Apple Wallet has been quietly building towards something significant for a while now. The bones have been there for years: car keys, boarding passes, digital IDs. But the honest reality has always been that the app is only as useful as the partners willing to support it. That is starting to change in a meaningful way.
Travel Just Got Smarter
With iOS 26, Apple overhauled the boarding pass experience in Wallet. It goes well beyond showing you a barcode at the gate now. You get luggage tracking through Apple's Find My network, airport navigation via maps, and live activity updates all built into your pass. United Airlines was the first carrier to go live with the new features, followed by Delta and Southwest, with more expected to roll out through the rest of the year. American Airlines is among the latest to commit to the updated experience.
This is exactly the kind of thing that makes a real difference when you are rushing through a terminal. Having your gate, your bags, and a map all surfaced from one place without digging through separate apps is genuinely useful, not just a spec sheet talking point.
Car Keys and Digital IDs Gaining Ground
Apple's digital car key feature has been around since iOS 13.6, but adoption from automakers has been painfully slow. That is finally starting to shift. Porsche is bringing car key support to its 2026 electric Macan and Cayenne, and General Motors has confirmed that Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC are all coming on board too. Once you have used a car key on an iPhone or Apple Watch, going back to a physical fob feels like a step backwards, so the more manufacturers that join the better.
On the digital ID front, iOS 26 added support for US passports in Wallet, which can now be used at TSA checkpoints, in apps, and in person. It is worth noting that digital IDs currently cover domestic travel only. Your physical passport is still required for international flights and border crossings. State-level driver's license support continues to roll out gradually, with Arkansas and Virginia both recently committing to Apple Wallet support.
Order Tracking Finally Makes Sense
One of the more underrated additions in iOS 26 is the overhaul of Wallet's order tracking feature. Apple originally introduced this in iOS 16 but it required individual merchants to opt in, which meant it was essentially useless for most people. The iOS 26 version sidesteps the problem entirely by using Apple Intelligence to pull delivery tracking information directly from your emails, covering all your orders without needing any third-party integration. It is a smart solution and long overdue.
What Comes Next
With WWDC 2026 kicking off on June 8, there is every chance Apple announces further Wallet capabilities alongside iOS 27. The app has come a long way from its Passbook origins back in 2012, and with third-party momentum finally building across travel, automotive, and identity, it is starting to live up to what Apple has always wanted it to be: the one app you reach for instead of your physical wallet.