Apple adds user privacy protections, enables storage of IDs on iPhones

Apple said users will be able to scan their state-issued ID cards in participating US states and the cards will be encrypted in a user's digital wallet

Apple Inc on Monday said it will offer the ability to store state-issued identification cards digitally on iPhones and added user privacy protections on its iCloud service and email apps, among several updates to the software that runs on its devices.

It also showed updates to its FaceTime video chat app, adding the ability to schedule calls with multiple attendees and making the software compatible with Android and Windows devices.

The move, which puts Apple in more direct competition with companies like Zoom Video Communications Inc that gained prominence during the pandemic, was the first major announcement from Apple's annual