Verifying Identity
Get your humanity verified at an Orb or use other credentials.
Orb Verification
How do I order an Orb delivery to my location?
Request an Orb Verification at Home.
With Orb Delivery, an Operator brings an Orb to your location so you can complete World ID verification without visiting a fixed Orb site. You choose a time slot that works for you, and a verified Operator arrives with the Orb during your booked window.
Availability: Orb Delivery is currently available in select cities and to eligible users only.
Before you start
- This option is for humans who have not already verified their World ID at an Orb.
- You must enable World ID App location permissions to access this feature.
- You can only have one active order at a time.
What to expect from your session
An Operator will arrive at your location during your booked time window, carrying an Orb. The verification itself takes just a few minutes per person.
Where the meeting happens
- The Operator will not enter private homes or apartments.
- If you're at a home address, plan to meet at your front door or building entrance.
- If you're in an apartment building or hotel, the lobby works well as a meeting point.
- The Operator may call you through the app when they're on their way or nearby — calls are anonymous, and your phone number is not shared.
How to set yourself up for a successful scan
- Find a spot with good, even lighting — avoid standing directly in front of a bright window or in strong sunlight, as this can affect the scan
- Make sure there's enough room to stand comfortably in front of the Orb
- Have your World ID App open and ready when the Operator arrives
- If you're booking for a group, note that up to 5 people can verify in a single session
How to order an Orb delivery
- In your World ID App, open the Credentials tab
- Tap the Get verified button
- Go to Find an Orb
- Allow location to continue
- Tap the Orb Delivery option
- Enter or search your delivery address
- Confirm your address to continue
- Select a date and time
- Enter the number of humans who wish to verify their World ID with the Orb. Maximum 5 humans per session
- Allow notifications when prompted
- Add your phone number to receive a verification code and allow the Operator to reach you
- An SMS code will be sent to your number. Enter it to continue
- Review your details and tap Confirm order
- Wait for the order confirmation screen to complete your booking
- Once the Operator arrives, you'll receive a notification. Tap Start verification to begin
You can find more details about the Orb verification experience in this article: How do I get verified at an Orb location without staff?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I contact the Operator?
Yes. Calls are made through the app, and your number is not shared.
Can I cancel my order?
Yes. You can cancel your order before the Orb is delivered to you.
Please note:
- Canceled orders count toward your weekly limit
- You can make up to 3 booking attempts per week
Why don’t I see Orb Delivery?
You may not see this option if:
- The feature is not available in your area
- Location permissions are disabled
- There are no available time slots
How can I prepare for the Orb verification?
See the What to expect from your session section above. For more details on the verification process itself, see: What should I expect when getting my World ID verified at an Orb location?
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
How can I pre-order an Orb and become a Community Operator?
If you wish to become one of our first Community Operators, you can pre-order an Orb at https://world.org/community-operator. Manage an Orb in your community to verify unique individuals and help expand access to World services.
Steps to Get Started
- Visit https://world.org/community-operator
- Read and accept the Orb Pre-Order Terms and Conditions, then select Start to begin the pre-order process
- Add your contact and shipping details
- Place a $100 USD deposit (or equivalent in your local currency) and press Pay to complete
- You’ll receive a confirmation email with details about your pre-order
Next Steps
As Orb production approaches, you will be invited to choose whether to purchase or rent the Orb. You will also be invited to enter a Community Operator Agreement to earn rewards, where available.
Canceling Your Orb Pre-Order and Refunds
- How do I cancel my pre-order or request a refund?
You can cancel your pre-order at any time by using the cancellation link included in your pre-order confirmation email.
If you’re unable to locate this email, please contact us at orders@toolsforhumanity.com for further assistance.
- Is the $100 deposit refundable?
Yes. The $100 USD deposit is fully refundable if you cancel your pre-order before completing full payment for either the purchase or rental of the Orb.
Once full payment has been made for either option, the deposit becomes non-refundable.
- When will I receive my refund?
Refunds are typically processed within 5 to 10 business days, depending on your bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the status of my Orb pre-order?
As production nears, you’ll be updated with information about your Orb's expected delivery date.
2. When will I receive my Orb?
We’re still preparing for the next phase of Orb production. Once everything is ready, you’ll receive an update directly via email — no action needed on your side.
3. Can I change my decision to purchase or rent the Orb?
Yes, as production nears, you will have the option to decide whether to purchase or rent the Orb. Your deposit will be applied toward the final cost.
4. What happens if the delivery is delayed?
Delivery may be delayed due to factors like production or customs requirements. While we cannot guarantee the exact delivery date, we will communicate any changes or updates.
