Google has added a new tool that allows Android users to create digital versions of many types of badges and event passes for devices Wallets.
The tool is part of the Google Wallet App. It was first announced in May along with other changes to the latest operating system, Android 15. The change is explained on a Google Wallet help site. The tool is now available to Android users in the US who have the latest update of Google Wallet.
Digital wallets are designed to allow users to store non-physical versions of credit cards, ID cards, membership cards and event tickets on their smartphones or other devices. Credit cards in wallets are directly linked to the banks that offer them and can be used to pay just like a physical credit card.
The use of digital wallets has increased over the years as people have become more reliant on digital IDs and other documents. Proponents say this reduces the need to carry many cards in a physical wallet.
So far, Google Wallet has expanded its range of digital documents into CategoriesExamples of these categories include payment or gift cards, bus, train or flight tickets and official identification documents.
Google’s new tool is designed to allow device users to easily add many more types of documents to the Wallet service. This could include the types of IDs that many people carry in their physical wallets, such as Gym Memberships and medical or Insurance cards.
These digital versions can be created by the user taking a photo of the physical document or taking a screenshot of a digital version from a device. Some documents have an electronic barcode or QR code that can be entered into the wallet app.
Google Wallet then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create a new digital passport using the information from the photo.
The process for creating these digital documents is similar to adding new documents to Google Wallet. Users open the app and then click “Add to Google Wallet (+).” The app then offers users the choice of what type of card or pass to create. This includes groups such as “payment card,” “public transport pass,” or “identity card.”
The new Google Wallet has a new category called “Everything Else.” This offering was created to allow users to create digital copies of virtually any card, passport, or document they want to keep on their devices.
Google is offering additional security measures to users who store official documents on Android devices. These “private passports” can also be added to Google Wallet. Google says the data contained in official digital documents is only stored on the device as an additional security measure.
Some US states allow citizens to create a digital ID card to officially prove their identity. Google explains that this service is currently only available in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland.
There is a process that users must follow to obtain their digital IDs verified from any state. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) even accepts this form of government ID at many major U.S. airports.
Online technology website Android Authority As recently reported, Google Wallet will soon also be able to create digital versions of American passports. To create this official digital document, users must have an electronic passport issued by the US government.
As the online publication reported, one of its authors found out that Google Wallet Pass is still under development at Google. Android Authority noted that storing a passport in Google Wallet could, in some cases, eliminate the need to present a physical passport. However, the digital version is not intended to replace the physical passport, which the user should continue to carry.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Google and Android Authority.
Quiz – Tech tip: Google Wallet now creates digital IDs from photos
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Words in this story
Wallet – N. a small container for carrying money and credit cards or a digital version for the same purpose
App – N. a computer program designed to perform one or more tasks and is usually intended for use on mobile devices
category – N. a group of people or things that are similar in some way
Gym (sports hall) –n. a shop where people go to do sports or exercise
Insurance – N. an agreement by which you pay a company to cover necessary expenses in the event of an accident that causes damage or injury
barcode – N. a small, printed pattern of thick and wide black lines that is printed on products and documents
verify – V. prove that something exists or is true
