What you need to know
- A user on Reddit states their Pixel 9 Pro Fold running Android 16 has received Google Wallet’s new shortcut overlay.
- This overlay is produced by double-tapping the power button if Wallet is selected as the gesture’s app of choice.
- Users can open the full app from this overlay and swipe through cards before using their NFC scanner to make a payment.
Google Wallet is reportedly starting to roll out its new overlay to coincide with Android 16‘s new double-tap gesture customization.
A post on the Google Wallet subreddit highlights the appearance of a brand new app overlay when double-tapping the power button (via 9to5Google). The original poster (OP) states this new “Shortcut Wallet UI” now appears when pressing their Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s power button, which is running Android 16. Of course, users would need to have Google Wallet set as the app action for this gesture.
The user adds that this overlay showcases your cards at the forefront with a blurred background, instead of launching the entire Wallet app. Users can quickly scroll through their cards by swiping right, or they can open the full app at the bottom. Another user chimed in, reporting that the payment animation when using your phone for an NFC scan at a register has changed, too.
For those interested, the OP states they’ve spotted the new Google Wallet overlay on their Pixel 9 Pro Fold running v25.31.791869140 of the app and beta version 25.31.31 of Play Services.
However, another user with a Pixel 9 Pro XL running similar versions hasn’t yet observed this double-tap gesture. It might take some time, but it seems Google is in the early stages of this feature’s rollout.
A little more for Wallet
Google Wallet’s been on a spree throughout 2024, introducing additional bank support for users looking to make payments with their phones. The move was during the time the company was preparing to sunset its Google Pay app, which was bringing users into Wallet more prominently.
The app’s updates remained quite calm until Google Wallet picked up some more exciting additions before I/O this year. The app received support for real-time train status alerts for users with their train passes added. Now, users are able to see statuses such as “On Time,” “Delayed,” and more. During the feature’s arrival, Google said these statuses would remain restricted to India and Canada for the time being before hitting other regions.
That update also brought the ability to add Loyalty and Gift card passes via its homepage on computers.
