Google Wallet Shortcut, Soon to Potentially be Available for any Android Model

Google Wallet is potentially upgrading to every Android model that utilizes the contactless payment platform. An APK teardown shows the app could soon be accessible through a phone's Quick Settings Menu.

As per Android Police, OEMs or Original Equipment Manufacturers have complete control over the functionality offered in their Quick Settings panel, and they occasionally limit shortcuts that may be useful to customers. Such is the situation with Google Wallet.

Users may see Google Wallet under their smartphone's Quick Settings panel when they scroll down. However, the shortcut is not available on all Android phones.

The shortcut is made available via a system-level feature known as Quick Access Wallet, although OEMs have the ultimate say on whether or not consumers may utilize the facility.

That is the situation with Samsung, which does not display Google Wallet on its Quick Settings screen. This, however, may soon change.

Google Wallet's current 24.26.650309275 version purportedly hints that the app will receive its Quick Setting tile separately from the system-level Quick Access Wallet.

Tapping this tile would launch the Google Wallet app, and long tapping it would purportedly display the app's information.

Google Wallet's Projected Convenience

If you've configured Google Wallet as your preferred payment app, it will launch immediately whenever you try to make a contactless payment at an NFC terminal.

However, if you have many cards saved in your digital wallet and want to pay with one not configured as the default, you must launch the Google Wallet app and manually pick it up.

When the OEM does not provide a Quick Setting shortcut, this can be inconvenient and time-consuming, especially in a crowded checkout line. A Quick Setting tile that allows you to access Google Wallet with one tap, independent of the phone manufacturer, will improve consumers' payment experiences.

Google Photos and iCloud

This most recent Google APK breakdown provides another peek into how the internet behemoth continues to improve its application portfolio. Google and Apple recently introduced a tool that lets users transfer photographs from Google Photos to iCloud.

This program, part of the Data Transfer program (DTI), will add iCloud exports to Google Takeout's existing transfer choices, making it easier for consumers to transfer their picture collections between the two major platforms.

The new tool will be delivered progressively over the following week. It automates the whole transfer from Google Photos to iCloud. This automation eliminates users needing to download or upload their images manually. Instead, the transfer may be initiated online, reducing a previously time-consuming process.

According to an Apple support website, the time it takes to finish the transfer might range from a few hours to several days, based on the photo collection's size.