This iOS 26 update might stop you from yelling at the airport for once
Apple Wallet now shows maps, tracks your luggage, and even flashes your ID.
During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple unveiled a full lineup refresh, dropping iOS 26 alongside the new iPadOS 26, the WatchOS 26 powering the Apple Watch and, of course, the next generation macOS 26. Yep, everything is finally in sync with the same version number.
With iOS 26, Apple is bringing a fresh look and a bunch of useful features and one area getting a notable upgrade is travel. Apple Wallet is turning into a more useful travel buddy, now supporting digital passports and smarter boarding passes that do more than just sit on your lock screen.
Let’s start with the digital passport. Apple made it clear that this isn’t a full-on replacement for your physical passport, but it is still a big deal. You will be able to use it within apps that require age or identity verification and it will also work at select TSA checkpoints.
That could be super helpful for people who are always struggling to remember where they put their Real ID – digital IDs are definitely gaining traction (Google’s had them in its Wallet for a while now), and this move gets Apple closer to being part of that shift, too.
As for boarding passes, they’ve been in Wallet for a while, but iOS 26 is giving them a serious glow-up. Now, when you tap on your boarding pass, you will see terminal maps – so no more frantically Googling the airport layout to find your gate or where baggage claim is.
And speaking of baggage claim, this is where the integration with Find My gets super useful. Your boarding pass will now link up with Find My so you can track your AirTagged luggage right from Wallet. That is one less app to open and one more way to make sure your bag actually made it to the same city as you.
Personally, I think this kind of update is a real win for frequent flyers. Having terminal directions pop up right from the pass will definitely save time and stress. And the fact that you will be able to check on your AirTagged bag directly from Wallet is such a solid quality-of-life improvement. I’ve had AirTags save me from massive headaches at least a few times already and being able to access that info right where my boarding pass lives is just smart design.
The first iOS 26 developer beta is already out if you are feeling brave (and bug-tolerant). If not, the public beta should roll out next month. The final version of iOS 26 is expected to go live later this year, likely alongside the iPhone 17 series in September.
With iOS 26, Apple is bringing a fresh look and a bunch of useful features and one area getting a notable upgrade is travel. Apple Wallet is turning into a more useful travel buddy, now supporting digital passports and smarter boarding passes that do more than just sit on your lock screen.
That could be super helpful for people who are always struggling to remember where they put their Real ID – digital IDs are definitely gaining traction (Google’s had them in its Wallet for a while now), and this move gets Apple closer to being part of that shift, too.
You’ll now be able to view real-time flight updates through Live Activities – and even share them with others. | Image credit – Apple
And speaking of baggage claim, this is where the integration with Find My gets super useful. Your boarding pass will now link up with Find My so you can track your AirTagged luggage right from Wallet. That is one less app to open and one more way to make sure your bag actually made it to the same city as you.
Personally, I think this kind of update is a real win for frequent flyers. Having terminal directions pop up right from the pass will definitely save time and stress. And the fact that you will be able to check on your AirTagged bag directly from Wallet is such a solid quality-of-life improvement. I’ve had AirTags save me from massive headaches at least a few times already and being able to access that info right where my boarding pass lives is just smart design.
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