Google Wallet’s custom passes got a big upgrade last summer, and they’ve recently become a feature I can’t live without.
Google Wallet, while not the most exciting app in Google’s portfolio, is one of the Google apps I use all the time. It’s my default digital wallet on every Android phone I use. All of my store rewards/membership cards are in it, and it’s fantastic for concert tickets and airplane boarding passes.
Over the last couple of months, I started using a little-known and often-forgotten Google Wallet feature that began rolling out last summer: custom passes. You’ve long been able to add anything with a barcode or QR code to Wallet, but the implementation was pretty barebones. Last August, Google upgraded the experience to use AI to help you create a custom pass for virtually anything. And, I have to admit: it’s incredible.Why custom Google Wallet passes are so good
Creating a custom Google Wallet pass is super simple. Open the Wallet app, tap Add to Wallet, and then tap the Everything else option at the bottom of the screen. This prompts you to take a picture of the card, membership, etc., you want to add to Google Wallet. Alternatively, you can upload a screenshot or photo you have already taken.
The main difference here compared to how custom passes previously worked is that you can add items that don’t have a barcode or QR code — such as a vehicle registration or an insurance card.
