The new Google Wallet app has started rolling out in some countries as a replacement for Google Pay.
Google Wallet has begun appearing for certain Android users, with Google itself confirming that the update process has commenced in 39 countries. It claims that it’ll be available “to all users over the next few days.”
Following heavy rumours, Google announced its new Google Wallet app back at Google I/O in May. It’s intended to be a means of housing all your digital cards, travel tickets, vaccine passes, keys and more.
Google is also following Apple’s lead and incorporating your photo ID, and is working with governments to add driver’s licenses to the mix.
Essentially, as Google’s explainer website lays out, the company is looking to do to your physical wallet what has already been done to the poor old point-and-shoot camera: replace it with your smartphone.
As noted by The Verge, the new app will completely replace the current Google Pay provision in most countries, but users in the US and Singapore will have access to both apps going forward. Google Pay will stick around as a means of transferring money to friends.
Google Wallet was the name Google initially chose for its NFC payment app when it debuted in 2011. It them became more of a peer-to-peer payment system.
Eventually, in 2018, Google combined the original Google Wallet app’s functions together with Android Pay into the new unified Google Pay app.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.