Google Wallet will soon stop working on older versions of Android and Wear OS

Google Wallet is ending support for older versions of Android and Wear OS, and the app may soon stop working for some users. The tech giant has now increased the Wallet app requirements to Android 9 or higher for smartphones and Wear OS 2.0 or higher for smartwatches. The main reason for this change is given as security and the availability of new features. It appears that Google Wallet will not be able to add new security updates to older versions of the operating software.

This update was recently added to Google Wallet support page. The page now specifies that the wallet app will now require Android 9 or higher. It also states: “To keep Wallet features more secure, we need to be able to push security updates to your device. Security updates are not available for Android versions below 9.0.” The same requirement upgrade has been applied to Wear OS and now Wear OS 2.x will be required to run the app. A report by 9to5Google highlighted that these requirements will be applicable from June 10.

Based on the support page, the reason for the move is that the Wallet app will not be able to offer security updates to older versions of Android and Wear OS. Notably, Google Wallet was introduced in 2022 and supported Android 5 and above. Last year, this was changed to Android 7, which is being pushed again. The tech giant also mentioned that the new features it plans for the wallet app will not be compatible with older versions, stressing that the company plans to roll out new features soon.

Google finally launched its Wallet app in India on May 8. However, unlike other marketplaces, the app has not replaced Google Pay as a unified payments and wallet app. Instead, Google Wallet now works alongside Google Pay and acts as a platform for storing boarding passes, loyalty and gift cards, event cards, car keys and public transport tickets.

The Android maker said it has partnered with more than 20 companies in India such as PVR, Inox, Air India, Indigo, Flipkart, MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, Ixigo and Pine Labs. Google also intends to partner with more companies in the coming months.