Mashable

Apple is turning its Wallet into something akin to a digital passport — but don't expect to be flying internationally without a physical passport just yet.

On Wednesday, the company launched Digital ID, which is a way to present your ID in Apple Wallet in a secure and private way.

The new feature is launching as a fairly limited beta. It will initially be only available in the U.S. for domestic travel only, rolling out to TSA checkpoints at more than 250 airports across the country.

To create a Digital ID, users will have to scan their U.S. passport. To do so, open Wallet on your iPhone, tap the Add + button at the top of the screen, select Driver's License or ID Cards, then select Digital ID and follow the instructions.

The process consists of scanning your passport with your iPhone, then scanning the chip that's embedded in the passport, and occasionally completing a series of facial and head movements (such as closing your eyes) during setup.

When presenting a Digital ID (for example, at a TSA checkpoint), you'll need to double click the iPhone's side button to open Wallet and select your Digital ID, hold your iPhone near an identity reader, and then use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate. The process also works with Wallet on Apple Watch.

Apple points out that right now, you cannot use Digital ID to travel internationally.

This is just a start for Digital ID, but Apple has big plans for the feature. For example, in the future you might be able to present your ID to prove your age at a venue that requires it, and you'll be able to use it for identity verification in certain apps.

The advantage of using Apple's Digital ID over whipping out a physical ID is that the venue that's reading it can only verify certain data, such as your age and photo, but they don't get to see all the data on the ID.

The feature builds on Apple's digital driver's license and state ID, which launched in 2022. These can already be added to Wallet in 12 U.S. states, as well as Puerto Rico.

Airbnb is reportedly integrating with Instacart in an interesting way, at least for a few months.

Folks who book stays in an Airbnb property will soon be able to order groceries ahead of their stay and have everything stocked and ready for them when they arrive, per Bloomberg. This will happen via a directly integrated Instacart interface within the Airbnb app. It should be noted that this is just a three-month pilot program starting on Jan. 5, and right now it's only for hosts in Phoenix, Orlando, and Los Angeles.

Still, this seems like a promising feature that could make traveling a lot easier for Airbnb guests.

The benefits for Airbnb customers here are obvious, but there are also incentives for hosts to play along, too. Each host will get $25 per completed Instacart order to their property and a $100 bonus for the first one, as long as they receive the order and put everything away on time.

Getting paid money to put away other people's groceries in the property you own is an interesting labor arrangement, if nothing else.

FX's Alien: Earth quickly became one of the most obsession-worthy shows of the summer

Over the course of eight episodes, Noah Hawley's Alien prequel series gifted viewers with bold new tech, a host of terrifying creatures, and a downright nausea-inducing mini Alien movie. With the show's Season 1 finale looming, can fans expect more Alien: Earth in a Season 2?

Yes! On Nov. 11, FX announced that Alien: Earth has been renewed for a second season. FX also revealed that Hawley had signed an overall deal with FX and Disney Entertainment Television, which bodes well for the future of Alien: Earth.

That's a future that Hawley has been thinking about for a long time. In a 2025 interview with Variety, Hawley mentioned his hopes for further seasons. "Season 1 is the proof of concept," Hawley said. "And if it works commercially, then Season 2 is about building a model upon which we can envision making a Season 3, 4, 5."

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Hawley is also already thinking about the wait time between seasons, telling Evolution of Horror that he has "a destination in mind, story-wise" and that his main question going forward is, "How streamlined can we make the process so that you're not waiting for three or four or five years for more?"

FX has yet to set a release date for Alien: Earth Season 2. However, the renewal announcement stated that Season 2 will begin filming in London in 2026. From this, we can make an educated guess based on the turnaround time on Season 1.

Season 1 of Alien: Earth entered production in July of 2023, although it began filming without its American SAG-AFTRA members due to the Hollywood strikes. (British cast members were able to film as they were not part of SAG-AFTRA.) Production paused later due to the strike, before resuming in April of 2024 and then wrapping in July of 2024. The show premiered in Aug. of 2025, making for a two-year turnaround from the beginning of production to release. That means we might be waiting until 2028 for a Season 2.

However, production on an Alien: Earth Season 2 will not have to contend with another SAG-AFTRA strike, meaning it will hopefully take less time for Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and her Xenomorph to grace our screens again.

Alien: Earth Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.

UPDATE: Nov. 12, 2025, 9:30 a.m. EST This article was originally published on Sept. 23, 2025. It has been updated to reflect the news of Alien: Earth's renewal.