Latest news with #GoogleWallet
Android Authority
12-06-2025
- Android Authority
Android 16 is great, but changing this one setting makes it even better
Google's Android 16 update is now available for Pixels, and like many of you, I eagerly rushed to update my phone as soon as the new software was live. Even though Android 16 isn't the most thrilling OS upgrade we've ever seen (the really big changes are coming in Android 16 QPR1), a new Android update is still exciting, no matter how small. Android 16 has been running wonderfully on my Pixel 9a so far. It's not a drastic update, but it's smooth, responsive, and the little tweaks here and there are much appreciated. It's a good update out of the box, but I've been enjoying it even more after changing one specific setting. A small (but significant) change to the power button Joe Maring / Android Authority For years now, double-tapping the power button on Pixel phones has launched the camera. It's how most Android phones work, and it's an objectively good shortcut to have. However, as someone who sometimes goes multiple days without using the camera, it's not always the most helpful for the way I use my phone. Thankfully, Android 16 finally lets you change this to something else. From the Settings app, scroll down, tap System, tap Gestures, and then tap Double press power button. From here, you'll see that you can now change the power button double-tap shortcut to open Google Wallet instead of the camera. And you know what? It rules. While I don't use my phone's camera app all the time, I'm constantly using Google Wallet for one reason or another. It contains all of my credit cards, my library card, movie tickets (which I have quite frequently, living next door to a movie theater), my health insurance card, and more. I find myself using Google Wallet just about every other day and, in some cases, multiple times per day — certainly more often than I use the camera. I imagine that's not the case for everyone, but in my situation, having Google Wallet just a double-tap away is wonderful. Is accessing it from an app icon on my home screen difficult? Certainly not. But I love the physicality of having Wallet tied to a button like this. Being able to double-tap the power button as I'm pulling my Pixel 9a out of my pocket, so Google Wallet is immediately ready to go, is such a nice convenience. I didn't expect such a simple setting to be so helpful, but now that I've lived with it for a couple of days, I don't think I'll be going back to the old camera shortcut. Swapping the double-tap gesture to Google Wallet is such a nice option to have, and I'm thrilled Google added it to Android 16. What's the better double-tap shortcut: Camera or Google Wallet? 0 votes Camera NaN % Google Wallet NaN % Hopefully, a sign of more to come Joe Maring / Android Authority As happy as I am with the Google Wallet option for double-tap in Android 16, I hope it's just the start of even bigger changes. A choice between the camera and Google Wallet is great, but there's still so much more Google could do here. Samsung, for example, lets you map the double-tap shortcut on its phones to open the camera, flashlight, magnifier, voice recorder, Samsung Notes, Routines, or take a screenshot. And if none of those interest you, you can configure it to open any app installed on your phone — including Google Wallet. There's still so much more Google could do here. Google has a long way to go before we achieve that level of customization on Pixel phones, but I like to think that the Google Wallet option in Android 16 means more choices are on the way. You may want to double-tap the power button to do something other than launch the camera or Google Wallet, and I hope you get that option soon. But hey, if that's not the case, at least we now have some say in what the double-tap shortcut does. I'm stoked that mine is now tied to Google Wallet, and if you just downloaded Android 16 or are doing so soon, I highly recommend checking it out.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Google rolls out Android 16 to Pixel phones, unveils AI-powered edit suggestion for Google Photos
A day after Apple announced operating system overhauls at WWDC 2025, Google launched its own set of major software upgrades for phones. Starting Tuesday, a new release of Android 16 is rolling out to Google's Pixel smartphone lineup, adding group chat to RCS, AI-powered edit suggestions to Google Photos, and support for corporate badges in Google Wallet. The release also focuses on better accessibility support and improved customization for messaging and contacts. Separate from Android 16, Google also announced upgrades as a part of its regular feature updates for eligible Pixel phones, "Pixel Drop." Android 16 now features iOS-style live notifications on the lock screen for real-time updates and Google's new Material 3 Expressive design language. There are new capabilities for safeguarding against theft and scams, along with an updated advanced protection mode to maintain security and privacy for public figures. Android 16 also adds support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) audio devices so that you can use them instead of your phone's mic for better call quality. You can also control volume on your device from your phone with new native controls. Later this year, Android 16 on Android tablets will get desktop-style windowing support, Google says. The company also plans to introduce custom keyboard shortcuts to let you define actions for finding an app through your own combination of hotkeys. For Android 16 and other supported releases of Android, Google is rolling out an update to Google Messages that adds RCS group chat support. You'll be able to select custom icons and mute notifications for specific chats for a specified period of time. Android 16 also brings HDR screenshots, adaptive refresh rate, and forced grouping for notifications to reduce clutter in the notification drawer. Google Photos has an array of new features in Android 16 and other supported releases. Soon the app will be able to suggest editing tools like erase, move, or "reimagine" for portions of an image. Other Android 16 improvements include the ability to favorite devices in the Google Home app and support to pay for public transit using Google Wallet on Wear OS devices, so you don't need to take out your phone. Alongside the new version of Android 16, Google is rolling out its latest set of monthly Pixel feature upgrades. A new "Pixel VIPs" widget lets you view interactions with favorites in your contact list. It shows you your last calls and messages with the person, including any you received from WhatsApp, and updates such as birthday and location if the contact chooses to share them. Pixel phones are also getting more detailed captions for video content, including livestreams. You'll see captions that describe if someone is whispering, yawning, or clearing