All kinds of IDs, tickets, and other passes can be scanned and stored in Google Wallet using AI.
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I love storing a digital pass in my phone’s wallet enough that I’m a little miffed when I have to use a different app or, heaven forbid, a saved PDF instead. On Android, at least, there’s a better way, thanks to a new Google Wallet option rolling out now that uses AI to generate a digital version with all the relevant details that you can use just like any other digital pass.
The feature, which Google announced at its I/O conference in May, takes the place of a previous “Photo” option in the “Add to Wallet” menu that could create a simpler version of a pass that just showed a barcode or QR code.
Dubbed “Everything Else,” using it could save you from digging through your email to find a PDF while you’re standing in line at the venue or trying to navigate your healthcare provider’s app to get an image of your insurance card. Google Wallet’s generated passes can work for a broad range of categories, including business cards, IDs, library cards, loyalty cards, passports, and vehicle registration, as 9to5Google notes. It only works in the US right now, though.
When you pick “Everything Else,” the app asks for permission to process your sensitive information using Google’s AI and organize it according to categories like private pass, health pass, or driver’s license. Then, you can take a picture of the pass and, after it’s processed, adjust any details or categories that don’t seem right and approve the final product.
Google has published instructions for using the feature and seems to have started rolling it out earlier this month, While our own Emma Roth has it on her Galaxy Note 20, I still don’t on my Pixel 6, but it should be available on more devices soon.
