Google Wallet Now Supports Barcode and QR Code Passes

How-To Geek

By Andrew Heinzman

Published 5 days ago

There's also a new toggle for Google Wallet's holiday animations.

Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek

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You can now add physical cards and passes to Google Wallet by scanning their QR codes or barcodes. This functionality was first announced in June and is currently rolling out to smartphones, starting with the Pixel 8. Additionally, Google Wallet now lets you disable its holiday-themed animations,

Some cards and passes don't support digital platforms like Google Wallet. That's why Google is introducing "Photo" passes—essentially, you can add any QR code or barcode to Google Wallet by scanning it with your camera. This feature is mainly intended for gym memberships and transit passes that aren't available in a digital format. That said, it may also be useful in retail, food service, or warehouse environments where employees use a barcode to log into cash registers and other systems.

Adding a QR code or barcode to Google Wallet takes less than a minute. Just open the Google Wallet app, tap the "Add to Wallet" button at the bottom of your screen, and select "Photo" to begin scanning. As reported by 9to5Google, the "Photo" functionality is already available on Pixel 8 smartphones but hasn't completed its broad rollout. You may need to wait a few days before this feature reaches your device. Note that Samsung Wallet already offers a "Photo" pass feature, but Apple Wallet does not.

Along with its new "Photo" pass feature, Google Wallet now has a toggle for its seasonal animations. These cute animations occur after you complete a contactless payment and were introduced during the 2022 holiday season. You aren't forced to watch these animations (you can just lock your phone), but they're still annoying to some users. Tap your profile image in the Google Wallet app and enter Wallet Settings to disable "success animations." For reference, the checkmark animation that plays after a transaction cannot be turned off. This toggle only affects seasonal animations.

Other previously announced Google Wallet features are not included in this update. You still can't add digital health insurance cards to Google Wallet, for example. And driver's license support is still extremely limited, though this is mainly a legal issue, as very few U.S. states have actually signed off on digital IDs.

Source: Google via 9to5Google