Following the recent rollout of digital driver's licenses in Virginia and Oklahoma, Apple Wallet is expected to add support for Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina in the near future. Utah has reportedly been detected in Apple's backend systems, Kentucky has completed a digital ID system upgrade tied to its planned launch, and North Carolina has publicly committed to Apple Wallet support by early 2027 as part of its new digital license system.
Samsung phone owners have access to both Samsung Wallet and Google Wallet, which overlap heavily in basic functions like storing cards, tickets, passes, keys and IDs, as well as scanning physical cards via camera. Despite this overlap, each app has distinct strengths, with Samsung and Google diverging in areas such as ID support and cryptocurrency handling.
Google Wallet payment failures often stem from disabled NFC settings, incomplete card setup, or phone cases interfering with the NFC antenna. Users can troubleshoot by checking Payment Setup in the app, confirming NFC is enabled in phone settings, and testing whether removing a case resolves tap-to-pay problems. Unlike Apple Wallet, Google Wallet doesn't require opening the app since it defaults to a preset card.
iOS 27 introduces a bill-splitting feature in Apple Wallet that uses the iPhone camera and Apple Intelligence to scan receipts and calculate what each person owes, including tax and tip. The tool works across Messages, Wallet, and Visual Intelligence, with a new Siri camera mode able to identify receipt items and trigger a split-payment option automatically.
A developer discovered new references to Lincoln, Freelander, and Lucid in Apple's backend code for its Car Key feature, suggesting these automakers may soon let drivers unlock and start vehicles using an iPhone or Apple Watch. Apple has not confirmed a launch timeline or specified which vehicle models will gain support. Lucid had already been named previously as a future Car Key partner, alongside brands like Acura, Cadillac, and Porsche.
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet now let users store a state driver's license or ID digitally, with built-in options to share only limited information—such as confirming someone is over 21—instead of a full birth date, address and license number. Both companies say the data is encrypted, stored locally on the device rather than in the cloud, and requires biometric or passcode authentication before any information is shared with a verifier.
Both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet let users store payment cards, loyalty cards, tickets and NFC-based passes like hotel or car keys, with setup requiring only a few taps and bank verification. The key difference lies in flexibility: Apple Wallet generally requires official integration from airlines, retailers or other providers, though iOS 27 now allows custom passes for unsupported items. Google Wallet has long supported importing tickets from Gmail and includes an 'Everything Else' feature for digitizing photos of any card, such as gym or library passes.
Apple's Wallet app allows iPhone and Apple Watch owners to add a digital version of their driver's license alongside other IDs like passports. The feature uses encryption and biometric authentication via Face ID or Touch ID, letting users control exactly what information is revealed—for example, only confirming legal drinking age rather than sharing a full birthdate. Adoption remains limited, as only some businesses, venues, and airport checkpoints currently accept these digital credentials.
Apple Wallet is the iPhone (and Apple Watch) app that stores digital cards, IDs, boarding passes, tickets and loyalty cards, while Apple Pay is the payment service that actually processes transactions using cards saved in Wallet. Making a purchase in-store involves tapping an NFC terminal and double-pressing the side button, then confirming identity via Face ID, Touch ID or a PIN, whereas online purchases work much like PayPal by selecting a stored card and authenticating.
Apple Wallet has evolved well past its 2015 origins as the rebranded Passbook app, now serving as a hub for far more than boarding passes and movie tickets. With iOS 27, the app adds features like custom passes and bill-splitting, alongside several lesser-known tools already built into Wallet that many users never explore.
Apple's upcoming iOS 27 update adds a feature that uses Visual Intelligence and the iPhone camera to scan a restaurant receipt, divide the cost among a group, and send Apple Cash requests to each person. The update also lets Visual Intelligence scan physical passes like boarding tickets or loyalty cards and digitize them directly into Apple Wallet.
Users running the iOS 27 beta have reported that Apple's Digital ID passport feature in the Wallet app suddenly disappears, disrupting airport check-in plans. The issue appears to be a software bug limited to the beta build, and affected users can fix it by re-adding their passport to the Wallet app.
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