5. Will there be any additional fees for customs or duties?
Delivery may be subject to additional customs duties or tariffs depending on your country’s regulations. These fees are your responsibility and are not covered by Tools for Humanity.
6. How many Orbs can I pre-order?
Only one Orb can be pre-ordered per individual or entity.
7. Can I use the Orb anywhere in the world?
Depending on your location and how you plan to use the Orb, you may need specific licenses, permits, or approvals. It’s your responsibility to check and obtain any required authorizations in your area. By getting these approvals, you confirm that you’ll follow all applicable laws in your location and jurisdiction. Please visit the Orb Pre-Order Terms and Conditions for more eligibility information.
8. Where can I pre-order the Orb?
You can only pre-order an Orb from this website: https://world.org/community-operator.
9. What are the benefits of owning or renting an Orb?
Please visit https://world.org/community-operator for more details.
10. Where can I learn more about the Orb?
You can find more information about the Orb here: https://world.org/orb
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
How does the Orb work?
The Orb captures and processes photos to verify you're a unique human — without keeping your images. It takes pictures of your face and eyes, then encrypts the package and sends it to your phone, where only you control it by default.
From those photos, the Orb also generates permanently encrypted codes that are stored across secure databases. These codes are what stop anyone from verifying twice. They're processed using secure multi-party computation (SMPC), meaning no single party ever holds the complete data.
Will the Orb hurt my eyes?
No. The Orb is completely safe and will not harm your eyes.
The Orb is built to comply with international eye-safety standards, including IEC 62741, the technical standard for the safety of imaging products that use light. As World updates the technology used to verify uniqueness and personhood, safety and privacy stay at the centre of every change.
What happens to the images taken by the Orb?
The Orb is used to verify a person's humanness and uniqueness as part of the World ID protocol. Here's the flow, end to end:
- Liveness check — The Orb first confirms there's a real human standing in front of it.
- Image processing — The eye photos are abstracted and permanently encrypted into anonymous fragments. Independent parties process those fragments via SMPC to confirm your uniqueness.
- Packaging & transfer — All photos and photo derivatives are encrypted and "signed" by the Orb to guarantee authenticity, then sent to your phone via the Orb's backend server.
- Backend can't see your data — The backend that relays the package to your phone cannot decrypt it. Only your phone can.
- Originals deleted — The Orb deletes the captured images immediately after processing.
To learn more about the Orb, please visit our Orb Frequently Asked Questions blog post.
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
How do I find an Orb near me and book an appointment?
Find an Orb
Follow these steps to find an Orb using your World ID App:
1. Open the World ID App and tap go to the Credentials to Get Verified.
2. Select Find an Orb
3. Tap the Allow location button if you wish to see the nearest Orb location, or select the Skip option to continue. Note: Always select Allow to get the most accurate results as you will not be able to manually type a location of your choice.
Schedule and Manage an Appointment
Explore the locations where you can find an Orb. Each location will display its address and their availability, showing you when their next available time and date is open for booking. If they have no availability, the message Fully booked will be shown to you.
Typically, you'll need to schedule an appointment to get verified by an Orb. However, some locations might not require bookings, but they will require you to select a date. Check the details of the location you're interested in to confirm their availability and whether or not an appointment is required.
To book an appointment at a location with availability:
1. Tap the Schedule Appointment button to continue
2. Pick a date and time
3. Confirm your booking by tapping Book Appointment
Tap the Cancel appointment button to cancel an appointment.
What can I do if there are no Orbs near me?
While there might not be any Orbs in your area yet, we are constantly expanding our network, and there will be more Orbs around the world in the future.
The availability of the Orb in specific countries depends on a variety of factors, such as regional regulations and our developer resources. You can select Notify me and register your email to get push notifications whenever Orb verification is available in your country.
Follow our official channels of communication for future announcements on availability.
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
Why did my World ID verification fail?
When trying to verify with World ID at an Orb, you may sometimes see this message in your World ID App:
“World ID verification was not successful.”
This can feel confusing or frustrating, so here’s what you need to know — and what you can do about it.
Note: For questions about age verification, please follow the link to this article instead How do I confirm my date of birth?
Why does verification fail?
There are two main reasons why verification may not succeed:
-
You may have already verified before
World ID ensures each person can only sign up once. If the system detects that you have already created a World ID (even with a different phone, account, or email), it won’t allow another verification. -
The system made a rare error
In very rare cases, the system may mistakenly reject someone who has never signed up before. To learn more, please visit this blog post: https://world.org/blog/engineering/biometric-performance-billion-person-scale
Troubleshooting
If you see “World ID verification was not successful,” try the following:
-
Retry verification
- Wait a moment and try again.
