Google Wallet is one of the most popular digital wallet apps for Android. And that’s because over the past year or so, the app has evolved to hold more than credit and debit cards, becoming a digital locker for all types of information like concert tickets, IDs, passports, transit passes, and so much more. There really isn’t a limit to what can be stored nowadays, and the app continues to get even better with new updates.
And while we’d love every single update to be exciting, some are just going to be for general housekeeping. 9to5Google shares that some changes are being made in some of the ways the app makes use of personal data and how you can now manage it. For the most part, it’s nothing to be concerned about, but there are going to be changes to look over for app users in the US.
It’s a good idea to have a quick look
Before we dive into the changes, it’s important to note that while Google does have access to some of your data to personalize the experience in Wallet. But private passes is an area that the company doesn’t touch. Google manages private passes in a different way, as it can often hold sensitive data from IDs and health cards.
With that said, Google will now open up the personalization options for Google Wallet, giving users the chance to extend the experience to other Google services. “For example, when this setting is on, Google can show you recommendations or deals based on the loyalty cards in your Wallet.”
The good news is that if you’re not really into this, you can turn it off by heading into the Settings menu. Google also highlights in the same support document, details about how your Wallet history can be used to help improve the experience. We’ve seen this type of question before, and if you’re not really into sharing your usage details, Google does give you the ability to opt out.
The same goes for data collection for personalized ads. If you don’t want to get your data collected to customize your ad experience, you can turn that off as well. While customized ads can sometimes be a good thing, it’s great that Google provides the option to turn them off completely in Wallet.
Now, this doesn’t mean you won’t get ads, it just means the ads you see going forward won’t be based on your internet usage. We recommend looking over the Google Wallet support page for all the details. It includes how you can enable and disable the settings for each of the sections mentioned above.
