Florida is working with Apple to introduce support for digital driver’s licenses and IDs to the iPhone’s Wallet app. The feature, which is a part of iOS 15, was announced WWDC 21 to expand the use of the Wallet app from only holding credit cards, tickets to also storing users’ IDs in a secure way. Apple says that “Wallet provides a more secure and convenient way for customers to present their driver’s licenses and state IDs on iPhone or Apple Watch.”
Apple working with Florida to bring digital ID support to its Wallet app
According to Florida Politics, Florida is developing a Smart-ID app to provide a secure way to provide identification. As per the report, the app is already live but has not been made available to the public as of yet.
The state will make the digital ID public on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store in mid-November. Although Wallet support will not be available initially, Apple is working with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Last month, it was revealed that Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah are the first states in the United States which allow users to add their driver’s license or state ID to the Wallet app on their iPhones and Apple Watches. Florida was not included in the announcement, but the department has not exchanged information with the Cupertino tech giant in hopes of being added to the list of partners. Here’s how Florida’s digital ID app works:
A user’s phone scans a QR code from someone, like a law enforcement officer, requesting verification. The user’s device sends the request for data to a server, which then bounces the identification data back to the user and the person requesting the data.
As per the report, Florida’s digital IDs will allow residents to prove their identity in a secure way that cannot be faked. Verification can be requested from law enforcement officers or businesses that require proof of age. Stores would receive less personal information than law enforcement would.
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