- Most users who face this error succeed after 1–2 retries.
-
Check your scan quality
- Open your eyes as wide as possible during the scan.
- Avoid blinking right as the Orb captures your iris.
- If you’re at an Orb with staff present, they may remind you to adjust your eye position.
-
Think about past verifications
- Did you get World ID verification at an Orb before? (even with another account or phone)?
- If yes, you won’t be able to get verified again by an Orb.
-
If retries don’t work
- You may have hit a rare false rejection. This doesn’t mean you’re permanently blocked. In many cases, another attempt on a different day may succeed.
- Keep an eye out in the app or our official channels: If repeated retries fail, you may see an option to contact Support for further help. Alternatively, you can ask for assistance through our dedicated support channels found here: How can I connect with World on Social Media?.
Important things to know
-
Your biometric data stays private.
World ID uses privacy-preserving technology. Your iris code cannot be traced back to you personally. -
We cannot disclose individual verification status.
For legal and privacy reasons, we cannot confirm whether your rejection was due to a duplicate or an error. The only information available is what you see in-app. -
System accuracy is high, but not perfect.
Our team is continuously improving the system to reduce this even further.
In short: Most verification failures mean you’ve already been World ID verified at an Orb. In rare cases, it could be a one-off error. Retrying once or twice usually helps.
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
What should I expect when getting my World ID verified at an Orb location?
Getting verified by an Orb is a fast and easy process that will only take a couple of minutes. Before going to an Orb location, it's best to be prepared on what to expect in order to have a seamless and secure signup experience. You’ll find common questions and answers about this process below.
Alternatively, you can follow the recommendations in this blog post: Tips and best practices for verifying your World ID at an Orb.
-
What should I prepare or be aware of before going to an Orb location?
- Make sure to bring your phone and that it is sufficiently charged to complete the signup process.
- Your device needs a strong and reliable network connection.
- Be on time. You will not be able to verify before or after your appointment slot.
- Make sure to show up at the correct appointment location.
- Do not wear colored or hard contact lenses (soft lenses are ok). If you're wearing glasses, you'll need to briefly remove them during the verification process.
- Wear no or minimal makeup. Some makeup may reflect light and make it difficult for the Orb to image process.
- Operators at the Orb site should never:
- Handle your phone. Never allow strangers to handle your phone as well!
- Ask for money, cryptocurrency, or gifts.
- Ask for personal information such as a phone number or email address.
- Offer anything, including money, in exchange for World ID or app-related benefits.
- If an Operator performs any of the above (or you have any other security concerns), please cease interacting with them immediately and report it to our Support team. You can follow the instructions in this article to do so: I can't find what I need. How do I contact support?
- Review our help center article on how to keep your World ID App safe.
- Be aware of scams and how to avoid them. Please review our help center article on how to avoid scams at Orb locations.
-
Where do I find my QR code to show to the Orb?
When verifying your World ID with an Orb, you'll need to have your QR code ready to scan.
Follow these steps to find the QR code once you're at the Orb location and ready to proceed with the verification:
1. Open the Credentials tab in the World ID App, then tap Get Verified.
2. Follow the instructions to proceed until you reach this screen:
Make sure you review all of the information carefully before moving forward. Then select Agree and Continue when you're ready
3. You will see a video explaining the verification process
4. After watching the video, the QR code will be generated on your device
Show your QR code to the Orb to begin the verification process. If you wish to exit, just tap on the X at the top of the screen.
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Why isn't my QR code scanning?
If you're having trouble scanning your QR code, please take note of the following best practices:
- Increase the brightness on your device's screen. Most of the time, QR codes won't scan if the screen brightness isn't high enough.
- Position the QR code so that it is not in direct sunlight. You want to make sure that there are no reflections on any screens that will prevent the QR code from being read.
- Do not zoom in on your QR code. The entire QR code should be visible, including a bit of the white around the edges.
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What are best practices when showing my face to the Orb?
The Orb will begin image processing your irises to verify that you are indeed a unique human being. This should only take a minute, and you'll be able to see the progress light up around the Orb's screen. In order to make sure the process goes smoothly:
- Remove any type of masks or eyewear.
- Some headwear may cast shadows on your face. Please remove it if possible.
- Open your eyes as wide as you can and avoid blinking. Try tucking in your chin and looking up at the Orb. This will naturally open up your eyes a bit more and make your irises more visible for the Orb.
- Make sure not to look away from the Orb's screen. Looking away during image processing will reset the Orb's tracking.
- Keep your head and body still during the verification.
During this process, remember to look at the Orb, not the progress animation on your phone. It's also important not to close your app immediately after the verification.
