- Google Wallet has added a new security feature to protect your data
- Viewing anything in the app will require verification after three minutes
- This previously only applied to making payments
As digital wallets have grown in popularity, it’s become more important than ever that their security is certifiably rock solid. After all, the last thing you need is for your credit card details or identity documents to fall into the wrong hands.
As spotted by 9to5Google, the Google Wallet app has made an adjustment intended to protect your security. Previously, if you attempted to pay for something using Google Wallet and three minutes had passed since you first opened the app, you’d be prompted to verify your identity using biometric info (like a fingerprint or a facial scan) or entering your passcode. Now, once three minutes are up, you’ll have to verify yourself if you want to use the app at all – even just viewing its home screen.
This move protects anything stored in the Google Wallet app, including details of payment cards, tickets, identity documents, and more. It means that intruders won’t just be prevented from paying for things if they have unauthorized access to your device – they won’t be able to see anything in the app.
9to5Google noticed the change in version 25.18 of the Google Wallet app on both Google Pixel and Samsung smartphones. The outlet said that the feature appears to be in testing but has been seen more frequently over time.
It’s not the only security change that might be coming to Google Wallet. According to reports on Reddit, the Wear OS version of the app has been requiring some users to enter a PIN every time they make a contactless payment. One Reddit user was apparently told by Google support that “this is one of the security measures that Google will be taking to protect your transactions and your account privacy,” suggesting that it could be an intentional feature (rather than a bug) that might soon roll out to other users.
Stepping up security
These days, digital wallet apps are used to store much more than just payment cards. You can carry around pretty much your entire identity on your smartphone, with items as trivial as loyalty cards and day passes sitting alongside vital documents like drivers’ licenses and credit cards. That means it’s more important than ever that digital wallets keep their contents safe.
The wide variety of items that apps such as Google Wallet can store means you don’t just need protection from unauthorized users spending your hard-earned cash – you might not want them peeking at your identity documents either. With Google’s latest move, gaining access to that information could become harder for bad actors who have physical access to your device.
However, there seems to be a slight lapse in that the latest change only asks for verification after three minutes. We conducted a brief and informal survey of TechRadar’s writers who own Android phones, and only one reported that Google Wallet asked for authentication when the app was first opened.
Perhaps Google could improve its security further by requiring a PIN or biometric authentication when you first open Google Wallet, ensuring your cards are kept safe and secure no matter whether three minutes have passed or not.
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