their throat, for example. Elsewhere, you can create custom stickers using text prompts directly from Google's Gboard keyboard. Google is adding support for AI-powered summaries in French and German to the Recorder app. And users in Australia will get Android's Emergency SOS satellite connectivity feature. Google is adding a battery health indicator for users with the Pixel 8a and newer Pixel devices (but not the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro), and Pixel 5 and later devices are getting a new accessibility feature through the Magnifier app. You can use Magnifier to describe what you're looking for, and the app will then highlight the item if there is a match and give you feedback via haptics. Enterprise Android users are also getting updates, including the ability to store their corporate badges in Google Wallet. What's more, they can use Google's Gemini chatbot app in the Google Docs app on Android to summarize content, get insights, and translate text. Lastly, Google is enhancing Chrome on Android's handling of PDFs with linked document viewing. June's Pixel Drop updates start rolling out Tuesday. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
Tom's Guide
03-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Google Wallet's removing linked PayPal accounts next week — what you need to know
U.S. Android users will soon see Google Wallet complete its removal of PayPal support by deleting all users' linked accounts. Google stopped users from linking new PayPal accounts to Google Wallet back in April, but users who had previously linked an account have been able to continue using it. Unfortunately, Google's support page (via Android Authority) indicates that it will be ending this support from June 13, 2025. As such, any linked accounts will be automatically deleted from the Google Wallet app. Google recommends that users have at least one card added to their account to make sure that they can continue to pay for goods and services. Also, users who have subscriptions set up with Google Wallet and their linked PayPal account will need to update the payment method as soon as possible. If they don't, then it is possible that you'll lose access to whatever app or service you're using. However, it should be noted that you can still use PayPal-branded bank cards on the Google Wallet app. There are two kinds of these: the first are debit Mastercards that are linked to your PayPal balance account. Alternatively, there's the PayPal credit card, which is issued by Bank of America. It's certainly disappointing that Google Wallet users are losing direct access to their PayPal accounts, a feature that has been part of Google's payment services since 2017. But on the bright side, PayPal recently announced that it will be launching a digital wallet app for iOS and Android in the coming weeks. For the time being, we will have to wait and see what the future of PayPal payment is on some of the best Android phones.. Hopefully, users will soon have other means to use their PayPal account on their devices, but whatever happens, we will keep you updated on all the changes as soon as we hear of them. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Engadget
03-06-2025
- Business
- Engadget
Google Wallet's PayPal integration is ending this June
You can no longer use Google Wallet to pay with your PayPal account in the US. As Android Authority has reported, Google has updated the Wallet Help page to state that the integration will be ending on June 13. Your linked PayPal account can no longer be used to pay for anything, and it will automatically be deleted from the digital wallet application. To be able to continue paying online with the app, including recurring payments for subscriptions, you'd have to add at least one card if you haven't yet. While it's no longer possible to link a PayPal account to Wallet, it'll still work as intended if you attach a PayPal-branded debit card to the app, which will also let you spend your Paypal balance. It's just the account integration itself that will no longer work. That said, the change seems to only affect users in the US. In Germany, where the option to link PayPal accounts to Wallet is also available, PayPal will continue supporting the integration. Google Wallet lets you store cards for payment online and for tap-to-pay services, as well as documents that include digital passports, state IDs, driver's licenses, virtual car keys and flight information. Last year, Google shut down its standalone Pay app in favor of Wallet in order to simplify its payment options.
Hans India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Google Wallet to Drop PayPal Support in the US Starting June 13
Google Wallet users in the United States will soon lose the ability to pay with PayPal. Starting June 13, 2025, Google will officially end support for PayPal as a linked payment option within its Wallet app, marking the end of an integration that's been in place since 2017. The update was quietly confirmed through a Google Help Center page, as spotted by Android Authority. As of April 11, 2025, users can no longer add new PayPal accounts to Google Wallet. Any existing PayPal accounts linked to Wallet will be automatically removed on June 13. For users who've relied on PayPal as a convenient way to manage payments through Google Wallet, this change will require a bit of housekeeping. Google is advising affected users to manually add another form of payment—such as a credit card, debit card, or bank account—to continue using Wallet services smoothly. Recurring payments that were set up using a PayPal-linked Google Wallet account will also be disrupted. Google recommends updating payment details directly on the respective merchant websites to avoid service interruptions. Additionally, PayPal transaction history will no longer be viewable within Google Wallet, so users will need to log in to the PayPal app or website for account activity. However, there's a small exception. If you use a PayPal-branded debit card, you're in the clear—these cards will still be accepted through Google Wallet even after the cutoff date. The shift seems to be part of broader changes on both ends. Google says it's focused on offering more streamlined and rewarding payment options, while PayPal continues to evolve its own platform. In fact, PayPal is rolling out new features, such as tap-to-pay functionality for iPhones in Germany and group money pooling tools, reinforcing its commitment to flexibility and innovation in the digital payments space. For now, users in Germany will retain the PayPal integration with Google Wallet. There's no official word yet from PayPal regarding the discontinuation in the U.S., but affected users should expect further communication directly from the company. As the digital wallet landscape continues to shift, users are encouraged to review their payment settings to ensure uninterrupted service.
