Technologies
It’s Easy to Add Your Driver’s License to Your iPhone or Apple Watch if You Live in These 9 States
Digitize your state ID to cruise through the airport security line.
While some phone makers are working overtime to squeeze AI into every single feature, Apple is taking a more fundamental step to simplify travel by digitizing your driver’s license. You can now add your state ID to your iPhone or Apple Watch using Apple Wallet, allowing you to breeze through airport security checkpoints card-free.
Living in California, I was interested in giving it a shot to see if it was as easy as it looks to be. And it is, as long as you have the right iPhone and OS version. Older iPhones, depending on the state you live in, may create some problems. Apple says digitized driver’s licenses will work on iPhone 8 and later, but it’s a little more complicated than that.Â
Right now, digital IDs are primarily used to go through TSA checkpoints in certain airports when flying domestically, but that’ll likely change in the future. Want to use your digital ID at your favorite bar or nightclub? We’re not there yet. Â
Below, I describe my experience, the hiccups I encountered on the way and things that you should know if you plan on adding your driver’s license to Apple Wallet. I’ll also break down how you can add your ID to your iPhone, step by step.Â
For more, don’t miss these low-key iOS 26 features we’re excited for.
These states support digital IDs on iPhones right now
Only a handful of states support digital IDs in Apple Wallet. One key factor is how each state implements its Mobile Driver’s License system. For instance, Louisiana, New York, Utah and Virginia all support mobile driver’s licenses but require separate apps for digital IDs.Â
States and regions that support digital IDs in Apple Wallet:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Maryland
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Puerto Rico
Some states originally announced to support Apple’s digital ID haven’t quite gotten there yet.Â
The number of states supported in Apple Wallet is about half of what the TSA currently allows. Collectively, it accepts digital IDs across Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet and state-based mobile apps in 15 states.
What are the iPhone requirements to add your driver’s license to Apple Wallet?
Where you live is just the start. You also have to have the right iPhone model and the right software setup.Â
Here are the minimum requirements that Apple lists:Â
- An iPhone 8 or later with the latest version of iOSÂ
- Have Face or Touch ID enabled on your device
- Have two-factor authentication enabled on your Apple account
- A license or ID from a participating state or territory
- Your device’s region set to the United States
I’ll have more to say in a bit about that iPhone 8 and iOS requirement and a catch I ran into.
My experience adding my ID to my iPhone was easy
For testing purposes, I used the iPhone 16E.
The process of adding the ID was simple. I scanned the front and the back of my ID and the next step was to verify my identity. This wasn’t nearly as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. Instead, it took a live photo of my face for 2.5 seconds.Â
After that, more verification was required. This came in a series of different photos, with prompts directing me to close my eyes, open my mouth, smile and tip my head down. This verification process took about three minutes. (Or longer in my case, as I got distracted writing notes about the process and then found I had to restart the whole process.)Â
Then, after I submitted those photos, there was another verification step, presumably with the photos relayed to the California DMV. A screen message told me that I would receive a notification when there was an update. I expected this to take a long time, but not even 10 minutes later, a notification telling me that my ID was ready to use popped up. That was easy.Â
What about older iPhones?
So, not every phone you think might work will actually do so. The first time I tested adding my ID, I was using an iPhone 8 Plus. But when I arrived at the setup page within Apple Wallet, I was given eight states to choose from, and California wasn’t one of them.
That surprised me. I’d found a helpful Apple support article that explained the requirements for adding a driver’s license or state-issued ID to Apple Wallet and it seemed like I shouldn’t have any trouble.Â
At first, I thought the roadblock was that I hadn’t set up Touch ID yet. But no, California was still not on my list of eight states. (Equally confusing, a colleague of mine also tried this with an iPhone 8 and Apple Wallet only listed four states.)
I went back to the Apple support article and looked for fine print, and sure enough, there it was. I’d ignored the asterisk in the requirements, because California has had its Mobile Driver’s License program set up for some time now.
The fine print at the very bottom of the page states, “For California, ID in Apple Wallet requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or later.” (For Puerto Rico, if you want to add your driver’s license or ID to Apple Wallet, you’ll need to have an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18.1.)Â
So if you’re holding onto an iPhone 8 or iPhone X and live in California, you won’t be able to add your driver’s license to your iPhone because of the lack of software support. iOS 16 is the last supported version of the operating system for iPhone 8 and X models.
