Much of the mobile payments talk over the last few months has surrounded Android Pay and with good reason. This is Google’s new attempt at getting the Android user-base to make use of their payment solution and is one which is starting to see some real wider backing from retailers, banking institutions and users alike. Although, the arrival of the likes of Samsung Pay do seem to be increasingly becoming a viable competitor to Android Pay. With all the ‘Pay’ talk from Android and Samsung, many may be wondering what is going on with Google’s Wallet app. Well, the Google team did make it clear some time ago that Google Wallet is not going anywhere and will just become a different app going forward. Speaking of which, it now looks like Google Wallet is the next Google app to be seeing an update rolling out this week.
The update is not anything too monumental, but does bring with it two notable features worth mentioning. The first is that the app now allows a user to include more than one bank account. Multiple card support has been long available through the app, although multiple bank accounts is a new addition and one which will prove useful to those who need the feature. The second main notable feature is the inclusion of a ‘Lock Now” button which appears on the slide out menu. Although, most Android Devices can now be locked by just hitting the power button, the update brings with it the ability to simply hit the lock tab while in the app. So once the app is used, you can quickly hit the button and throw it back in your pocket or lay down on your table without worrying about the app still being visible or usable without being unlocked. To unlock the app, the user will need to input their Google Wallet pin.
As always with this sort of update, it is rolling out in a staggered manner, so some users will see it soon enough (if they have not already) while others may have to wait a little longer. Either way, if you would rather sideload the update to your device now and avoid the OTA wait, then you can by pulling the APK from the link below and sideloading to your device manually.