Google just made carrying a physical ID one step closer to optional. Starting today, Indian users can save their Aadhaar Verifiable Credential directly inside Google Wallet — stored on-device — while users in Singapore, Taiwan, and Brazil gain access to passport-based digital ID passes for the first time.
The Aadhaar integration, built in partnership with UIDAI (the government body that manages India's national identity system), lets users add their credential in a few taps and present it digitally wherever it's accepted.
The rollout kicks off with five launch partners: PVR INOX for age verification at cinemas, BharatMatrimony for verified profiles, Atlys for auto-filling international visa applications, and Mygate and Snabbit — both coming in the near future — for verifying delivery personnel and gig workers entering residential communities.
Google has implemented selective disclosure, meaning an app or service only sees what it actually needs — a cinema checking your age doesn't get your address or date of birth, just a confirmed yes-or-no on whether you're old enough.
On top of that, Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKP) cryptography lets the system verify a fact about you without exposing the underlying data at all. The integration is built on ISO 18013-5 and the W3C Digital Credentials API, the same global standards used for mobile driving licences in the US and EU, which means the credential is technically interoperable across platforms and future-proofed against fragmentation.
For the three newly added countries, Google Wallet's ID pass works differently — it's a secure digital ID generated from passport information, useful for in-person age checks and online account verification, rather than a government-issued verifiable credential.
The broader implication here is significant. India's Aadhaar covers over a billion enrolled users, and getting it into a widely installed app like Google Wallet — rather than a standalone government app most people ignore — dramatically raises the chances of real-world adoption. The gig economy and residential security use cases alone address friction points that affect millions of daily interactions in Indian cities.
The Aadhaar credential is live in Google Wallet now. The ID passes for Singapore, Taiwan, and Brazil are also available starting today.