We all know the struggle of forgetting our student ID in our rooms or losing it on-campus and then not being able to get into your room, eat a meal or go to the gym. For six lucky universities, Apple has made this problem disappear.
Starting today, students at Duke University and the Universities of Alabama and Oklahoma will be able to add their ID card to Apple Wallet and be able to use just their iPhone or Apple Watch to get around campus, Apple said in a press release.
The new ID system gives students the same access a regular ID would, including laundry, meals on- and off-campus, access to dorms and the school library.
While some schools have a mobile ID option, said alternative usually requires you to download an app that may not always work or have glitches. Apple’s solution was to create this new system within the Apple Wallet, which also gives students the option to link their cards to Apple Pay. All students will need to do is add their ID to Apple Wallet and then hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a digital ID sensor to be scanned.
Though only three universities have started using the IDs so far, Johns Hopkins, Santa Clara and Temple Universities are set to begin using the technology by the end of this school year. There is also no news regarding what edition iPhone or Apple Watch a user must have or whether a similar program will be available on Android phones. Hopefully, Apple will continue updating their list of eligible universities – before we know it, no student will have to experience the panic of forgetting their student ID!