Google Wallet's new feature saves Android users from fumbling for passes

What you need to know

• Google Wallet now automatically surfaces the exact pass you need the moment you approach the right location.
• The new feature finally delivers the context-aware Wallet teased at Google I/O, removing the need to dig through a messy pass list.
• When you get close to an airport gate, concert venue, transit terminal, or store, Wallet pushes a one-tap notification that opens the correct pass instantly.

Weariness at the boarding gate, fumbling for a concert ticket, or digging through loyalty cards — those days will soon be over if you use Google Wallet. Google is rolling out a new feature that surfaces the right pass at the right time, based on where you are.

Instead of digging through a cluttered list of passes at the worst possible time (think boarding gate, train turnstile, or concert security line), Google Wallet can now automatically surface the exact pass you need, 9to5Google reports. After teasing it at Google I/O in May, the tech giant is rolling out its “Set up nearby notifications” alerts, a new feature that pops up the right ticket, card, or boarding pass the moment you get close to where you’ll need it.

So, instead of acting like a digital filing cabinet, Wallet is now becoming context-aware. As you approach a relevant location — an airport terminal, a venue entrance, a transit gate, or even a store where you use a loyalty card — the app sends a push notification that opens the matching pass instantly. You get it with one tap, without scrolling through stacks of passes or guessing which one is correct.

Privacy trade-off

Setting up nearby notifications is straightforward. When you open a pass that supports the feature, Wallet prompts you to enable it, which requires granting location access “all the time.”

This means Google Wallet can continuously track your device's location, even when you are not using the app. It’s a privacy trade-off, but in return, you get a hands-free experience that feels genuinely helpful.

This rollout blends in another handy travel feature: automated flight check-in alerts. Users are seeing notifications urging them to "Check in to your flight" well before they head to the airport. It appears Wallet is pulling this data directly from confirmation emails in Gmail.

This rollout is hitting devices right now, just in time for the holiday travel rush.