How to add your ID or driver’s license to Apple Wallet
If you live in a state that supports digital IDs for Apple Wallet, it’s easy to add one. After it’s added, you’ll need to verify your identity, which can take a little longer but it’s still a straightforward process.
- Open Apple Wallet.
- Tap the Add button.
- Tap Driver’s License or ID and select your location.
- If applicable, choose whether you want to add your ID to your iPhone only or your iPhone and your Apple Watch.Â
- Follow the steps to scan your license or ID.
(Make sure you scan your ID in a well-lit environment and that the image is in focus.)
Once it’s scanned, you’ll be prompted to confirm your identity with a selfie photo. According to Apple, you may be asked to complete a number of facial or head movements for identification purposes.Â
To ensure an easier verification process, Apple suggests that you:
- Stand in front of a plain background with neutral, light paint.
- Be in a well-lit area, ideally indoors.
- Take off sunglasses, masks, hats or other accessories that could block your face.
- Hold your iPhone steady.
When you’re finished, submit your information by confirming with Touch or Face ID. Your biometrics will be bound to the ID, so only you can use it.Â
How to transfer your digital ID to another iPhone
If you upgrade your iPhone, you’ll need to transfer your ID or driver’s license to it.Â
- During initial setup, tap Wallet.
- Select your ID.
- Follow the steps.
- Tap to confirm you want to move your driver’s license or ID to the new device.
So, now what?
Your digital ID isn’t just a photo of your ID that you can pull up within Apple Wallet. In fact, you don’t even see a full image of your physical ID. In order to actually view your information from your digital ID, you’ll need to tap on your ID “card” in Apple Wallet, tap the “i” at the top-right of the screen, and then tap State ID info or Card Information (the wording may be different depending on what version of iOS your iPhone is running). From there, it will show your ID photo as well as essential pieces of information from your physical ID.Â
TSA checkpoints that support digital IDs require a dedicated scanner, so the process may not necessarily feel like it’s faster than showing your physical ID to the agent.Â
Here’s a video of the process via the Maryland Department of Transportation:
The idea of a digital ID is pretty convenient but overall, it probably won’t save you a meaningful amount of time. Couple that fact with its incredibly limited use cases right now and the fact that merchant or event adoption will require investment in proper hardware and it’s pretty easy to see just how far off we are from ditching physical IDs. Â
Selling or trading in your iPhone? Do this first.
When you move on from a phone that has your ID on it, you’ll want to do the same thing you do with other sensitive info like credit or debit cards and passwords: Remove it.Â
So before you wipe your iPhone to sell or trade it in, you should manually remove your ID first. Here’s how to do it.
- Go to Apple Wallet and tap your ID in the list
- Tap the “i” button at the top right of the screen
- Tap Remove State ID (or Driver’s License)
- Read the warning that pops up and tap Remove
Digital passports are coming to Apple Wallet with iOS 26
While states are taking time to implement digital ID systems, Apple announced a feature coming in iOS 26 this year: You can add a digital passport to Apple Wallet.
When that feature is available, iPhone users will be able to scan their passports to create a digital version for identity verification during domestic travel. You won’t be able to use it for international travel and it’s not a full replacement for a physical passport (so keep your physical one on you) but it should work at the 250-plus supported TSA checkpoints.Â
During its WWDC keynote in June, Apple said that the digital ID made from your passport can also be used “in apps and in person” but it didn’t give any specifics.Â
This is essentially what can be done on Android through Google Wallet.Â
Verify with Wallet ID verification could make ordering alcohol easier
Also headed to iPhones this fall is an easier way for you to prove your age using your digital ID. Say you want to have a bottle of wine sent to your place via Uber Eats. Typically, when the driver arrives, you’ll need to present your ID and have it scanned to complete the transaction but with the new Verify with Wallet, your stored digital ID will be used to verify your age. (I do wonder if things might get more complicated when the delivery arrives if you’re not the one receiving it.)
Verify with Wallet will be supported by Chime, Turo, Uber Eats and U.S. Bank.Â
For more, don’t miss what you should know about flying domestically without a Real ID in 2025.
Technologies
Bank of America Warns Bond Market Echoes 2022 Conditions
Bank of America warns that current bond market conditions mirror those of 2022, when rising yields and rate hikes triggered a significant equity correction. The firm advises investors to consider hedging strategies as real yields break out of trading ranges.
