Google Wallet is getting a Live Updates feature for your tickets
Once you have embraced Google Wallet, it is hard to imagine living without it to help manage payment cards, tickets, loyalty cards and more. Thanks to a feature of Android 16, Google Wallet is gaining a handy Live Updates feature.
The addition comes as part of Google Wallet taking on the Material 3 Expressive redesign which also affects the likes of Google Maps. So just what can you expect from this change?
In some ways, the changes that are coming are an expansion of existing features of Google Wallet. If you have added boarding passes for your flight to your Wallet, you will have already noticed that you will be alerted about when it is time to head towards your gate and other useful time-sensitive information.
As noted by 9to5Google, the release of the latest version of Google Play Services is introducing more. Google gives scant details in the Wallet section of the release notes for Google Play services v25.41 (2025-10-20):
Wallet
- [Phone] With this update, you can add cards through supported issuer apps without entering details.
- [Phone] You'll receive a notification if you're on Android 12 or earlier and have a loyalty pass imported from Gmail with the Wallet app installed.
- [Phone] You can now view Live Updates in Google Wallet for key travel journeys that include flights, train trips, and events.
It is hard to extrapolate a huge amount from this, but Google has already spoken about Live Updates earlier in the year. Updates can appear as notifications, persistent notifications, on the lock screen, or as a status bar pill.
The new system could be used in various ways, including mimicking Uber’s progress bar that shows how far away a driver is. The same system can be used for flights, train journeys and so on, but there are many other possibilities.
It could just be used as a new way of displaying information about delays, problem or journey changes – such as an airport gate changing at the last minute.
In terms of events, the system could be used to provide information about start time, integrate directions, suggestions from organizers, or even ads for nearby places to visit before or after.
Keep an eye open for when new functionality lands on your phone – Google is not giving any indication of when things will go live for everyone, so you’ll just have to wait and be pleasantly surprised.