Google appears to be working on providing a secure way for users to store sensitive documents and identity credentials on Android. This seems like the next step from Google in limiting the things you carry in your physical wallet (after Google Pay). With the new method, the company is trying to target probably one of the most important things that the majority of users carry in their wallet, aside from money and credit or debit cards. If the company manages to come up with a secure and fully acceptable way to do this, users could be able to get rid of their wallets altogether.
To ensure that Android can do this in a secure way, integrated into the operating system, the company has already started working on a relatively new IdentityCredential API. According to a report by XDA Developers, in addition to data security, the company is working on addressing some other fundamental issues related to keeping your critical data on a smartphone. These issues include limited battery life. You might be driving your car, your phone might run out of battery, your phone might go dead, and you might need your driver’s license or any other important document related to your identity.
The second problem concerns the overall security of documents at the application and operating system level. This is not the first time that an application has been released for the purpose of storing official documents. The Andhra Pradesh state government has released “RTA M Wallet” for storing diplomas and other documents. The Indian government has already released “DigiLocker” to help users store personal documents securely along with the dedicated “mAadhaar” application.
The IdentityCredential API will be built into the system, at the hardware level, so that data is not compromised, even if the operating system is at risk from hackers. Furthermore, according to the report, future devices that potentially run Android R with the right hardware may be able to display credentials, including a driver's license, even if Android cannot be booted.
