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An upcoming iOS 15 update will let you store your COVID-19 vaccine card in your iPhone Wallet

This should make things a lot easier at events that require proof of vaccination.

covid-19 card in apple wallet ios 15
Image: KnowTechie

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iOS 15 was just released to the public and one big feature is the ability to store your COVID-19 vaccination records in the Apple Health app. Apple is also working on a way to add a verifiable vaccine card to your iPhone’s Wallet app and lock screen, due for release later this year.

Apple has built this feature around an international specification that was created as a result of the pandemic, the SMART Health Cards framework. It was built to issue, transfer, and verify electronic medical records. Currently, it’s in use by retail pharmacies, health institutions, and some states, including California, Louisiana, New York, Virginia, and Hawaii.

If you’re in one of those states, your medical provider will send you a QR code to scan on your iPhone. That imports your COVID-19 vaccination or test results into the Health app. That’s not the only way to get the data onto your iPhone, as you can download a file from your healthcare provider, or connect them to your Health Records in the Health app.

screenshots from ios 15 showing how to add covid-19 vaccination card to apple health
Image: KnowTechie

Later this year, you’ll be able to create a vaccination card inside the Wallet app, so that venues and other services can scan the information to verify your status.

That creates a way for anyone to ensure you’re not using falsified records, as we’ve seen happen with paper-based vaccination cards. You’ll also be able to add the vaccination details to your lock screen, with the information obscured until you authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode.

This is all good and well, but it really needs to be rolled out to every state, so that anyone has the same way of verifying their vaccination status. Some states, like Maryland where I live, have their own digital records, which I can’t import into my Apple Health app.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.

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