Key Takeaways
- Samsung is introducing support for storing state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses on select Galaxy smartphones, offering users convenience and easy access to their information.
- The new feature will also include online verification, reducing fraud and allowing users to verify their identity for age-restricted purchases.
- Samsung’s previous support for various other cards, such as student IDs and pay cards, demonstrates their commitment to providing a versatile digital wallet experience.
Samsung announced that it’s bringing its mobile driver’s licenses and state IDs to Samsung Wallet, enabling users in select states to store their private information safely, and securely on their smartphones. The new update will arrive via an update to compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphones, offering a secure and convenient way to use state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses.
Samsung is adding support to Samsung Wallet to enable users to add their state-issued IDs and driver’s licenses to the app. Some of the first devices to benefit from this update are the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 foldables, and we’re expecting other Samsung Galaxy devices to join in the near future.
Additionally, Samsung will also release a software development kit (SDK) to developers in early 2024 that will allow them to integrate online age and ID information into their applications. The move will help reduce online fraud and friction with the verification process, and offer a new level of convenience.
Samsung notes that the implementation of mobile driver’s licenses varies from state to state, and the option will first be available for residents in Arizona and Iowa later this year. Samsung is also working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop a program that accepts mobile driver’s licenses at 25 federalized airports where the technology is currently available.
Should you store your driver’s license on your smartphone?
There are many benefits of storing state-issued IDs and driver licenses on smartphones. One of the main reasons is that it’s convenient. How often have you ever left your wallet, passport, ID, or driver’s license at home, only to realize that you’re taking a trip or need it handy for various reasons? It happens to many people, but the same thing cannot be said about your smartphone that you most likely carry with you most of the time.
Because of this, the option to store IDs and driver’s licenses is a great and unique way to keep information readily available. For as long as your phone is charged, you’ll be able to prove your identity in select states and airports. The online verification will also provide many benefits, enabling users to verify their identity before making age-restricted purchases in online storefronts.
In the press release, Samsung didn’t go into detail about how such IDs and driver’s licenses would be stored on smartphones, but one can assume that a company that develops Samsung Knox knows a thing or two about encryption and keeping confidential information private.
It’s also worth pointing out that while IDs and other documents are new, Samsung has been adding support for various other cards in the past. In June, the company added support for student IDs, enabling students to store their university and other school-issued cards on their devices. Samsung Wallet also supports pay cards, keys, and even crypto.
What devices are supported?
Samsung says that the latest Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 foldables are already compatible, alongside most of the Galaxy S20 series and later devices, the Galaxy Note 20 series, and even the Galaxy A53 and newer smartphones. You can see the full list on Samsung’s website.
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