Google Wallet is getting the ability to digitize your US passport as an alternative to waiting for each state to add digital ID support.
From Add to Wallet > ID, there will be a new “Passport” option. The process involves taking a picture of the personal info and photo page, and then scanning the security chip on the back cover of the passport, which might take a few seconds.
The final step involves taking a video of your face. It will be uploaded, with the verification process lasting a few minutes. Once complete, it will appear in the Google Wallet homepage under your carousel of credit/debit cards.
Compared to driver’s licenses where your local DMV is the issuing party responsible for verification, Google is directly playing that role to confirm that all the data matches. As such, they are not considered government-issued IDs. These digital passport IDs are in essence a new pass type that are “Verified with Google Wallet” (and will be labeled as such).
That said, like state IDs, they can be used at select TSA checkpoints, with Google working with that agency on this. They can be tapped (NFC) or scanned (QR code) at the reader. You still have to carry a physical ID since those digital versions are not considered a replacement.
Meanwhile, it’s also important to keep in mind that this digital passport ID won’t ever be usable as a driver’s license. Digital passport IDs are just for identity verification and are pretty travel-focused at this point.
On the security front, you have to authenticate via fingerprint or PIN before accessing, while there’s the ability to wipe remotely if your phone is lost.
This passport support will soon enter beta testing, and is seen as a faster way to get people a digital ID on their phone without waiting for the state-by-state rollout.
That being said, Google is adding support for three more states in the “coming months”: Iowa, New Mexico, and Ohio. This joins Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland today.
Speaking of Colorado, the state is “releasing a new reader within the MyColorado app allowing businesses throughout the state to securely and easily accept digital IDs.”
In the future, Google wants digital IDs to be used for account recovery and identity verification, as well as car rentals. One advantage of this digital approach is how you can just share what’s needed. If a bar needs to verify your age, you can just share that information and not your address.
The final update today is how Google Wallet will soon show live train status updates for your saved tickets. They will appear in the app and as notifications, including if something is delayed. This is coming soon.
This joins recent additions like importing tickets from booking confirmations in Gmail and notifications/messages from passes:
…for example, you’ll get a notification if the assigned seat on your boarding pass changes or if your favorite coffee shop has a new daily special.
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