Google Wallet is about to get smarter. It will soon let people in the UK add their passports as a digital ID on their Android phones. This follows the same feature already available in the US.
To add your passport, open Google Wallet, tap “Add to Wallet”, choose ID, then select ID pass, and follow the steps. Google says this feature will be available “soon.”
In the US, digital IDs can be used at TSA checkpoints in some airports. But for now, UK passport-based ID passes won’t work at TSA. Instead, Google is working with the Rail Delivery Group in the UK. People will be able to use their digital ID to prove they qualify for select Railcards when booking on railcard.co.uk.
The process works through the web. A simple confirmation screen will pop up asking you to share your ID with the service.
Google is also working with the UK government to get approval for even more uses. If this is approved, people may be able to use Google Wallet ID passes to buy alcohol and more in the future.
More US States Are Joining
Google Wallet is adding Arkansas, Montana, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico to the places supporting digital ID. Currently, people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico can use it. Iowa and Ohio are also expected to join soon.
Some states like Arizona and Maryland, will let people use their digital ID at the DMV, making visits faster and easier.
Google is also working with Amazon, CVS, MyChart, and Uber to let people use digital IDs online. This will help users recover accounts, access health services, and verify identities.
Protecting Your Privacy with New Tech
Google is adding Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) to protect your age. This means you can prove your age without sharing your full identity. Apps like Bumble will use this to verify age safely.
Google also plans to share ZKP with other apps and services, and Wallet is expanding to 50 more countries, though tap-to-pay won’t be available everywhere yet.
