Android users can now add a digital version of their driver’s license or ID to their Google Wallet, following the launch of the digital ID for iPhone users earlier this year.
The digital ID means iPhone and Android users who are also members of the TSA PreCheck trusted traveler program can use their phones as their ID at some airport security checkpoints.
PreCheck members who want to use a digital ID at Hartsfield-Jackson should go to the South security checkpoint.
Downloading the digital ID to a smartphone allows a traveler to tap their phone at the airport security checkpoint ID check, have their photo taken to authenticate their identity and then proceed to screening.
Getting the Georgia Digital ID for Android users requires Google Wallet on an Android device shipped with software version 8.0 or higher, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Some digital ID technologies and use of facial recognition have raised privacy and security concerns. Georgia DDS says all data is stored securely on the user’s device, “protected by both hardware and software security, inaccessible to anyone but you.”
Even with a digital ID, travelers still need to carry your original physical copy of a driver license or ID, since the Georgia DDS warns that the digital ID is not a replacement for it. TSA PreCheck is the primary use for digital ID, and law enforcement does not accept Georgia digital ID.
The Georgia Digital ID is one of a variety of ways for travelers to avoid taking out their driver’s license at the checkpoint.
At Clear security lanes, travelers can verify their identities using facial recognition or fingerprints instead of their IDs.
The digital driver’s license for Georgia is also different from Delta’s Digital ID, which uses facial recognition to process travelers who opt in and can go to a dedicated line at the South security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson.
The airline also has Delta Digital ID at its Detroit hub and is working to add Delta Digital ID at its hubs at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Los Angeles International Airport by the end of this year.
How to Add a Georgia Digital Driver’s License and ID to Google Wallet
To get a Georgia License or ID on an Android device, start with the Google Wallet app and your physical license or ID.
● Open the Google Wallet app or download it on Google Play
● Tap ‘Add to Wallet’
● Tap ‘ID Card’ and choose your state
● Follow the instructions to verify your ID with Georgia DDS
Source: Georgia Department of Driver Services
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