How iOS 16 Wallet Shares Only Your Age

Apple introduced digital driver’s licenses and state IDs to the Wallet app in iOS 16, allowing users to present their identity seamlessly to supported apps and physical checkpoints. To protect user privacy, iOS 16 uses a principle called selective disclosure, ensuring that verifiers receive only the specific data points required for a transaction—such as a simple confirmation that an individual is over the age of 21—without exposing their full birthdate, home address, legal name, or other sensitive details.

When an app or an authorized reader requests age verification, it does not receive a digital scan or full copy of the ID. Instead, the verifying party sends a cryptographic request asking a specific question, such as whether the user meets an age threshold (e.g., "Is the user 21 or older?").

The iPhone's Secure Enclave processes this request locally against the digitally signed credential provided by the state issuing authority. The operating system presents a prompt to the user detailing precisely who is requesting information, what specific data they are asking for, and whether the verifier intends to store that data.

To authorize the release of the information, the user authenticates with Face ID or Touch ID. Once authenticated, the Secure Enclave generates a secure, cryptographically signed response that answers the verifier’s specific query. The relying party receives a verified "Yes" or "No" along with cryptographic proof that the claim came from a legitimate government-issued ID.

Because the calculation happens on-device, neither Apple nor the issuing state authority can track when, where, or with whom the ID is used. Furthermore, the verifier receives no extraneous Personally Identifiable Information (PII), drastically reducing the risk of identity theft, data tracking, or unauthorized profiling during routine age-gated interactions.