Johns Hopkins University now allowing iPhone and/or Apple Watch to function as campus ID

Your iPhone and/or your Apple Watch can now function as your ID around Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University campus.

Students can now use the devices in place of a physical ID card for getting around campus, as well as paying for university services.

Students at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University can now use an iPhone or Apple Watch in place of a physical ID card for getting around campus, as well as paying for university services. 

The technology, which functions as a digital “J-card” ID that appears via Apple’s Wallet app, allows for these functionalities. With “Express Mode” left on by default, all that’s needed is to hold an iPhone or Watch next to a reader — no Face ID, Touch ID, passcode, or even waking or unlocking a device.

If you’re concerned about security, you can turn Express Mode off, leading iOS to prompt you when a device is used. The services feature also allows for tasks such as food and print amounts to be deducted from an account. In addition, some off-campus businesses, such as CVS, 7-Eleven, and Chipotle, are participating in purchases as well.

Johns Hopkins is the fifth U.S. school to support Wallet IDs — the others are Duke, Temple, Santa Clara, and the Universities of Alabama and Oklahoma. That leaves many others to go, including every Ivy League institution.

The device requirements demand only an iPhone 6 and/or an Apple Watch Series 1 or later alongside the eAccounts app, which can be downloaded and installed from the App Store.

If you’ve had a chance to try this out on your campus and have any feedback to offer, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

Via AppleInsider