Overview
- Google, in a Tuesday announcement, enabled Aadhaar verifiable credentials in Wallet for India as part of a wider digital ID push that also adds passport‑based ID passes in Singapore, Taiwan and Brazil.
- The feature is built with the Unique Identification Authority of India and uses its new verifiable‑credentials standard and offline verification so identity checks can work without constant network access.
- Privacy controls include on‑device encryption, sharing only the specific data a checker requests through selective disclosure, and requiring the phone’s screen lock or biometrics to open the ID.
- People add the ID via the Aadhaar app or a Google Wallet flow that hands off to the Aadhaar app for OTP verification, and Google allows only one Aadhaar per account.
- Early uses include age checks at PVR INOX, verified profiles on BharatMatrimony, visa autofill through Atlys, and upcoming checks with Mygate and Snabbit, and Google says the digital ID does not replace the physical Aadhaar card.