You Can Now Save Your Passport on Your Android Phone, But There’s a Catch
Google Wallet is slowly making its way to replace physical wallets on Android phones, and it’s now one step closer to that goal.
You can now create Passport ID passes in Google Wallet. You can already store items in Google Wallet, such as loyalty cards, concert tickets, plane tickets, and transportation cards. Six states allow you to store your driver’s license or state ID in Google Wallet: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico. With the new Wallet ID Pass, you can now also store a digital version of your U.S. passport on your Android device.
However, digital passports are only available for More than two dozen TSA checkpointsincluding Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Miami International Airport (MIA).
Here’s what you need to know about using Google Wallet Passport ID Pass. For more information, check out Google Pay and Google Wallet and The best digital wallets and payment apps.
Where can I use my Google Wallet Digital Passport?
Now, it’s not available everywhere. You can only use it when traveling within the United States, so if you plan on traveling internationally, you’ll still need to bring your physical passport. Additionally, you cannot use your ID pass to prove your identity anywhere outside of these TSA locations, so you cannot use your new digital passport to prove your identity at the DMV, hotels, or bars.
This is the airport You can now use your digital passport in it.
- Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Daniel Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
- Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT)
- Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Jackson-Medgar Willie Evers International Airport (JAN)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
- LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU)
- Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
- Richmond International Airport (RIC)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
- Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)
- Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)
How do I add my passport to Google Wallet?
To add your passport to Google Wallet, open the Wallet app on your Android device and:
- Click Add to wallet button.
- beat Authentication.
- choose ID/Passport (USA) options.
- Finally, hit Get started.
Now, take your passport and follow the prompts, which include scanning your passport with your camera and scanning the security chip on the back cover using NFC. Finally, you’ll be asked to take a video of your face to confirm your identity.
Once you arrive at a participating TSA checkpoint, you simply tap your phone to the digital ID reader without handing over any physical documents. You will receive a message on your phone asking for your consent to share your digital ID information with TSA.
ID Passports for Passports will be available to all eligible users in the coming weeks, so if you don’t see the feature in Google Wallet yet, be patient.
For more information, check out First developer preview of Android 16.