Google Wallet is widening its digital ID offering: a passport in Google Wallet is now supported in Italy and Ireland, according to 9to5Google. The Android app also gets a notifications feed, marked by a bell icon. The rollout is server-side, so not everyone has it yet.
Passport in Google Wallet: Italy and Ireland join the list
Inside the app, the feature is called “ID pass,” and how you can use it depends on the country. In the United States, for example, an added passport can be presented at TSA security checkpoints via NFC or by scanning a QR code.
The supported list already includes Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ireland and Italy are now added, though neither is widely rolled out yet. France is not among the countries named in the source.
How to add your passport to Google Wallet
The steps described by 9to5Google are short:
- open Google Wallet and tap the “+” button at the bottom of the screen;
- choose “IDs & personal info,” then “ID pass”;
- scan the passport’s information page and its security chip;
- record a video of your face;
- wait for the notification confirming that verification is complete.
If the option has not appeared on your phone, that is expected: Google is rolling the update out gradually.
A notifications feed for your cards and passes
A bell icon sits on the home screen at the top right, next to the profile switcher. It opens a feed of updates about items in your Wallet. Google announced an in-app message center earlier this month, and this update is its visible implementation. It follows the redesign of the home screen into a stack of cards.
What it means for you
For Italian and Irish travelers, it is another step toward a phone that replaces paper documents. Google Wallet has also added a twelfth state digital ID, from Oklahoma. Exact availability, app version numbers and rollout timing were not specified.
Do you already use Google Wallet for tickets or ID? Share your experience in the comments, and follow our Android coverage on Wanda-techs.
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