Some notable new enhancements
Google Play services and system updates have historically been a bit of a mystery in terms of specific changes or improvements they introduce. That changed last month when Google started detailing what’s new in its monthly Play system updates. Now, the company has updated its support page to reflect the changes introduced in the February 2022 Google Play services update, with the notable improvements being the ability to back up MMS messages and some wallet-related enhancements in Google Pay.
Thanks to the update, you can now see your Google Pay balance right on the card art. Additionally, you can add cards directly from a supported banking app for in-store and online payments. It will also be possible to view digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates in Pay. For Wear OS users, the update introduces a tutorial on making contactless payments with their devices.
MMS backups, meanwhile, have been available as part of Google One for some time. But previously, free, system-level backups wouldn’t retain MMS media, instead only saving the text portion of any MMS messages backed up — negating much of the benefit backing up those messages had.
Another important change is related to supervised Android devices, where a child can now get a read-only overview of the content restrictions for various Google services under Settings > Google > Parental controls.
Below are the changes in this month’s Google Play services update as highlighted by the company on its support page:
Account Management
[Phone, Tablet] Updates a child’s settings experience on supervised Android devices (under ‘Settings > Google > Parental controls’) to include a read-only view of account settings and content restrictions for Google services such as Google Play, Search, Chrome and Assistant. [2]
Utilities
[Phone] Users can have the ability to back up MMS messages on their devices.[2]
Wallet
[Phone] Users can view the Google Pay balance on their card art.[2]
[Phone] Users can add cards from their mobile bank apps to to their wallet for in-store and online payments.[2]
[Phone, Wear OS] Users can view a step by step guide on how to pay contactless with your device.[2]
[Phone] Users can view digital COVID-19 certificates on recently unlocked device.[2]
All the above changes are a part of Google Play services v22.06 that began rolling out on February 11. You can check the Play system version installed on your Android phone by navigating to Settings > Security > Google Play system update. On Samsung phones, the option is located under Settings > Biometrics and security > Google Play system update.
Unlike OS updates, Google can roll out Play system updates for all Android devices without waiting for carrier certification or other bureaucratic hurdles. This also means that the enhancements they bring are available to users fast, irrespective of the Android device they own.
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