Google Wallet is now the first digital wallet to partner directly with TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, and it could save you time at the airport.
Starting this week, eligible PreCheck travelers can opt in just once through Google Wallet, instead of manually entering their ID with every single airline.
How TSA PreCheck Touchless ID works with Google Wallet for you at the airport
Touchless ID lets you skip flashing a physical ID at security by verifying your identity through facial comparison technology in dedicated lanes. Right now, it only works at 65 airports and with a limited number of airlines, but Google’s integration extends that access to more than 100 TSA PreCheck airlines at participating locations.
To get started, you first create a digital ID pass in Google Wallet, then check in with a participating airline and add your boarding pass. If you are eligible, a “Get started” button appears, taking you to a TSA consent page where you authorize sharing your ID and boarding pass details.
Once TSA confirms your enrollment, your boarding pass gets a Touchless ID badge, and you are all set to use the express line. Google says your digital ID stays encrypted and stored locally on your phone, and nothing gets shared with TSA until you unlock your device and explicitly opt in.
Google’s digital ID plans keep expanding
This rollout fits into Google’s broader effort to make Wallet a replacement for your physical cards and documents, following recent expansions into passports and state IDs. Google product lead PJ Linarducci said the timing lines up well with the busy summer travel season just getting underway.
The update is rolling out over the next several weeks, so you may not see it immediately, even if you qualify. Google Wallet’s glow-up doesn’t stop there. It also rolled out role-based car key sharing and a speedier checkout flow that swaps one-time passcodes for a quick biometric scan.