New Google Wallet Rollout Begins to Replace Google Pay
  • Posted byby Kellen

New Google Wallet Rollout Begins to Replace Google Pay

Google announced back at Google I/O that we would soon be welcoming back an old friend, Google Wallet. They didn’t provide any sort of specific timeline, but as of today, a small group of folks have begun receiving the update that rids their phone of Google Pay and replaces it with this new Google Wallet experience.

There might be some confusion at the moment, since Google has both “Google Pay” and “G Pay” apps on phones, so let’s back up for a second.

Several years ago, Google broke up the original Google Wallet and split it into a couple of apps (Google Wallet and Android Pay). It was an awkward breakup that eventually worked itself into a decent payment system once Google brought them back together as Google Pay in 2018. Google then did a Google thing and created “G Pay” in 2020 as yet another future replacement for Google Pay. Over the past year or so, they’ve stripped many of the best features from Google Pay, because again, G Pay was the future.

G Pay wanted to be more than mobile payments, so Google tried to build in some sort of banking solution into it. However, that failed and the guy who made that horrible decision is no longer with the company. Since his vision sucked and the service flopped, Google is coming back around to Google Pay, which will now be known once again as Google Wallet.

I left out a lot of boring detail in there, but we can now fast forward to today knowing what I just told you. In short, Google Pay is now becoming Google Wallet and who knows what will happen to G Pay. It’s probably not long for this world. For now, you’ll have both.

Alright, so Google Wallet is rolling out as an update to Google Pay. In other words, you don’t need to install a new app, you’ll simply update Google Pay and it will become Google Wallet.

This is big news because Google wants to do some cool stuff with the new Google Wallet, like let you add a digital ID or driver’s license, your COVID vaccine card, digital car keys for your fancy car, and potentially many more as they build out partnerships.

To get updated to Google Wallet, you can open up Google Play and check for app updates. If you are lucky enough (reddit), the update could be sitting there waiting for you. If not, you’ll have to go find an .apk file an those super safe .apk download places. You’ll want v2.150.460235810.

Google Play Link: Google Pay

Written by

Kellen

It’s not often that you get to merge personal passions into a professional life, but that’s what Kellen did when he launched Droid Life in 2009. After working years of unsatisfying jobs in the medical and property management fields, he took a risk to try and create an online community while playing with the coolest gadgets on the planet each day, a risk that has turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Outside of Droid Life, Kellen is your typical Portlander who drinks way too much good beer, complains often about the Trail Blazers, and can be found out on the streets for a run, rain or shine.

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29 Comments

  • This is so confusing. I just downloaded the Google Wallet app but I still have Google Pay on my phone. So can I delete Google Pay from my phone or do I still need Google Pay for contactless payment in stores? The Google Wallet help page doesn’t say.

  • What a mess. Don’t get me wrong, I love paying with Google Pay/GPay/Wallet or whatever it it calling itself at any given time.
    But please, can we can one app… so tired of having two apps with ever changing names!

  • Love that it’s not that cluttered mess and tickets I bought from Regal asked me if I wanted to send them to Google Wallet.

    This is exactly what I wanted from this apps. Now Google, don’t eff it up with bloat later!

  • omg, thats why Google sucks. I dont want to have to download and learn a new app every 3-6 months because Google cant get their act together. the only Google app I use is Google maps.
    Don’t waste your time with Google products. Everything they make gets discontinued every year. Then you have to start over again and again.

  • LOL, this is funny for many reasons.

    First the name change, this is was just a “monkey see, monkey do” pathetic attempt to ride the marketing wave of Apple Pay, at first they JUST changed the name.

    Then the splitting of the apps reminds me of Hangouts. Some idiots claimed “nooo. you HAVE to split them out to make them work” just like they did with Hangouts (apparently back then it was impossible to have an app that did chat, SMS fallback, video, and audio while also adding encryption, instead we needed 3 NEW apps).

    And now here we are just like with messaging, slowly trying ot unf*ck lazy, ego driven decisions, and stuck behind the curve because of it.

  • There does not appear to be any support for biometric security and there is no way to send money to other individuals as their is in Google Pay. This seems FAR, FAR from ready for production. WTF?

    • Google Wallet is not a replacement for the current GPay app, but the old Google Pay app that the GPay app replaced. Google Wallet and GPay will continue to exist together moving forward.

      • Gotcha. Still odd it has no biometric, pin or password since it is a financial app.

  • Awesome, so with Google’s rollout, I should have it by November.

    Doesn’t really matter since I have a 22 Ultra anyway. Samsung Wallet is great and a lot easier to access.

    • Only downside and stupid thing about Samsungwallet if you add your membership, it will only add it as a barcode. My gym changed to QR -_-

      • I didn’t think about that.

        My biggest complaint is that the proximity sensor no longer lights up to activate the bar code reader. My gym and a few other places cannot scan bar codes on either Google or Samsung Wallet. I think that is due to it being under the screen on the S22 line, so it’s not really a Samsung Wallet problem.

  • Took me a bit to figure out that I had G Pay installed. Replaced that with Google Pay, that actually lets me sort cards and just gets straight to the payment screen (unlike G Pay that required an extra step).

      • That’s what I find so amusing. The old one (Google Pay with the GPay icon) is the one that USED to be called Google Wallet. What’s really fun is when you open the new one (which has nothing marking it as GPay) has “GPay” all over it!

  • Dude I hate that Google does bonehead things like this. I had Google wallet and the associated card and loved it, then they got rid of it and make Android pay which was fine cuz I like not needing a wallet… Then Google pay… Then Gpay…I uninstalled Google pay because I thought they were done with it. Now it’s coming back… Ugh it’s almost hard to keep up with.

  • I am cool with this as long as Google killed off that stupid social chat feature and ridiculous “deals” in Google Pay. A digital wallet should be a wallet…not a kitchen sink of other functions.

    • Yeah that was another attempt to ape something from someone else like Venmo. I never got that social stuff, the few times I log in I see “x paid y for z” Like seriously, you want to advertise who youre sending money to?

      I mean, its great for finding pedophiles in congress but I dont need to advertising where my money is going.

  • G Pay is Google Pay, isn’t it? Sure looks that way on my phone & my Play Store. Seems like Wallet is going away, so instead of 2 apps there’s now 1. I don’t think it’s going from 3 apps to 2.

    • No. The “legacy” Google Pay that used to be Android Pay that used to be Google Wallet is now Wallet. GPay is a separate app that was originally only available in India and has not changed. Got it? ????

      • Thx, clear as mud. My icon says GPay and within the app it’s called Google Pay. Amazing.

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