This new Google Wallet feature is a holiday lifesaver

At Google I/O this past May, Google previewed many exciting upcoming Android features — many of which are now rolling out — including the Material 3 Expressive redesign for Android 16 and expanded Gemini support for smartwatches, TVs, and Android Auto.

One announcement that stood out to me in particular was a new Google Wallet feature called Nearby Pass notifications. This feature sends you a notification to open a pass in your wallet when you’re near a location where you can use it, such as a boarding pass when you’re at an airport.

According to 9to5Google, Google has now begun rolling out Nearby Pass notifications to users, so if you have Google Wallet on your Android device, you should soon be able to set it up.

When you open a pass in Google Wallet — like a gift card, loyalty card, or boarding pass — you may get a pop-up to enable Nearby Pass Notifications. For 9to5Google, this appeared on a boarding pass in Google Wallet with a prompt saying to “get notified when you’re near the airport.”

With the feature turned on, your phone will display the relevant pass on your lock screen whenever you’re near a place where it can be used, such as a coffee shop loyalty card, making it easier to access it when you need it quickly.

Google says Nearby Pass notifications have been “designed to provide timely and relevant information by alerting users about pertinent passes… when they approach a designated point of interest.”

How to enable Nearby Pass notifications

If you don’t see it yet, it’s because it’s still rolling out

Credit: Google

To check whether the feature is available in your Google Wallet, open the app and tap your profile picture in the top-right corner to access Wallet settings. From there, select Manage Wallet notifications. If Nearby Pass Notifications is available on your device, it should appear in this menu.

Alternatively, 9to5Google found that simply opening a pass in Google Wallet triggered a prompt to set up Nearby Pass notifications. Keep in mind that the feature requires Google Wallet’s location setting to be set to “Allow all the time.”

Additionally, Google is also rolling out new flight check-in alerts. When you book a flight and online check-in becomes available, Google Wallet will send a push notification prompting you to check in and add your boarding pass to Wallet. According to 9to5Google, this likely works by Google Wallet looking at your flight confirmation email in Gmail.

With the holidays approaching, it sure seems like Google is rolling out these Google Wallet features at the perfect time, just as people gear up for Christmas shopping and holiday travel. If you have tons of cards in your Google Wallet, Nearby Pass notifications will undoubtedly be a handy way to surface the card you’re looking for when you need it, without rummaging through all your cards and passes.

Google Wallet has picked up a ton of new features this year. One of my favorites is an Android 16 addition for Pixel phones that lets you open Google Wallet with a double-press of the power button, similar to using Apple Wallet on an iPhone. I’m also a fan of the new Material 3 Expressive redesign, which gives the app a more colorful, visually appealing look.