iOS 27 beta had a digital ID issue travelers weren’t expecting

Running beta software always carries the risk of strange problems. No matter how stable a release is, beta versions are always prone to bugs. And a particular problem affecting iPhones running the iOS 27 beta has alarmed some people.

Suddenly, people noticed that their digital IDs were being removed from the Wallet app. This sounds scary, because it could obviously create a travel nightmare scenario. But luckily, it’s pretty easy to fix.

Apple’s Digital ID feature is a way to add a digital version of your passport to the Wallet app. The main idea is to make boarding flights easier. It cannot replace your physical passport since it is not valid for entry into another country, but you can use it at TSA checkpoints at more than 250 U.S. airports. Digital ID was introduced in 2025 in iOS 26 and is also usable in iOS 27 (including beta).

But imagine a scenario where you are ready to embark and your digital ID disappears. It’s frustrating to say the least, and there are plenty of reports about it on X. Luckily, it appears to be a small bug affecting iOS 27. If this has happened to you, don’t worry. All you have to do is add your passport back to the Wallet app and you should be able to use your digital ID again without a problem.

Still, it’s a good reminder that you shouldn’t rely on beta software for your everyday devices. Yes, Apple says it spent a lot of time tweaking iOS 27 to give it a speed boost. This is largely true. Testing by those running the beta shows that performance has indeed improved a lot. But it is still unfinished software that can sometimes crash or have unexpected interactions.

It’s hard to resist the temptation to try new features like Siri AI and Liquid Glass changes early. But if you can, avoid installing beta versions or only install them on a spare iPhone. At least it won’t be long before iOS 27 is officially released to the public.