Apple Wallet

Overview

Apple Wallet (or simply Wallet, known as Passbook prior to iOS 9) is a digital wallet developed by Apple Inc. and included with iOS and watchOS that allows users to store Wallet passes such as coupons, boarding passes, student ID cards, government ID cards, business credentials, resort passes, car keys, home keys, event tickets, public transportation passes, store cards, and – starting with iOS 8.1 – credit cards, and debit cards for use via Apple Pay.

History

Apple Passbook was announced at the 2012 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 11, 2012, and released with iOS 6 on September 19, 2012. It was renamed "Apple Wallet" with the release of iOS 9 on September 16, 2015.

Features

Wallet displays Aztec, PDF417, and QR 2D barcodes and Code 128 1D barcodes beginning with iOS 9. Each digital coupon or ticket is known as a "pass". When the user launches Wallet for the first time, a brief introduction screen appears with a button inviting users to browse apps on the App Store with Wallet integration. Passes can also be distributed online via Safari, sent to the user via email, or scanned using the built-in scanner in Wallet. Passes are synced between iOS devices using iCloud, and OS X 10.8.2 and later also support opening passes to be sent to users' iOS devices. Although the app is available in iOS 6 or later, it is only available on iPhone and iPod Touch, but not on iPad. Since iOS 16, Wallet has also included the ability to track package deliveries for Apple Pay purchases from selected retailers, providing order details and shipping estimations as well as notifications for order arrivals or updates. Wallet has the following features:

Displays 2D barcodes of following types: Aztec, PDF417 and QR. Displays 1D barcodes of following types: Code 128 beginning with iOS 9. Triggered by location. Up to 10 locations can be added to each Pass. A location is programmed as GPS coordinates (longitude, latitude, and altitude) and/or iBeacon UUID. (The UUID is a Universally Unique Identifier which is a 32 ASCII character code or a code automatically generated from a name using the PassKit API.) Triggered by time of pass. Localization of the pass. Up to 35 languages can be stored for each pass in Wallet. Custom passes can be built by the user in iOS 27. Pass changes can be pushed via the Apple Push Notification service by the pass provider, or manually updated by the user themselves. Mobile IDs that operate over ISO 18013-5 can be read & logged via third-party apps in iOS 17. Recurring payments with Apple Cash in iOS 17.

Pass Types

Wallet can store a variety of digital passes, from payment and transit cards to access badges and more. Apple categorizes passes/credentials as follows:

Payment Card

A debit, credit, or prepaid card for making purchases in person, in-app, or online. In-person payments are made using NFC. Most payment cards can be added to both iPhone and Apple Watch.

Home Key

An access credential provisioned by a consumer-grade smart lock for accessing one's home. Home keys are provisioned to Wallet after adding a compatible smart lock to the Apple Home app. They can be added to both iPhone and Apple Watch. Sharing a home key in Wallet requires adding someone as a Guest in your Apple Home. Unlocking with a home key in Wallet uses NFC (and UWB on supported locks). Starting with watchOS 27, those you've added as a guest to your Apple Home can add a guest key to their Apple Watch.

Car/Scooter Key

An access credential issued by an automaker for unlocking and starting your vehicle. Additional functionality can be built into the key depending of the vehicle type and automaker support, such as opening the trunk, starting the climate, or sounding the alarm. Car/scooter keys can be shared with others natively from within Wallet, with specific access limits set, such as unlock only, or unlock and drive. Car/scooter keys can be added to both iPhone and Apple Watch. Unlocking and additional functionality occurs using NFC, UWB, and BLE. Functions such as sounding the alarm and opening the trunk require your device to be within UWB/BLE range of the vehicle, as car/scooter keys in Wallet do not rely on an internet connection to work, with the exception of key sharing.

Resident Key

An access credential issued by a property manager at a multi-residential property such as an apartment building. The ability to share your digital key with others is determined by the property manager. If sharing is supported, residents can share their key with others natively within Wallet, with the ability to limit guest access to specific days of the week, times of day, or between specified start/end dates. Resident keys work using NFC. An internet connection is not required for locking and unlocking. Key sharing/revocation requires an internet connection.

