Google Wallet Can Now Bust Out Your Boarding Pass The Moment You Arrive At The Airport
Summary
- Google I/O Day 2 focused on developer announcements, revealing that Gemini will integrate with the Home API for enhanced smart home capabilities, and Android 16’s Live Updates are coming to Wear OS.
- Google Wallet and Pay are getting significant updates, including a redesigned payment sheet with dark mode and clearer card information, expanded support for digital IDs in more US states, and new features allowing parents to grant kids access to digital payments with controls.
- The Google Wallet API will soon support “Nearby Passes notifications,” an opt-in, location-based feature that will proactively surface relevant passes to users based on their proximity to specific locations, like loyalty cards near stores or boarding passes at airports.
Following a range of front-end keynote announcements, Google shifted its focus to developer-facing ones for Google I/O day 2.
The bulk of day 2 announcements don’t necessarily have an immediate impact on end-users, but they do offer a glimpse at what’s cooking behind the scenes. Thanks to the developer conference, we know that Google intends to integrate Gemini into its Home API for third-party developers, which should bring enhanced Nest camera capabilities (like intelligent alerts and conversational search) to third-party devices.
Further, the conference shed light on the future of Android 16’s iOS-like Live Updates, which are expected to make their way to Wear OS wearables next year.
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Beyond those wider updates, the tech giant also highlighted how it aims to enhance the Google Wallet and Pay experience for users and developers alike, revealing a new look for the services, paired with new functionalities to simplify digital payments (via 9to5Google).
For starters, the pay sheet you see when you make a transaction in a third-party app with a saved card now highlights card-identifying information, such as rich card art and name. The change should make it easier for users to quickly “identify and select the card they want to pay with.” Additionally, the payment sheet UI now also supports dark mode, as highlighted in the image below.
Source: Google
Elsewhere, the tech giant conveyed its intention to bring more digital IDs to Google Wallet, alongside support for more states. As of today, digital state IDs and driver’s licenses are live in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Georgia, Maryland, and Colorado.
Soon, support will be expanded to Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia, and even Puerto Rico.
Location-based notifications are coming to Google Wallet
The tech giant also reiterated Google Wallet’s support for kids, allowing parents in the US, UK, Australia, Spain, and Poland, to grant children access to their credit and debit cards for digital payments. The new feature comes with parental controls baked in. For reference, only parents can add payment cards to their child’s Google Wallet app. Once added, parents get email notifications for every transaction made, alongside the option to review recent tap-to-pay transactions and remove payment cards via Family Link.
Lastly, the Google Wallet API will soon support ‘Nearby Passes notifications.‘ The opt-in, location-based feature will proactively notify users about relevant cards or passes stored in their wallet when they’re in close proximity to a specific location. For example, Google Wallet will be able to prompt you to open your Starbucks loyalty card when you’re near a store, or notify you to pull up your boarding pass as you arrive at the airport.
