Samsung and CLEAR, the United States’ primary identity verification company, now allow some Galaxy phones to serve as TSA-approved digital passports for US travelers. Samsung ID with CLEAR lives inside Samsung Wallet and turns a verified copy of a traveler’s US passport into a reusable digital ID that TSA accepts at certain checkpoints.
Users can show this ID at more than 250 TSA lanes throughout the country, so long as digital identity readers are available. The system still keeps the physical passport as the primary travel document for crossing international borders and for airports that do not support digital IDs.
To set it up, first open Samsung Wallet, then go to the digital ID section, and start Samsung ID with CLEAR. You’ll then undergo CLEAR’s identity checks, which use passport details and biometric verification to confirm your identity.
After CLEAR approves your enrollment, your digital ID will be stored in Samsung Wallet. This will be locked and accessible only with your fingerprint or PIN. At the airport, you’ll unlock your phone, open Samsung Wallet, tap the Samsung ID with a CLEAR card, and hold the phone near a TSA digital ID reader or use a QR code, depending on the checkpoint.
The program currently focuses on US passport holders and works only inside the US. Some sports and entertainment venues may accept digital passports in place of a physical passport or government-issued ID when it comes to age checks.
