Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

At Johns Hopkins University, Students Can Now Swap Campus IDs for iPhone

  • 03/28/19

BALTIMORE – Johns Hopkins University students will no longer need a campus identification card to get into their dorms, pay for pizza, or do laundry. Starting in late March, a flash of their iPhone or Apple Watch will handle all of that and more as the university becomes the fifth in the country to offer students the option to add their campus ID to Apple Wallet.

Students who choose to add their campus ID to Apple Wallet will be able to use their iPhone and Apple Watch as building keys, to pay for things on and off campus, and for anything else that currently requires showing a campus identification card, the J-Card. By simply placing their device near a reader where physical student IDs are accepted, they can enter dorms, print documents at the library, buy lunch, and shop at the university book store.

“Offering a digital ID option reflects our continuing commitment to enhance the services provided to students,” says Kevin G. Shollenberger, the university’s vice provost for Student Affairs. “We are excited about this and look forward to seeing students using phones to get into residence halls, for dining, and to buy things at area businesses.”

In addition to working at all campus dining facilities, the J-card on iPhone will also work at numerous off-campus businesses including restaurants, convenience stores, and drugstores. The J-card credentials are also protected on the app by two-factor authentication. J-Card in Apple Wallet works with iPhone 6 and later, and Apple Watch Series 1 and later.

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.