Hotel Key

An access credential issues by a hotel brand for accessing its properties, such as hotel rooms, gym, elevators, etc. Depending on the hotel's access control and reservation systems, hotel chains can enable guests to share their key in Wallet with others, such as family members or other individuals they are traveling with or staying at the same hotel with. Hotel keys can be used to access rooms, fitness centers, pools, and other access-control facilities. They use NFC for unlocking and do not require an internet connection, other than for sharing a key or revoking a shared key. A hotel key in Wallet can work across multiple reservations at various supported properties within the same hotel brand. Upcoming reservations are listed below the key artwork in Wallet, much the way transactions appear under a payment card. Starting with iOS 27, hotel keys gain additional functionality, such as the ability to see services you've booked with the property.

Access Badge

An access credential issued by a company or school for workplace or campus access (Apple's marketing refers to this as Employee Badge/Student ID in Wallet). Employee badges and student IDs can be used for accessing facilities and services across a company or school's campus, such as secure workspaces, gyms, printing services, dorms, and more. These badges and IDs work over NFC for unlocking doors, authorizing printers, and more (though a shift to UWB is clearing on the distant horizon). Student IDs can be tied into not just a school's access control system, but also their payment systems so students, faculty, and staff can pay for meals and snacks from cafeterias and vending machines that tie into the school's payment system using stored-value accounts or "meal swipe" allowances.

Government-Issued ID

An identity credential/document issued by a government body (such as a state or national agency). IDs in Wallet can be used for proving one's identity as well as a variety of attributes associated with an ID (age, address, name, date of birth, etc). In-person presentation of an ID in Wallet uses NFC to initiate a handshake with the identity reader and establish a connection. Following the handshake, the request for ID information and the return of said requested information is done over BLE. Unlike other passes in Wallet, IDs use NFC only to initiate the connection between device and identity reader. IDs in Wallet work entirely without an internet connection. Presentment history is stored locally on your device and is not included in iCloud or local backups. When you set up a new device, presentment history does not transfer to the new device. To transfer an ID in Wallet from one device to another, a user must re-verify their identity through a Live Photo and a series of facial movements performed on iPhone and then sent to the ID's issuing authority for approval or denial of re-issuance. Only one Government-Issued ID can be added to an Apple Account. An ID in Wallet can be added to both an iPhone and a paired Apple Watch. In the United States, supported driver's licenses and state IDs are added to Wallet directly within the app. In Japan, users must add their My Number card from the MynaApp (formerly Mynaportal) app, as direct provisioning within Wallet is not supported. Additionally, Japan's My Number card in Wallet is available on iPhone only–it cannot be added to Apple Watch. Because Apple's passport-verified Digital ID is not government-issued, it can be added to a device/Apple Account in addition to an existing Government-Issued ID.

ID Card

An identity credential/document issued by Apple after verifying the information read off of an official government-issued ID. Currently, the only credential classified as an ID Card in Wallet (rather than a Government-Issued ID) is Apple's own Digital ID. Currently available only to US Passport holders, Digital ID in Wallet is issued by Apple after using information from your physical, unexpired US Passport to verify your identity. A user places their iPhone atop the back cover of their US Passport, allowing the device to read information from the Passport's embedded NFC chip. The process also involves scanning the photo page of the Passport to read information off the page's barcode. Digital ID in Wallet can be used for proving one's identity as well as a variety of attributes associated with a US Passport (age, name, date of birth, country of nationality, etc). In-person presentation of an ID in Wallet uses NFC to initiate a handshake with the identity reader and establish a connection. Following the handshake, the request for ID information and the return of said requested information is done over BLE. Unlike other passes in Wallet, IDs use NFC only to initiate the connection between device and identity reader. Digital IDs in Wallet work entirely without an internet connection. Presentment history is stored locally on your device and is not included in iCloud or local backups. When you set up a new device, presentment history does not transfer to the new device. To transfer an ID in Wallet from one device to another, a user must re-verify their identity through a Live Photo and a series of facial movements performed on iPhone and then sent to Apple for approval or denial of re-issuance. A Digital ID in Wallet can be added to both an iPhone and a paired Apple Watch. Because Apple's passport-verified Digital ID is not government-issued, it can be added to a device/Apple Account in addition to an existing Government-Issued ID. While not a REAL ID document, a US Passport meets the security standards to serve as an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID. As such, Digital ID in Wallet can also be used in lieu of a REAL ID. Currently, Digital ID cannot be used for international travel or border crossings.