What you need to know
- Samsung has partnered with CLEAR to bring verified digital IDs into Samsung Wallet for Galaxy users.
- The new Samsung ID system uses biometric verification for faster identity checks online and in person.
- The digital ID is accepted at over 250 TSA checkpoints across the U.S.
Anyone who travels frequently will tell you that the absolute worst part of traveling is standing in the TSA line and digging through a carry-on for a physical passport. That friction is starting to finally fade for Galaxy owners, as Samsung has partnered with identity verification platform CLEAR to introduce digital identity checks into Samsung Wallet.
Samsung ID with CLEAR is a new free and secure mobile digital ID that can be used at over 250 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints across the United States as well as select sports venues. If you have a compatible Galaxy phone and a U.S. passport, you can finally ditch the physical book for good, safely zipped away in your bag.
To get started, you just need a valid U.S. passport and an Android device running Android 9.0 or higher. Open the “Quick Access” tab in your Samsung Wallet, tap the plus sign, choose “Digital IDs,” and select the new “Samsung ID with CLEAR” option. Follow the on-screen prompts to grab your card. Once approved, you breeze through airport security with a tap of your phone or a quick scan of a QR code.
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(Image credit: Samsung)
Hardware-level security
When you upload your passport data, CLEAR handles the backend identity verification, while Samsung Knox locks down the hardware side. The information extracted from your physical ID is encrypted on-device. No one is getting into that digital passport without your fingerprint or a secure PIN.
This integration brings utility far beyond the airport terminal. You can also use Samsung ID with CLEAR for government use cases like age verification — proving you are 21 or older — at select entertainment venues. BMO Stadium in Los Angeles is already online, allowing guests to grab a drink or access restricted areas much faster.
Currently, the feature is only available to U.S. passport holders traveling domestically. You will also need a compatible TSA reader machine and may still need a physical boarding pass to get through the checkpoint depending on the rules of the airport.
Android Central’s Take
I think it’s really nice to think that you don’t have to carry as many physical cards, don’t have to keep showing your ID, and can verify yourself with just your phone. That’s really convenient, especially as more services move online. However, it’s difficult to overlook the intense competition among tech companies to establish digital wallets as the ultimate solution for identity. Samsung Wallet could make life easier, but it also means trusting even more of your personal data, credentials, and daily logins to one app. That’s all well and good — until something breaks, a service gets compromised, or you realize that your phone now has the keys to pretty much your entire life.
