A significant portion of this year was devoted to Google promoting its digital ID initiative, outlining strategies to include other states and increase the program’s overall reach. Last week, it gained California, a state with a population of about 40 million. A pilot initiative that would initially enable 1.5 million users to add their mobile ID to the Google Wallet was jointly announced by Google and the state of California.
The fact that many US states are attempting to develop their own mobile ID programs instead of partnering with Google or Apple is one of the reasons why it’s so challenging to increase the usage of Android or iOS mobile IDs. New York just independently established the Mobile ID (MiD New York) initiative, which necessitates the use of a stand-alone app. In actuality, before launching the Google Wallet trial program, California had its own software called the California DMV Wallet app. There will still be an additional option to use the California DMV Wallet app.
“It’s never been easier to keep a digital driver’s license and identification card in California,” said Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, in a statement. “The state continues to work to offer convenience for those opting into the mobile driver’s license program, now with the option of using Google Wallet.”
To be clear, before mobile IDs are really helpful, a lot more work needs to be done. Californians who retain their driver’s license in the Google Wallet are nevertheless obligated by law to carry their actual card. Only at some airports and restaurants will the smartphone version of their ID be useful for navigating TSA checks.
Still, California is a major addition for Google Wallet, and it will become much more significant if additional people of the state are allowed to participate in the trial program. To begin with, Google now accepts as many state IDs as Apple does. Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland are available in Google Wallet, whereas Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and Ohio are available in Apple Wallet. Google has achieved significant success by obtaining a state the size of California and acquiring a state that already has a mobile wallet app.
Although Apple declared that it would be taking part in a comparable pilot program with California, it is uncertain when Apple Wallet functionality will be available for the mobile IDs as they were launched in Google Wallet.