Our pockets are packed these days with I.D. cards, store loyalty cards, credit cards, and more. It’s tough to find the right card because there are so many of them. It would be great if you could show or check your phone.
Yes, you can now do so if you have an Android phone. Since Apple already lets you do this, Google Wallet now lets you add your driver’s license or state I.D. to your account. This makes it easy to prove who you are when you need to. That is if you live in certain U.S. states.
In case more proof is needed, you’ll still need to carry the hard copies of these cards with you. With that said, it’s still a great way to save time when you want to avoid pulling cards out of your wallet, purse, or bag. Here’s how to add your driver’s license or I.D. to Google Wallet.
How to add your I.D. or driver’s license to Google Wallet
There are some things you need to do with your computer before you can add your driver’s license or state I.D. to Google Wallet. It would help if you didn’t worry about them being too hard, though. All you need is an Android phone that has at least Android 8.0 Oreo installed. That’s every phone bought in the last five years. Then, make sure WiFi and Bluetooth are turned on. Finally, you need to have one of the screen lock options turned on.
Below are the steps:
- Step 1: Open Google Wallet and pick “Add to Wallet.”
- Step 2: Choose your state and then your I.D. card.
- Step 3: Now, you’ll go through the steps to confirm. First, click “Continue.” Next, scan your I.D. card’s front and back.
- Step 4: Now, you’ll be asked to make a short movie of yourself looking up, to the side, and straight on. Click on Send.
- Step 5: Google will send your information to the right people in your state to be checked. They say it should only take a few minutes, but it always does.
How to remove your I.D. or license from Google Wallet
Hackers can’t get to your I.D. card because it’s only stored on your computer and not in the cloud or somewhere else. You can take your I.D. card off your phone, though, if you try it and decide it’s not for you or if you don’t like having it there.
Below are the steps:
- Step 1: Open your Google Wallet first, then look for and pick your I.D. card.
- Step 2: Press the “More” button located in the top right corner. Three vertical dots represent this menu. Moving on, choose Remove > Remove.
If you follow these steps, you can also delete your Google Wallet ID from afar.
- Step 1: Visit Google My Account.
- Step 2: Go to Personal info and select Digital ID.
- Step 3: From the list of digital I.D.s, find the one you want to delete and click on it.
- Step 4: Confirm the delete. Now it’s gone.
My Google Wallet ID and What It Can Do
This tool is only being rolled out in a few places right now, so it’s only available in some places. As of this writing, I.D. cards can be used with Google Wallet in Maryland, USA, and at some airports that work with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
You can either use NFC to scan your I.D. card as you would with Google Wallet, or it will show up on your screen as a Q.R. code that an official can read.
Which states support Google Wallet virtual I.D.s?
There are very few right now. The Google Wallet ID card system can only be used as a real ID in Maryland. However, you can use it at some TSA checkpoints and airports. It is official: Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia will get help “in the coming months.”
In the future, the feature will likely be added to more U.S. states and airports. We’ll keep this guide up to date as more places become qualified.