-
The app shows that the verification failed. What can I do?
- Force-close the app, reopen it, and try again.
- Make sure you're using the latest version of World ID App.
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
See all 7 articlesDeep Face
Why do I need to update my World ID?
Updating your World ID keeps it secure, private, and compatible with new features in World ID App. A quick reauthentication at an Orb ensures that only you can access your World ID through face authentication (Face Auth).
If you verified your World ID before the introduction of the Personal Custody Package (PCP) in March 2024, or if your Orb images don’t meet the quality requirements for Face Auth, you may be prompted in the app to reauthenticate at an Orb.
This update also:
- Enhances security and anti-fraud measures.
- Improves image quality to be compatible with Face Auth.
- Unlocks new features like Deep Face.
- Ensures compatibility with upcoming World ID protocol upgrades.
In short, it protects your unique proof of human while unlocking the latest functionality in World ID App.
How does the update work?
You may see a message in World ID App — on the Home or Face Auth screen — prompting you to update your World ID. To reauthenticate:
- Find an Orb near you. Depending on your location, you may need to make an appointment.
- At the Orb, scan the QR code shown in your app and follow the instructions on your phone.
- The Orb will take new, high-quality photos of your eyes and face, which are encrypted and securely stored on your device – and only your device – within your PCP.
- Once complete, a confirmation message will appear.
If the Orb can’t scan your QR code, try increasing your screen brightness and avoiding glare. If you’ve already completed the update but still see the prompt, please wait up to 24 hours for the changes to sync.
Who needs to visit an Orb?
You may be asked to update your World ID if:
- You verified before the introduction of the Personal Custody Package (PCP) in March 2024, or
- The images captured during your original Orb verification aren’t of high enough quality for Face Auth.
If you don’t complete the update within 30 days of being notified, some features — such as claiming WLD or using Deep Face — may be temporarily unavailable. You can restore full access anytime by completing the update.
Is my privacy protected?
Yes. Updating your World ID is fully privacy-preserving. Neither World Foundation, Tools for Humanity (TFH), nor any third party has access to your World ID or PCP.
When you open World ID App, it simply checks locally whether your World ID is up to date.
If it’s not, you’ll see a message prompting you to visit an Orb. All of this happens on your device — your data never leaves it.
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.
What is Face Authentication and how does it work?
What is Face Authentication?
Face Authentication (Face Auth) is a security feature that helps confirm you are a real, unique person in World ID App.
It works in two stages: first, a quick selfie during sign-up to verify that a real human is present (not a bot or automated process); and second, a face match each time you need to confirm your identity going forward. This protects against bots, account takeover attacks, and unauthorized access.
How does it work?
Enrollment (first-time setup): When you first set up your account, you will be asked to take a quick selfie. This step checks that a real person is present right now — it is not used to identify which person you are, only that you are human and not an automated system.
Face match (verification): Once enrolled, the app will periodically ask you to complete a face match to confirm it's you. Using your phone's front camera, the app compares your face to the reference captured during enrollment.
This all happens on your device. No images or biometric data leave your phone.
Using Face Authentication
Before starting the Face Authentication process, the app will prompt you to prepare:
- Ensure there's even lighting on your face
- Remove glasses, hats, or any face coverings
- Hold your phone at eye level
Once you tap Start, the camera will open and begin checking.
During the scan, the app will give you real-time guidance if it detects a problem. For example:
- "Center your face in the frame" — adjust your position so your face is fully visible in the oval
- "Turn your face to directly face the camera" — face straight ahead
- "Remove your glasses" or "Remove anything covering your face" — glasses, masks, hair, or hands can interfere with the check
- "Lighting is too bright / too dim" — move to a location with more even, moderate light
- "Ensure only you are in the frame" — only the person being verified should be visible to the camera
- "Hold your phone steady and ensure the camera is clean" — motion blur or a dirty lens can cause the check to fail
Once the check is complete, the screen will confirm whether the authentication succeeded. If it fails, you will be able to retry.
What can I do if Face Authentication fails?
Please try the following before retrying:
- Make sure your World ID App is up to date
- Ensure even, moderate lighting by avoiding very bright sunlight or dim rooms
- Remove glasses, hats, masks, or anything covering your face
- Make a neutral expression and keep your eyes open
- Hold your phone steady at eye level and ensure the camera lens is clean
- Make sure only you are in the camera frame
- Restart your device and try again
- Disable any VPN if in use
- Turn off power saving mode on your device, as this can affect camera performance
Translations may differ slightly from the original English content. For the most accurate information, please refer to the article's English version if any discrepancies occur.