The Google Wallet app is about to get a lot more useful

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published August 13, 2024

The Google Wallet app for Android is getting a new feature called “Everything Else,” which will make it easier to add digital passes. This feature was first announced at Google I/O in May and is expected to be available to all Google Wallet customers in the U.S. by the end of the month. It’s currently being rolled out to customers.

Everything Else is replacing Google Wallet’s “Photo” option. The feature lets you scan a physical card using your phone’s camera. Once you do, artificial intelligence determines what type of card you’re scanning. When you take a photo of your physical card, Google will extract the information it can, then let you edit standard fields and add your own.

Is the card private, like a government ID? As a security measure, Google will recognize this need and not sync it to your other devices. Additionally, you’ll need to authenticate yourself before opening that card on the device.

We haven’t heard when Google Wallet’s expanded opinions will move beyond the U.S. market. At launch, Everything Else will work with various cards, including driver’s licenses, passports, student IDs, health insurance cards, and many more.

Products like Google Wallet have slowly helped us move away from physical cards such as credit and debit cards. This latest update expands its functionality while keeping our most important information private.

Google introduced several new features at this year’s I/O conference. Many of these new features rely on Google’s AI product, Google Gemini, to function. The changes announced included updates to Google Photos, Google Workspace, the Gemini app, and more.