When it comes to Google Wallet, it’s easy to see that the tech giant wants to free us from the grip of the physical wallet. Google Wallet can store payment info, keep concert tickets, and hold boarding passes. Now, with the Wear OS version of the app getting a major update that lets you scan your boarding pass from your smartwatch, the convenience is even harder to fight against.
Breezing Past The Aircraft Boarding Gate With Your Smartwatch
The Android version of Google Wallet has been able to hold your boarding passes for ages now, and that was a huge convenience as it was. But now, things might have just gotten even simpler.
You’ll be able to scan the QR code for your boarding pass on your smartwatch display without taking your phone out of your pocket. You’ll get a notification some minutes before the projected time for boarding. Tapping it will display the QR code on your smartwatch, letting you zip through the airport gate without needing to dig in your pockets or bags.
Just keep in mind that you’re going to need a smartwatch running at least Wear OS 3.5 with at least Google Wallet v23.46 before you can take advantage of this feature.
Flight Boarding Passes On Unsupported Watches: Any Luck?
For frequent travelers whose smartwatch taste leans more towards non-Wear OS devices, don’t fret just yet. There’s another choice you have to add a flight boarding pass to your watch. Given, it’s not as smooth an experience as the Android and Google ecosystem gives with Google Wallet.
The answer is a little app called PassHolder. It’s available for Garmin, Fitbit, Wear OS, and Tizen watches. With the application on your smartphone and smartwatch, you can open passes in the pkpass format and import flight boarding passes from screenshots or PDFs. Then, you’ll be able to view them in a usable format on your watch.
The integration of Google Wallet with Android and Wear OS means that it does it better, but PassHolder is a fantastic alternative for other smartwatch options on the market.
Using Google Wallet And Your Smartwatch For Other Passes
Google Wallet supports viewing all sorts of boarding passes from the mobile app and in recent months, more passes have gained support on the Wear OS version of Wallet. If you use public transit in selected cities, you might be able to climb aboard using your watch alone.
Below are some of the transit card options that are supported by Google Wallet on your smartwatch, and their respective areas or regions of use:
- Multi card: Community of Madrid
- Clipper card: San Francisco Bay Area
- PRESTO: Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area
- SmarTrip: Washington Metropolitan Area
- ORCA: Puget Sound Region
While there are hundreds of cities where you can use a transit pass from your phone, there are only so few available for smartwatch users.
Google adding flight boarding passes to Wear OS is one more feature to bring the Google Wallet experience on your smartphone closer to your smartwatch. Hopefully, in a year or two, these two platforms will be a lot more similar.