The bond market is giving 2022 vibes right now, and not in a positive way, according to Bank of America. Yields skyrocketed to multiyear highs this week, as oil prices stay elevated and new U.S. data suggests the Federal Reserve may need to hike rates even more to quell inflation. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note yield reached levels not seen since 2007 above 5.2%. The 30-year bond yield also spiked to its highest levels since 2004. Equities, for their part, weathered the move higher well. The S & P 500 is up around 1% week to date. The Nasdaq Composite jumped nearly 2%. But for BofA technical strategist Paul Ciana, this may be the calm before the storm. US10Y YTD bar US 10-year yield in 2026 “We see parallels with 2022, when the US 10-year real yield broke out of a trading range and rose from approximately -1% to +1.5%. Around that period, the SPX, Euro and Bitcoin formed important peaks and declined, while equity, rates and FX volatility accelerated higher,” Ciana wrote. “The comparison does not require an identical outcome, but we do think it argues for greater caution.” Stocks entered a bear market in 2022, as the Fed quickly raised rates to fend off a massive surge in inflation. The S & P 500 fell more than 19% that year, marking its worst annual performance since 2008 — when it tumbled 38%. Ciana noted investors can hedge by scooping up put options on the SPY ETF , which tracks the S & P 500. “Investors seeking protection may consider one- to three-month SPY 750 puts or 750/730 put spreads,” he said. “The lower strike corresponds to the July lows.” “However, the rise in real yields is quite stretched on weekly RSIs. If yields retrace lower and positive SPX seasonals follow through, hedges may not perform,” he said, referring the relative strength index, a popular indicator that helps assess whether an investment may be overbought or oversold.
Technologies
Anthropic warns investors of AI’s ‘existential risk to humanity’ in IPO prospectus, reports say
Anthropic’s IPO filing dedicates 80 pages to the risks of AI, nearly double the 48 pages it spends discussing its business plans, according to Reuters.
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Technologies
U.S., Iran hold separate mediator talks as Mideast oil exports hit war-time high
Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire, as Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded to war-time high.
Iranian and U.S. officials reportedly met separately with mediators Monday to push for a ceasefire.
Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February.
An outright export ban by Washington on diesel would keep roughly 1.2 million barrels a day at home, and risks overwhelming Gulf Coast storage, according to Kpler.
The building of the destroyed Shajareh Tayebeh primary school is pictured surrounded by rubble in Minab in Iran’s Hormozgan province on August 10, 2026. Six months on, a team of AFP journalists obtained rare access to the school which has remained largely in ruins, its collapsed walls and twisted steel now surrounded by portraits of the children killed as Iranian flags flutter above the rubble. Iran says the attack on the school involved two separate US Tomahawk missiles but neither the United States nor Israel has officially claimed responsibility for the strike. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. and Iranian officials have reportedly held separate indirect talks with mediators on Monday, reviving efforts to end seven months of war as Tehran presses for a response to a revised ceasefire framework and Middle East crude exports climb to their highest level since the conflict began.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met Qatari mediators in New York, where he remained after the United Nations General Assembly, and reportedly said he expects Washington’s reply by Tuesday. “We talked about ideas and how to find solutions to fulfil Iran’s conditions,” Araghchi said, adding that he planned to return to Tehran once a response arrives. “Whenever the Qataris have a response, they know how to get it to us.”
Iran’s proposal, first presented on the sidelines of last week’s General Assembly, calls for a four- to five-day U.S. timeline to release frozen Iranian funds, lift sanctions on Iranian oil and end the naval blockade of Iranian ports, with nuclear talks beginning within seven days. Tehran has tied any reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to those steps.
President Donald Trump had on Sunday called the plan “unacceptable” and rejected it, telling reporters Iran wants a swift deal because of the economic pressure it is under. Speaking at the White House Monday, Trump said U.S. officials had spoken separately with mediators but gave no further details, adding: “We’re going to win. It’s going to go pretty quickly.”
The diplomatic push comes as physical supply data shows the war’s toll on the oil market easing. Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, Kpler data showed. “Middle East crude exports at just under 80% of pre-conflict levels,” the tracking firm said in a note on Monday.
The Strait of Hormuz itself remains far from normal. Kpler’s real-time tracking showed total clearance through the strait at 10,591 kilobarrels a day on Saturday, against a pre-war baseline of 17,133.
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