Code and animation files in iOS 15 beta 4 show the process for validating ID cards in the Wallet app will likely include a verification system with selfies
Apple announced at WWDC 2021 that iOS 15 will add support for ID cards in the Wallet app, but details are unknown as this feature is not available in the beta version of iOS 15.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already positioned Wallet to hold driver’s licenses in select states and support TSA-related boarding workflows through its planned state ID rollout. The beta files add a missing operational detail: enrollment appears to require a selfie-based identity check rather than merely importing a card.
That choice sharpens the concern raised by privacy advocates seeking details on Apple’s ID implementation, because Wallet would handle both a government credential and biometric-style verification material during setup.
First-order effects
- Apple’s Wallet ID enrollment flow is likely to require applicants to provide selfies for validation, adding an identity-proofing step before a credential can be stored.
- State partners planning Wallet IDs must accommodate Apple’s verification process alongside issuance of the underlying driver’s license or ID card.
Second-order effects
- Privacy scrutiny shifts from the convenience of carrying an ID in Wallet to the data handling, transparency, and safeguards around selfie-based verification.
- Wallet’s proposed identity flow becomes more demanding than storing the verifiable health records later supported in iOS 15.1, separating government-ID onboarding from simple credential storage.
Third-order effects
- If selfie verification becomes the standard enrollment path, Wallet is evolving from a payment container into a permission layer that brokers access to regulated identity credentials.
- The model concentrates the user experience for digital identity in Apple’s wallet while leaving states responsible for credential issuance, making implementation rules and disclosure practices central to adoption.
The trend: Digital wallets are moving toward becoming identity and permission layers, with biometric-style enrollment emerging as the gatekeeper for higher-trust credentials.