

You'll then need to download the Google Play services beta and the Google Wallet app. To add a driver's license to Google Wallet, you'll need an Android phone (version 8 or higher) with Bluetooth and Nearby Devices active and a screen lock protecting it. That may change in the future you can see a list of which states, airports, and airlines currently accept digital IDs at this TSA link (opens in new tab). That statement turned out to be a bit optimistic: As of spring 2023, only Maryland supports the feature on Android phones (compared to Arizona, Colorado, and Maryland on iPhones, with six other states expected to approve the iOS option soon). and governments around the world to bring digital IDs to wallet later this year, starting with driver's licenses." What can you store in Google Wallet?ĭuring Google I/O 2022, VP of Product Management Sameer Samat announced on stage that "we're working with states here in the U.S. We'll explain more about the new Google Pay app below. So if you see that a store accepts Google Pay, that means you'll need the Google Wallet app now, not Pay. This is where it gets a bit convoluted: Physical store locations still accept "Google Pay," Google's NFC tap-to-pay system, which you'll use via Google Wallet. Or, Wallet will sync with Google Maps, so if you choose a route that includes public transit and the transit system accepts Google Pay, it will show a banner with your current Wallet balance.

So, for example, if you receive an email on Gmail with a delayed flight time, it'll notify you and change the stored boarding pass information.

If you have something stored in Google Wallet, other Google apps on Android phones will have access to this information. Instead, it's truly meant to be a digital wallet that saves any credit and debit cards, passes, proof of vaccination, gift cards, and coupons you'd typically keep in a physical wallet. By rebranding to Google Wallet, Google is signaling that the app isn't just for buying things.
