Technologies

You can add your driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet in iOS 15. Here’s how

Although the prospect of ditching your physical wallet is exciting, the feature is currently only available in select US states.

In Apple’s vision of the future, you and I would leave our homes without physical wallets. Instead we’d walk out the front door carrying only the virtual wallets stored on our iPhones. We wouldn’t bring keys, either.

That hope for the future is creeping into the present as Apple unveiled that you can now upload your driver’s license to Apple Wallet in select states across the US. Arizona and Georgia will be the first to access the driver’s license feature, followed by Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma and Utah.

The feature was announced at WWDC earlier this year. It came alongside other Apple Wallet updates that allow your iPhone to hold digital versions of your house keys, hotel room keys and workplace IDs. All these changes are expected to come with iOS 15, which is said to roll out sometime in the fall. (Here’s how to download the public beta version now.)

Digitizing your driver’s license and other ID cards isn’t a new idea. Google and chipmaker Qualcomm announced their project to store a digital driver’s license in Android phones way back in 2019 — but it appears that iPhones will begin using the new feature first. Security and privacy issues are the biggest roadblocks and areas of highest concern. Apple says it secures your IDs with the same technology and encryption backing your credit cards in Apple Pay.

Once you set up your driver’s license and other ID cards in the iPhone, you’ll be able to present your identification on your iPhone or Apple Watch at airport security (yes, it’ll be supported by the TSA on a state-by-state basis) and any other business that accepts the new technology as proof of ID.

How you’ll scan your driver’s license into your iPhone with iOS 15

We’ll know more about the exact steps you’ll need to take once iOS 15 is generally released. For now, we’ve combined instructions from Apple’s presentation and website with the current Wallet app on iPhone.

Step 1: Make sure the iPhone has iOS 15 installed (Here’s how to download the public beta).

Step 2: Open the Apple Wallet app.

Step 3: Tap the + sign in the upper right corner of the screen and tap the card type, e.g. an identification card, hotel key, digital car key, transit card and so on.

Step 4: Follow the screen prompts to begin to scan your driver’s license or state ID using the iPhone’s camera and built-in scanner. For example, Apple will advise you to scan the front of your card first, and make sure you’re in an area with plenty of bright light and a simple, dark backdrop.

Step 5: After scanning your driver’s license or ID, the Wallet app will confirm when your identification is secure and ready to use.

When you use the driver’s license in Apple Wallet, you’ll first open the app and select your ID. If it’s at a TSA airport security checkpoint, Apple has said it will show you the kind of information it’ll share, including your legal name, date of birth, ID number and photo, and expiration date.

As with your other sensitive payment cards, you’ll need to confirm the transfer of information through checkpoints with a pass from Face ID — or presumably your secure passcode, if you’re wearing a face mask or don’t use Face ID.

For more about iOS 15, here’s how Apple fixed FaceTime’s most annoying problem, how your family and friends can get you back into a locked-out iPhone, and how to find your missing AirPods if you lose them.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.