Your Samsung Galaxy phone can now be your passport – but there's a catch
This could be a great time-saving feature
Quick Summary
Some Samsung users are getting a nifty new feature.
Certain devices will be able to utilise a digital passport.
Ever wished travel could be just that little bit easier? Well, if you're a Samsung Galaxy user, your wish may have just been granted.
As reported by T3's sister publication, Android Central, Samsung phones can now act as a TSA-approved digital passport. The brand has partnered with CLEAR to offer verified Digital IDs in the Samsung Wallet.
The service will be available at over 250 TSA checkpoints and selected sporting venues in the USA, though it's currently only available in that country. To make use of the feature, you'll need a US passport and a Galaxy handset capable of running Android 9.0 or higher.
From there, simply head to the Quick Access section within the Samsung Wallet and click the plus button to add a new option. Under the Digital IDs section, you should now see an option called Samsung ID with CLEAR.
In theory, that then makes travel at any of the approved locations as easy as tapping your phone or scanning a QR code. And there's no need to worry about the safety or security of the system, with the brand's Knox hardware security ensuring everything is kept safe.
Personally, I think this is a really neat addition to the Samsung suite of features. While it's definitely not a catch all solution – you'll only be able to use it for domestic travel, for example – it's a good sign of what's possible with modern technology.
I certainly hope that such a feature could become more commonplace around the world. It would allow us to streamline the process and, potentially, do away with outdated physical documents.
There's still a way to go before we get to that point, though. For now, at least, a large swathe of Android users in the USA can reap the benefits – with the rest of us watching on jealously!
