves scanning the user’s details and the chip in the passport while also requiring a selfie video for verification.
But taking the time to do this should be worth it, considering how it can save precious time at (some) US airports. As a general rule, though, it is always wise to carry your physical passport whenever you’re traveling, at least until digital IDs are more widely accepted across airports.