Wear OS smartwatches just got a nifty upgrade – now you can use loyalty cards directly through Google Wallet thanks to the latest system update. In the past, top-notch smartwatches on Wear OS, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and Google Pixel Watch 2, could only handle credit or debit cards through Google Wallet.
Before this update, if you wanted to wirelessly scan a loyalty card from places like Starbucks, Barnes and Noble in the US, or Waterstones in the UK, you had to resort to your phone. This somewhat defeated the purpose of the convenience of paying with your smartwatch. But with the recent update (23.46.x) for Wear OS watches, all your loyalty cards in Google Wallet will magically appear on your watch, granted it’s running Wear OS 3.5 or higher and is fully updated.
According to 9to5Google, it’s as easy as scrolling through payment methods to find a list of all your loyalty cards. Just tap on the one you want, and it’ll pop up just like any other credit or debit card. Keep in mind, though, that expired passes and health insurance cards won’t be part of this update. Plus, the new version introduces in-app payment notifications directly to your watch, so you won’t need them to come from Google Play Services on your phone anymore.
If you want to update your Wear OS watch, follow these steps:
- Make sure your Wear OS watch is near your phone, which should be connected to the internet.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down to System and tap it.
- Tap Software and Updates.
- If an update is available, your watch will provide an option to download and install it.
