TL;DR
- The Google Wallet could be getting ready for a comeback.
- The app and its functionality were combined with Google Pay a few years ago.
- Wallet may once again become a place to store your cards and other digital passes.
Google retired the Wallet name back in 2018 when it announced Google Pay. Eventually, its functionality was also wrapped up within the Pay app, and Wallet ceased to exist. Now, it seems Google is resurrecting the Wallet, but not as a standalone app.
According to Mishaal Rahman, Google is creating a Wallet UI for Google Play Services. It’ll act as a home for all your digital cards, gift cards, and other things like AMC stubs, airline tickets, etc. Rahman also posted detailed screenshots of what the new Wallet UI may look like.
So how will it be different from Google Pay? Rahman reports that Pay will still be your go-to app for contactless payments, but Wallet will be the interface that stores all your cards.
Currently, you can manage most of your cards in Google Pay. The screenshots above suggest you’ll be able to access the Wallet UI from within the app. Cards stored in your Wallet could also be accessible on other Google services as one of the screenshots says, “learn how passes in your Wallet will appear across Google.”
So in the most simplest of terms, Wallet will be a place for your cards, while Google Pay will help you make payments. Confused? Hopefully, Google should be able to clear things when it makes Wallet official again.
