Google introduces native support for digital credentials with OpenID standards integration

Android is expanding its digital identity capabilities by officially supporting digital credentials through its Credential Manager’s DigitalCredential API. This update introduces native integration for OpenID4VP and OpenID4VCI, which standardize how digital credentials are presented and issued across the Android ecosystem.

Digital credentials are cryptographically verifiable documents that can represent a variety of personal information, such as government-issued IDs, insurance policies, educational certificates, or membership cards. These credentials are stored within apps commonly referred to as “credential holders,” like Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or any other compatible Android application.

With this update, users can now securely present their stored credentials across apps and websites on the same device. Android also enables secure sharing of credentials between devices using encrypted channels, similar to how passkeys function.

Credential selection is streamlined through the Android interface. When a user needs to present a digital credential, the system aggregates all compatible credentials from all installed apps and prompts the user to select one—without requiring them to navigate through individual apps. Once selected, the system routes the request to the appropriate digital wallet app to complete the verification process.

On the issuance side, Android apps can now issue credentials directly to a user’s digital wallet using an OpenID4VCI request. Users can choose which wallet app they want the new credential to be stored in. Wallet apps can also issue credentials internally, associating them with user accounts as needed.

To support this functionality, digital wallet apps must register their credential metadata with Android’s Credential Manager. This ensures that only relevant and valid credentials are shown to users during the selection process.

Several major services are already on board. Users will soon be able to use digital credentials stored in their Android wallets to recover Amazon accounts, access health services via CVS and MyChart by Epic, and verify identities on platforms like Uber and Bumble. Samsung Wallet and 1Password are among the early adopters integrating support for these OpenID standards.