One of the best half about utilizing a digital pockets app like Google Google Pockets is the way it simplifies contactless funds. Gone are the times of pulling out your bank card and tapping to pay for fast purchases like espresso, a bagel, or fuel. Now, all you need to do is double-press the facet button in your cellphone, and Google Pockets opens so that you can pay in seconds. It is quick and, extra importantly, safe. And with the newest Google Pockets replace, including new playing cards is even simpler.
There have all the time been two conventional methods so as to add a brand new debit or bank card to Google Pockets. You possibly can both enter the main points manually or scan your card along with your digital camera, which fills within the particulars for you. With the newest Google Play Companies replace for Google Pockets, a brand new third choice permits you to add a card to your Google Pockets by merely tapping it close to the NFC reader in your cellphone (through Android Authority). You will then see on-screen directions to finalize and confirm including the cardboard to your cellphone, with no need to enter the cardboard’s quantity manually or scan it along with your digital camera.
Now you may faucet so as to add a card to your Google Pockets after which faucet once more to make purchases with it. It looks like a full-circle second for Google Pockets. You may suppose that, with NFC know-how being round for thus lengthy, this characteristic would have been added sooner, nevertheless it’s higher late than by no means, I suppose.
Moreover, if this characteristic appears acquainted, it is as a result of Apple added the identical characteristic to Apple Pockets with iOS 18 in 2024, permitting you so as to add a card to Apple Pockets by tapping it on the again of your iPhone.

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Google
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No
Google Pockets has one other new cool trick up its sleeve
Monitoring your flight or prepare journey is now a lot simpler
Google Pockets’s newest replace not solely added a brand new means so as to add playing cards but in addition launched assist for top-of-the-line new options in Android 16: Stay Updates. Notably, you may retailer extra than simply fee playing cards in your Google Pockets. It may well additionally maintain tickets for flights, prepare rides, and occasions. With Google Pockets now supporting Android 16’s Stay Updates, you may view reside updates for all these straight in your lock display screen.
For those who’re unfamiliar with Stay Updates, they’re similar to Apple’s Stay Actions. They present a persistent notification on the prime of your lock display screen for ongoing actions, similar to navigation in Google Maps, real-time updates from ride-sharing apps like Uber, or deliveries.
So in the event you’re catching a flight and have added your boarding cross to Google Pockets, you will now be capable of see reside updates in your lock display screen, and the identical goes for in the event you’re catching a prepare.
Each of those new options — the flexibility to faucet so as to add a card and reside updates for flights, prepare rides, and occasions — are actually rolling out to Google Pockets with the newest Google Play Companies replace. So it is best to see them quickly in your gadget in the event you do not already.
Google Pockets has skilled many updates this yr. A couple of weeks in the past, it acquired a serious visible overhaul with Google’s new Materials 3 Expressive design, and not too long ago, it added a characteristic that allows you to add nicknames to passes in your pockets. My favourite replace to this point this yr got here with Android 16 on Pixel telephones, the place now you can change the double-press motion of the facility button to open Google Pockets as an alternative of the digital camera.