Android Pay on your watch makes paying easier than ever.
Android Pay has been making payments easier on all of us for a while by linking your bank card to your smartphone. Things have just gotten even easier though, because it has been added to the Android Wear ecosystem. Using your watch to pay means that you don't even need to take anything out of your pocket when it comes time to pay for your purchases, but to use Android Pay on your watch there are a few requirements.
Note: This list will be updated as new devices are released with Android Wear support.
What is necessary for Android Pay to work?
While Android Pay is brand new to the Android Wear ecosystem, it does have a few requirements to work correctly on your watch.
Namely, you'll need to make sure that your watch is running Android Wear 2.0, and includes NFC. While there are a number of watches that will be getting the update to Android Wear 2.0, the second part is a bit trickier. That's because most watches don't include NFC, so you may need to pick up a new watch if you're hoping to use Android Pay as soon as possible.
Which watches support Android Pay?
Since Android Wear 2.0 is brand new, the list of supported watches is extremely short. At the time of writing, it's limited to just three models. This list is sure to expand as more watches are released that include NFC specifically to support Android Pay. The list of compatible watches is as follows:
Reader comments
These are the watches that support Android Pay
MST technology for the win!!!
MST is the only reason I haven't used Android Pay and have stuck with Samsung Pay on my Galaxy S7 7 Edge and my Gear S 3 Frontier (Tizen OS) has even eliminated the need to use my phone to pay.
MST works at nearly all locations that have a credit card as it emulates that magnetic strip of a credit or debit card. Merchants don't have to upgrade their terminals to be NFC terminals and they also don't have to invest in software or employee training.
The hard part is getting merchants to believe paying with your watch will work as they think Mobile Payment equals Apple Pay and NFC and I've had one particularly hostile encounter where a manager argued that they don't take Mobile Payments and would not listen when I explained the difference and that they didn't have to have a new NFC terminal for me to pay.
I'll never shop there again after that and I'll just take my business to other open minded establishments.
I wish all devices had MST plus NFC.
It will never catch on as long as it is Samsung exclusive. IMHO.
Besides, most merchants are updating to new terminals with chip readers, which in many cases come with NFC as well.
Actually most still use the old MST terminals
Been enjoying Android Pay on my LG Watch Sport. It's very fast to open and switch between cards is very simple. It still makes me laugh to see people be amazed when I use it - "Wait! Did you just pay with your watch...(mind blown)", LOL.
I am a little frustrated that I can not display my loyalty card codes. I know there are other apps I can do this with, but I don't want to have to manage my cards in two separate apps.
"What it necessary?" Also you forgot, your phone bootloader must be locked.
Honestly, for android wear 2.0 to take off samsung needs to support it. I love my gear s3 and samsung pay. But I would love it more if it supported google music and the play store.
And Google voice, and hangouts, and texting and calling hands free. Sadly, as good as the s3 is... Wear is better.
And hows that battery life? i get about 2-3 days on my s3
You're having issues with texting, Hangouts, and hands-free calling? Must be the phone you're paired to. That can impact what features are available to you on the S3.
I got the gear s3 to use Samsung pay. I might sell it and grab the LG sport. Samsung pay is legit.... But svoice is just bad bad bad. Google assistant is desperately needed.
In my experience, I use Samsung Pay a WHOLE LOT more than I ever talked to my Android Wear watches on a daily basis. The only thing SVoice hasn't been able to do for me from the S3 is "Navigate home." No way I'd downgrade to a less capable wireless payment system.
I thought Android pay died a year ago. I stopped using when it required the pin unlock. Never worked right after that
Died? It's in nearly every store now that isn't trying to promote their worthless payment system.
I'd like to the LG sport in person before I buy it. I don't have big wrists and I hear the watch is really big and that even on its smallest knotch on the non-changeable wristband, it's still big.
Now if only Android Pay existed properly in Canada!
This should be on the list of requirements: you must live in the US.
Need a AW watch slim, NFC, waterproof, and heart sensor. Hopefully we will see some options in MWC. Got the LG watch style for now but will jump off better options are available later.
I am perfectly happy with my LG Urbane, but might pick up a style just too have options.
I was surprised to see that the ZenWatch 3 (ZW3) does not have NFC. I was set to upgrade to the ZW3 from my ZW2, but now I don't know what to do. Not really feeling these new LG watches.
Man I've been enjoying this on Watch coming up on two years. I thought Android was always on the bleeding edge?! 🤔
Well Swarley, I'm on Nougat and whatever emoji you used before the word watch (presumably an eyeball... Or maybe a banana or orange) doesn't show up... So that's how on the bleeding edge we are!
Man, I am commenting from an iPad Air, the emoji is the Apple logo, the bitten Apple, lol
I have been enjoying payments with my Gear s3 for a While now.
Me too on my Gear S2.
Seeing as Google Wallet existed 3 years before Apple Pay did, I would say that that's pretty cutting edge...
Except for the fact that it took ApplePay to launch for Google Wallet to gain any traction and now it's been rebranded as Android Pay. It also took over a year for Android Pay to even match the list of supported banks that Apple Pay had in its first 6 months. Chase didn't even add support for over a year.
Well, duh. That's because Google was on the bleeding edge.
LOL. He doesn't get it.
Allegedly the 360 sport has NFC, so will see if this works. Already bought the sport but, will see if this works.
Edit,
Nevermind, checked the specs at Moto, not their. ZD net listed it as included.
https://www.reddit.com/r/androidwear/comments/5su6z0/_/ddidnmn?context=1000
Ok but Google said the Watch Urbane 2 LTE will also get it... Seems like any watch with an NFC chip will get Android Pay functionality. Such as the Urbane 2, the Sony smartwatch 3, etc.
The SW3 isn't getting Android Wear 2.0 and I love that you said 'etc' as though those two aren't literally the only other two Android Wear watches with NFC.
But then really, what is the difference between the urbane 2 lte and watch sport?
It looks nicer, but lacks the rotating crown (I think, though it does spin) and ambient light sensor and slightly slower processor (though Ars shows not a huge difference in processors).
More like the one watch so far